Afoot in Odcombe

20/02/2025

Looking forward to drier days when we Odcombe folk can ramble down the hollows without flippers and a snorkel!
Does anyone recognise this particular lane? Nice little post about HAM HILL Country park and a couple of the comments genuinely made me laugh out loud!

These heavily traversed paths, commonly known as holloways, derive their name from the Old English term “hola weg,” which translates to sunken road.

The origins and early history of sunken lanes in England, often referred to as holloways, are steeped in antiquity, tracing back to the Iron Age and possibly even earlier period notes holloway expert Robert Macfarlane.

This beauty is in Somerset and close to the gigantic Iron Age Hillfort, Ham Hill.

Ham Hill is home to a substantial Bronze Age and Iron Age hill fort built by the Durotriges tribe around the 1st century BC. The fort’s 3-mile (5 km) ramparts enclose an expansive area of 210 acres (85 hectares).

08/04/2024

Sharing this photo series compiled by my friend Jon Castle documenting his Odcombe circular via Ham Hill and Montacute.
He is an avid walker and photographer - as the photos show!
Thanks for sharing Jon 💚

11/02/2023

In the paper today (the route doesn’t include Odcombe but we all know you go down Hockers Hill doing this walk!)

The Celtic tribe known as the Durotriges were expert builders of hilltop forts. The stronghold they dug and mounded on Ham Hill is a remarkable structure. It encompasses more than 200 acres of south Somerset within a huge L-shaped enclosure of steep-sided double ramparts.

20/08/2022

These look interesting! 💚

Four Circular Walking Routes, on and around Ham Hill (scroll down for quiz!): A quality series of guides produced by the Friends of Ham Hill, for sale for just £2 at the Ham Hill Rangers Office.
Do you want to see Ham Hill like you never have before, and discover far-off, hidden sway nooks and crannies you mag never have been to? These guides are perfect if you’re new to the site, or already love Ham Hill dearly and want to learn more!
Maybe you’ll then be able to answer these quiz questions and challenges….
1. We all know the stone circle ain’t ancient, but why was it actually built?
2. (Challenge) what is the most distant man made structure you can see from the monument?
3. What is the tall ‘Time Stone’, near the flat fields gateway, supposed to resemble?
4. (Challenge) do a couple of random stops in the flat fields, and see how many different shaped leaves you can spot.
5. Where, on Ham Hill, was lime created by heating Hamstone with fire?
6. In which of the three fields was there once an Iron-Age, Roundhouse settlement?
7. (For you proper trekkers out there) what types of tree have us rangers planted in pit woods?
8. (Another trekker question) Where on Ham Hill would local farmers once have taken their pigs, to forage for beech nuts?

Purchase these leaflets and explore!

Friends of Ham Hill Webpage:
https://friendsofhamhill.org

01/08/2021

Greetings Ambulators

Obviously the routes of the village circular walks don’t change much, so posts are few and far between….but having been cut to shreds on brambles along some walks recently I wonder if it’s worth sharing updates on the state/accessibility of the walks listed?

Hockers Hill was particularly overgrown last week (and previously mentioned brambles were prolific in parts!)

Anyone else with updates they can share? Please drop a comment below ⬇️

05/05/2021

Lovely circular walk with Helen M to
Hardington Nature Reserve to see the cowslips and green winged orchids. We started at Odcombe, Street Lane, and came back through the Orchards.

01/03/2021

Extended Barwick and Stoford Circular approx 3 miles (when you get there from Odcombe!)
Crossing into Dorset and one of the Barwick Follies for the intrepid Odcombe “Afoot-ers” 💚

01/03/2021

Interesting, this longer East Coker Walk dips into Barwick, taking in two of the Barwick Follies and some local woodlands
The walk notes mention 20 stiles, a steep ascent and flooding in wet weather 😉

01/03/2021

Barwick & Stoford circular walk approx 5 miles long with two short cuts giving 2 1/5 or 4 miles options.
This would be pretty mammoth getting there, any suggestions of routes? 💚

01/03/2021

A 3 mile circular walk around East Coker. Walking from Odcombe once again will make it a more substantial trek!
From Odcombe there are a number of options adding onto previous walks, added the OS screenshot but once again I would probably favour the field footpath off Street Lane to get to Ridge Lane West Coker end and come back through West Coker and over the fields at Pye Corner.
Let me know how you get on, and any better alternatives? 💚

01/03/2021

Another set of loops from Hardington Manderville and a snapshot of the map from Odcombe
I think I would drop down through the fields off Street lane / Ridge Lane / Coker Hill Lane and maybe come back via West Coker and footpath across the fields at Pye Corner.
The Hardington walk itself is 10 miles with the short cuts giving approx lengths of 2.5 and 7.5 miles... so with the additional walk to get there you are talking a looong walk!
But too many options and beautiful views not to share 💚

27/02/2021

Eleanor has been out on a pretty circular :

I did a lovely sunny 7.5km walk yesterday across the fields and through the the West Coker Fen Nature reserve (very boggy) which I never knew was there before. Only problem with the route is you have to walk on a small section of the A30 before getting back into West Coker but other than that is so peaceful.