This walk is a steep clamber around
the highest point of the Quantock Hills. It might be a little exhausting
in places but the views are among the most magnificent in the entire
Westcountry region.
Basic hike: from Triscombe (seven miles northwest of Taunton) along
the side of the Quantocks to Little Quantock Farm, up onto the ridge
and then south east to Will’s Neck before returning to Triscombe
down a very steep track.
Will's Neck is the highest point on the Quantock Hills and you
are guaranteed magnificent vistas just about any way you look.
Indeed, the steep descent from the lofty summit to the hamlet of
Triscombe is the nearest Westcountry walking gets to flying. You
feel that at any moment you could soar away across the vast West
Somerset vale that lies far below. On the way down you can peer
over at distant Dartmoor, take a discerning peek at the Blackdowns,
examine Exmoor and eyeball the Brendons.
Note that all maps on this site are only indicative.
You should never set out without the correct OS map.
Of course, being able to enjoy all
this altitudinous sightseeing does come at a cost. As is the case
with most high-points, the price of the panorama is the climb up.
To find all this scenic glory you only need drive 15 minutes out
of Taunton on the Minehead road. After about seven miles turn right
and follow the signposts to Triscombe, and within a mile you will
be in one of the loveliest hamlets in Somerset – tucked, as
it is, under the central massif of the Quantock ridge. Tucked, also,
under one of the county’s biggest quarries.
Its red aggregate was used in all manner
of famous places - I seem to remember writing that the rock of the
Quantocks was the first thing most visitors see when they come to
Britain, because it was used for the runways at Heathrow. I was
also once told that the regal red road outside Buckingham Palace
was made of the stuff.
Thankfully, the quarry is quiet nowadays, and there’s not
much at Triscombe save for a handful of pretty cottages and a rather
good pub. Park where you can and find the footpath which you will
see leaving the lane which runs north west along the hills to Crowcombe.
The path passes one or two cottages before climbing the flank of
the hill a little way, then runs parallel with the lane below in
a north-westerly direction.
The right-of-way passes through woods that divide the lower skirts
of the moor and the high fields – and they are an ideal place
for spotting wild red deer.
After about a mile and a quarter the path passes Little Quantock
Farm and introduces the walker to Little Quantock Combe. This is
where the hard work comes in. The half mile to the top of the ridge
is steep, to say the least.
But the effort is worthwhile, because
the main ridge of the Quantocks offers spectacular views in all
directions. On a clear day you will see the whole of North Somerset,
including the vast expanse of The Levels. You can see the new Severn
Bridge spanning the upper limits of the Bristol Channel.
It’s now a two-mile jaunt past Great Hill on the ancient
drovers’ road which is a wonderful feature of the Quantock
ridge, no matter where you meet it. There’s something antediluvian
about walking on this unmade track. If you’ve seen Lord of
The Rings movies and you want to feel what it might be like to be
in such a world – try taking a turn along this prehistoric
trail. Ancient gnarled beeches are a feature of the wide rutted
road and somehow it’s easy to imagine Somerset’s answer
to Gandalf marching along here.
The old name for this section of the track vouches for its antiquity
– a 13th century document calls it “Alferode” and
it’s pretty certain that King Alfred marched along here with
his men on his way from Devon.
Just after you pass the two-and-a-half-foot
high menhir called Triscombe Stone (sit on it if you will –
some people say the monolith will grant you a wish) and passed the
unpaved road which plummets down to Triscombe, a path ascends gently
uphill to the right. This is the way up to Will’s Neck –
the highest point on the Quantocks.
The summit is 1,260 feet above sea-level and the strange name comes
from “Ridge of the Wealas” - which refers to a local
tribe that, according to tradition, fought with the Romans up here.
After admiring the extraordinary views from the cairns at the top,
turn west and walk down over the ridge. This, as I said, is where
it gets particularly altitudinous, in a vertigo-inspiring sort of
way. In fact, so steep does this path become, I wouldn’t recommend
it to anyone who’s out of shape or suffering dodgy knees.
Eventually you enter the woods and after a bit more slipping and
sliding you will find yourself back in Triscombe.
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