Englishcombe, Inglesbatch, Priston Mill and Wilmington

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.