Blawel one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Blawel here.

Really nice direct up-and-over-the-hill route which gives a good picture of the Mendip plateau country on the way. More of it is on road than other Slow Ways through the area but the roads are quiet and there is plenty to see around them. Very enjoyable and much better than I was anticipating. There is also a new off-road permissive path/bridleway through land owned by the Yeo Valley dairy people next to the longest stretch of road in the middle of the route for those who prefer field margins to tarmac. I will share this as Blawel two.

It’s generally easy to navigate although you have to concentrate a bit getting out of Blagdon. The route out from the main road goes up an alley between two houses via some rocky steps, then winds along Street End Lane lane on the outskirts of the village before diving right up another pathway just as it seems you are heading up the driveway of a house. This little path is more zig-zaggy than it looks on the plotted route but it soon releases you into the fields above the village.

It is steep climb from here through the fields to meet the Two Trees road which leads to the B3134. Once across this the way heads back into pastures for the rest of the climb up to the Mendip Plateau with the path skirting east round some low earthworks to reach Rains Batch. This leads downhill towards the interesting, hummocky one-time lead mining landscape of Ubley Warren, through which the route meanders on paths and tracks.

At the top of Velvet Bottom, on a curve where cars are often parked, the track meets a quiet lane and follows it for a good couple of miles, with views of the Mendip plateau around. At the beginning of this section it is also possible to go back into Ubley Warren at the southern end of the car parking area and carry on following informal footpaths parallel to the road in Ubley Warren, exiting via a farm gate at w3w drifter.dusts.wrenching.

Once the route crosses the (intermittent but fast) B3135, it dips into the fields in a lovely shallow valley, using ladder stiles to climb the walls between them, and meets the very quiet Coxton End Lane which soon joins the West Mendip Way to Priddy. There is a popular pub in the village.

South of Priddy the route continues to follow the West Mendip Way on a footpath edging around arable fields (which can get nettly in the summer months) and along a bridleway, before heading downhill with a terrific view of the Somerset Levels in front to cross the top of the wooded Ebbor Gorge National Nature Reserve.

At the time of writing (2022) there is an issue with ash dieback in the gorge and the potential of falling dead trees when wind-speeds are high. Best use the equally good Monarch’s Way path a little to the east instead in stormy weather. The first part of the path down through the trees is also fairly steep, rocky and can be slippy when wet.

Once out of Ebbor Gorge there is a further descent through more fields - and still with a fabulous view ahead - into the village of Wookey Hole, a place lively in the tourist season with visitors to the caves and other attractions. There are pubs and other places to eat here.

Between Wookey Hole and Wells there is a gentle climb through fields and a lane before following an alley into the edge of town, then crossing some school grounds and taking a footbridge over the main road into the centre.

The bus station in this town is an excellent hub for getting around the local area, including back to Axbridge.

Access involves a wide range of stiles, gates, kissing gates, steps, rocky steep ground etc.

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