Englishcombe, Inglesbatch, Priston Mill and Wilmington

A rural walk in Somerset to an 18th century working water mill

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Statistics and Files
Start: Englishcombe Distance: 4.4 miles (7.1 km) Climbing: 209 metres
Grid Ref: ST 71594 62832 Time: 2-3 hours Rating: Easy
GPX Route File Google Earth File About Englishcombe
Statistics
Start: Englishcombe Distance: 4.4 miles (7.1 km)
Climbing: 209 metres Grid Ref: ST 71594 62832
Time: 2-3 hours Rating: Easy
GPX Route File Google Earth File
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)

The Walk: This gentle stroll through undulating countryside begins at the village of Englishcombe. From the lane outside the church, look out to the right and you can see a pronounced dip in the field, which seems to lead away to the farmhouse on the hill. This is, in fact, part of the Wansdyke, an earthwork of ditch and bank, which once stretched from a point near Bristol all the way to the Savernake Forest. It is generally thought to have been built by the British leader Ambrosius Aurelianus at the end of the 6th century AD, as a protection against the invading Saxons.

Englishcombe ChurchEnglishcombe Church
Priston MillPriston Mill

From Englishcombe, the broad track runs between hedgerows which are crowded with wild flowers in summer. Eventually the track narrows down to a footpath between the trees. This section of the walk ends when a stream is reached with its simple wooden bridge constructed from railway sleepers. Beyond the small village of Inglesbatch, the path opens out again with fine views of the rolling Somerset countryside and across to the tower of Priston church. This is a most attractive part of the walk which takes you down to the valley of the busy Conygre Brook and to Priston Mill. There was a mill here recorded in the Domesday Book, though the present building is not nearly that old.

Today, Priston is a handsome stone mill, built in the 18th century and modernised later, when the 21 feet diameter water wheel was installed. Water is led down an artificial channel to run into a trough feeding the wheel. The area around the trough was once an elm wood and has now been replanted as a small nature reserve. Here visitors can see a variety of wildfowl from the familiar mallard duck to the more exotic greylag geese from Iceland. Buzzards are a common sight soaring overhead.

The walk over the hill to the hamlet of Wilmington provides wide vistas over gentle undulating farmland. The road is a quiet country lane with more splendid views across the countryside. By Pennsylvania Farm, with its pretty stone farmhouse, there is a second chance to visit the Wansdyke earthworks. There is one other site on view during the last part of the walk. As you approach the church at Englishcombe, you can see a large artificial mound which is all that remains of a medieval castle.


Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.


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