West Shepton, Bowlish 4.1 miles

Abbreviations are T= turn R = right, L = left, KG = kissing gate PG = Pedestrian gate East Mendip Way = EMW

Start Point is the Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre 11 Charlton Road, Shepton Mallet BA4 5PG ST 625 434

1) ST 624 433 Leisure centre
Starting from the Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre. R along Whitstone Road, past the school in direction of Town Centre. R into Frithfield Lane, past the Prison Car Park and then L before the Prison entrance. Keep left on a narrow footpath, R then immediately L, keeping the Church on your right. Follow the Church railings R, then L on Church Lane. Go straight over the shopping street, down a lane that takes you to Great Ostry Car Park. Keeping this on your right, exit onto Rectory Road (B3136) and L . At the roundabout junction, first cross right (B3136 - Rectory Road) and then cross left (A371 road to Bowlish & Croscombe). Keep Oak Villa on your right proceed along Old Market Road and in just a few yards go right through a stone wall next to a BT OpenReach box. Turn immediately L, passing now behind Oak Villa along Board Cross for approx 50m then R. keeping a high wall on your right. Follow until the T-junction with Cornwall road, cross over and go straight on down a footpath which leads down steps to road, Coombe Lane. R, walking downhill past cottages and finally out to a junction with Bowlish House to your right. At this junction with St Peters Road, go straight over to a Bridleway (signed as “Unsuitable for Heavy Goods Vehicles”) Follow this uphill, and carry on past all the houses, a small green and more houses on your left. You will see a gate ahead; do not take this, but instead take a sharp L into a shaded lane behind the houses to your left . You will be passing the Hospital on your left and emerge onto Old Wells Road.

2) ST 607 433 Old Wells Road
TAKE CARE; Turn R, and walk the road for approx 100m, L just before the start of a stone wall into a grassy path with the wall on your right. Follow this path to you reach a T-junction, L and continue on a wooded path. At the playing fields leave the path and follow the perimeter of the field keeping the hedge on your right until you come to a KG leave the field and cross over B3136 (from Pilton) TAKE CARE L back towards town for approx 120m and turn R into Kent Lane, a no through road. Walk through houses, under a railway bridge and emerge onto a green with a play area. Walk directly across the green to Churchill Road, follow allong Churchill Road to the junction with Mason Way, continue straight ahead on a footpath then L Turn left, walking behind gardens. The path turns left, then immediately right to emerge into a housing estate. Continue along Westway Lane to a wide open junction with Compton Road. Cross the junction straight over to a footpath by Greenacres Close into a tarmac path which then becomes a grassy path crossing the “Showfields”. Over a stile, keep the hedge on your left, bear left at the hedge corner, past a small stone building and continue to meet the Cannard’s Grave road at a gate. R along the pavement for approx 100m and then R to cross Cannard’s Grave Road using the central reservation into Little Brooks Road when you reach the Obelisk, L on a grassy path by a stone pillar. R at railings and follow them. Keep L at the next bend and bear R at Clover Ground, L at Webber Road and aim for a stone wall ahead. L along the wall and turn R through the wall into Collett Park. Walk directly ahead along the path that takes you to the park gate and out onto Whitstone Road. R and the Leisure Centre is approx 200m on the left.