| West Sedgemoor is a designated "Ramsar"
site (after the Iranian city of Ramsar where the convention was
signed 34 years ago) because of its importance as a wildlife habitat.
Birds like lapwings fly about in great profusion and often The Levels
becomes nothing more than a huge seething skyscape, with just a
thin horizontal band of earth and water to remind you that this
really is one of the loneliest and loveliest places in the West
Country.
Basic Hike: from RSPB's Dewlands Farm on the
Somerset Levels, north to Oath on bank of River Parret, across the
river to Aller Church, then north-west along Aller Drove to Pathe
Bridge, taking footpath on the left to return along Sowy River to
Oath.
Recommended Maps: Explorer
140 - Quantock) and 128 - Taunton.
Distance and going: four miles, easy going (specially
when it's dry).
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Note that all maps on this site are only indicative.
You should never set out without the correct OS map. |
| For this walk, we cross the small lane
near the RSPB owned Dewlands Farm and follow the public footpath
around the side of Red Hill to find the junction where a northerly
right-of-way takes us over the summit of lowly Oath Hill and down
to the Oath Farm.
From here you can look north-east out across Aller Moor to Aller
Court Farm and its church. A footbridge allows walkers to cross
the River Parrett and onto the plain, then another bridge (which
crosses the River Sowy - actually a flood relief channel) places
you on the path that heads dead straight across the meadows to the
church.
Terrible things went on in these low polders in 1645. The English
Civil War was in full swing and the high ground to the rear of Aller
and Langport was the scene of a huge battle between 7,000 Royalist
soldiers and 10,000 Parliamentarians.
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| After a brave and hard fought initial
stance by the former, the rout was on and soon panic was spreading
through Royalist ranks. Groups of men fled down into these low-lying
marshes as they attempted to make for Burrowbridge and Bridgwater
beyond. Rout and skirmish is the official military term for it -
hard-pressed soldiers would regroup and make a stand to fight, only
to give way and take to their heels again. No one knows how many
people died out here on the 10th of July that year, but it is likely
that all the rhynes ran red.
Only swans rout and skirmish today - or at least they did when
we were there. A surprising number of swans - more than 30 of the
great white birds took to their wings as we approached, only to
land, make a stand and fly again as we came on towards them.
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| After crossing various tiny footbridges
over drainage ditches we eventually reach a track adjacent to Aller
Court Farm - a handsome old place built upon a slight eminence.
It was very likely to have been an island in the middle of the impenetrable
swamps which once dominated the Levels before they were drained.
The map says the footpath should continue in front of the farm and
so we continued - though we had to duck under several electric fences
in order to reach the lovely old churchyard.
After musing a while in this most peaceful of places, we found
our way across to Aller Drove which took us away to the north of
the village. Eventually the road crosses the Sowy River and, just
on the other side we found the gate that took us onto the public
footpath which, in turn, took is in a great arc back along the waterside
to join the Parrett at Stathe. This is where the humble path becomes
the grander River Parrett Trail and it was simply a matter of continuing
along better-known right-of-way to Oath. From there we retrace our
tracks to Dewlands.
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