Connect Chard with Slow Ways

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more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Chard to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?

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Chard

Somerset


Slow Ways linking Chard and Axminster, Beaminster, Crewkerne, Hemyock, Honiton, Ilminster

England / Somerset / Chard

Chard’s six Slow Ways are 75% checked

Drawn: 6/6
reviewed: 6/6
verified: 3/6
and surveyed: 3/6

Help connect Chard

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Chard’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Chard from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Axminster—Chard
Axmcha one Enjoy me Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 281m Descent 195m
Chard—Beaminster
Chabea one Pioneer me Distance 24km/15mi Ascent 542m Descent 488m
Chard—Beaminster
Chabea two Review me Distance 22km/14mi Ascent 492m Descent 543m
Chard—Crewkerne
Chacre one Review me Distance 15km/10mi Ascent 366m Descent 330m
Chard—Crewkerne
Chacre two Enjoy me Distance 16km/10mi Ascent 353m Descent 392m
Chard—Ilminster
Chailm one

Review me Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 115m Descent 51m
Chard—Ilminster
Chailm two Enjoy me Distance 9km/6mi Ascent 95m Descent 28m
Hemyock—Chard
Hemcha one Pioneer me Distance 25km/15mi Ascent 508m Descent 533m
Hemyock—Chard
Hemcha two Review me Distance 23km/14mi Ascent 515m Descent 543m
Honiton—Chard
Honcha one

Double check Distance 23km/14mi Ascent 674m Descent 673m
Honiton—Chard
Honcha two Review me Distance 21km/13mi Ascent 622m Descent 621m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Chard and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

68% of Chard’s six route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

11/11

drawn

9/11

reviewed

7/11

surveyed

3/11

verified

6 people have contributed to Chard’s Slow Ways

2 people have pledged to walk and review a route

8 people have surveyed a route in Chard

154km out of 202km have been walked and reviewed

276km of reviews have been shared in Chard

Latest Updates

Helen Gough surveyed Chailm one

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Helen Gough took this photo on Chailm one

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The route makes it look like you can merge onto the Stop Line, a disused railway, but you have to cross the bridge then turn right and right again to get to the line. There are 2 sections of this route that use the Stop Line, which is a shared cycle/footpath. At other times of the year, there are probably more views, but at the moment the fields are planted with corn, and it's really tall right now....

Helen Gough

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Not for those who like scrambling up and down rocky or muddy hills, this is an easy flat walk through lovely countryside. I loved the bits of history along the way too....

Andrew Davies

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Most of the route was clear and pleasant, especially just outside Axminster along the river....

Andrew Davies

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We walked from Crewkerne to Axminster, and this route worked perfectly. I'd certainly recommended it!...

pilea

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I'm keen to walk from Crewkerne to Honiton.... so will come back and use it again for that! Thank you Helen!!!...

pilea

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other than the advice to take a stick or some secateurs to cut back the nettles that a blocking the path in a few pinch points....

danravenellison

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Some people will not like all the lanes (there's a lot of lane walking), but I enjoy walking them......

danravenellison

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Helen Gough surveyed Hemcha two

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Helen Gough took this photo on Hemcha two

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From Oatens Farm to Combe St Nicholas the route is entirely on quiet hedgerow lined lanes. From Combe St Nicholas the route is more varied using tracks, footpaths and very narrow quiet lanes....

Helen Gough

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Hemyock—Chard

Helen Gough added Hemcha two, a new walk from Hemyock to Chard

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Helen Gough surveyed Honcha two

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Helen Gough took this photo on Honcha two

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I walked from Chard to Honiton and really enjoyed this route....

Helen Gough

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Also there are parts where the plotting is inaccurate, not by a lot, but enough to get you the wrong side of a hedgerow and have to again retrace your steps. I have uploaded HonCha2, which avoids wasting energy!...

Helen Gough

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Honiton—Chard

Helen Gough added Honcha two, a new walk from Honiton to Chard

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Helen Gough surveyed Chailm two

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Helen Gough surveyed Axmcha one

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In fact the whole walk was quiet, very little traffic or people noise once outside the towns of Chard and Axminster. There was one field where that wasn't possible, and I walked round the edge which was a bit overgrown....

Helen Gough

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Helen Gough took this photo on Axmcha one

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Helen Gough surveyed Chabea two

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This is a great route that crosses Dorset AONB, but has fantastic views leaving Chard as well. There were 2 minor points, firstly leaving Chard on Chardstock Lane, the route cuts the corner by going through a field, but when I walked it there were crops across it....

Helen Gough

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Chard—Beaminster

Helen Gough added Chabea two, a new walk from Chard to Beaminster

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Helen Gough surveyed Chacre two

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Chard—Crewkerne

Helen Gough added Chacre two, a new walk from Chard to Crewkerne

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Venues Track is waterlogged and only passable in wellies, and even then is unpleasant. Use ChaCre2 which avoids these problems....

Helen Gough

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Helen Gough took this photo on Chacre one

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If you follow this spectacular walk you'll find far reaching views to rival any in those more well known places. There is a section with "Beware of the Bull" signs written in blood red, which is a little off putting, but there was no sign of the bull when I went....

Helen Gough

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Helen Gough took this photo on Chacre two

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Chard

danravenellison surveyed Chard

View facilities

It is also known as The Stop Line, which originally went from Burnham to Seaton and was fortified to prevent the German army from advancing through the country should they invade via the West Country. The Covid pandemic is bad, but at least you didn't have to send your children away to be brought up by unvetted strangers/ at least you didn't have to bring up the children of unvetted strangers. You may have demoralised everyone who lived to the west of you, but you gave me my first clean walk of the winter, and my tri-coloured collie was still tri-coloured at the end of it....

Helen Gough

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Helen Gough took this photo on Chailm two

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Chard—Ilminster

PhilthyOne added Chailm two, a new walk from Chard to Ilminster

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Good hard paths along length, cycleway tarmac near towns at both ends. One fairly busy country lane to cross, where cars move quite fast, but visibility is good. Easy to navigate route....

PhilthyOne

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PhilthyOne surveyed Chailm one

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What's interesting is that there is a more direct route following this old railway line for the whole length, that is part of SusTrans route 33....

PhilthyOne

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Route follows a mix of farmland paths and permissive access along the old Ilminster to Chard railway line. Easily followed, but map will be required. Long sections of tarmac as well as paths over farmland, which can be muddy....

PhilthyOne

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If you prefer not to walk along the roadway, you have a good map and the weather is good, then the route continuing straight on from Chardstock Church via Burridge common into Chard is a nice walk. You can rejoin the Slow Ways route at Bounds lane and enjoy the fantastic views over Chard....

Hilary Willoughby

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Hilary Willoughby took this photo on Axmcha one

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Axminster—Chard

Slow Ways added Axmcha one, a new walk from Axminster to Chard

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Chard—Beaminster

Slow Ways added Chabea one, a new walk from Chard to Beaminster

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Chard—Crewkerne

Slow Ways added Chacre one, a new walk from Chard to Crewkerne

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Chard—Ilminster

Slow Ways added Chailm one, a new walk from Chard to Ilminster

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Hemyock—Chard

Slow Ways added Hemcha one, a new walk from Hemyock to Chard

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Honiton—Chard

Slow Ways added Honcha one, a new walk from Honiton to Chard

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1

Chard, Fri 29 March

11°

Light rain shower

Chard’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

ST3223208587

Lat / Lon

50.87278° / -2.96450°

Easting / Northing

332,232E / 108,587N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Chard and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Chard's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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