
WALK 1
HENLADE
Bridgwater & Taunton canal and the River Tone
Easy walking along towpaths, tracks and paths
Distance 11.8Km/7.3 miles
Total ascent/descent 33m
www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/ 18898360
Updated January2025 Comments to [email protected]
HENLADE
Bridgwater & Taunton canal and the River Tone
Easy walking along towpaths, tracks and paths
Distance 11.8Km/7.3 miles
Total ascent/descent 33m
www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/ 18898360
Updated January2025 Comments to [email protected]
1 From the bus-stop (GR270 241), walk to the cross-roads and take Lipe Lane. After 400m just beyond speed derestriction sign, go L into Stearts Cottages. Where road ends at Loxleigh, cross stile to R and along narrow path 500m crossing stiles to reach road. Turn R for 650m to cross roads by Ruishton Inn [1.5Km]
2 (G263 250) If time permits go ahead to visit church(1), otherwise go R into Cheats Road. After 150m where road bears R, go L along gravel track (Goosey Lane) at side of house Homeleigh to metal gate. Go 45 degrees R to join River Tone on L for 500m to pass under the R arch of five-arch bridge(2) and continue 150m to steps to cross the former Chard Canal(3) and 200m beyond, reach a gate to road [1.1Km]
3 (GR272 252) Go L across bridge over river and after 100m a second river bridge, then turn R along Bull Street. Continue for 450m and at Private Road sign go through wooden gate on R to reach the River Tone. Go along path keeping river on R for 1Km. On reaching the bridge to the R, which crosses to village of Ham, go L through metal gate and aim 45 degrees R to far corner of field to locate a Bristol gate to reach a track. Turn R for 100m then go L through gate and follow path 400m to trees in far L corner. Go through gate then a Bristol gate with hedge/stream on L 250m and with great care cross over the railway line. Beyond the railway go ahead to hard surface track and stile to reach Bridgwater & Taunton canal(4) [2.6Km]
4 (GR282 258) Turn R and follow towpath for 1.3Km passing the Pill Box(3) and Engine House(5) to reach Bridge 24. Cross the canal here and after 100m where the road bears R by Charlton House, go L through gate and down waymarked track to Bristol gate. Beyond pond bear R and follow hedge on L for 500m. At far side of field go through gate, turn R for 50m, cross stile on L then straight across field to join hedge by electricity pole and follow with hedge on R and turns L to a stile on R into lane. Go ahead 200m to Fair View Farm [2.5Km]
5 (GR279 254) Go L(Foxhole Lane) for 500m and take the waymarked footpath just before the second house to cross bridge to reach a track. Go ahead 100m to reach and cross Bridge 25. Go R along towpath 900m with canal on R passing Uranus(6) on L and just before Bridge 27, go L up a ramp to a road [1.6Km]
6 (GR273 255) Go ahead along the road over railway bridge and follow for 650m as it bears to the R, crosses two bridges to a T-junction. Go R (SP Ruishton) 500m and go L (Lawn Meadow). Follow for 500m as it bears L then R to school and track to stile. Cross and go L 250m with hedge on L to reach road. Go R 500m to main road. The bus-stop for Somerton is L and that for Taunton is across the road to the R [2.4Km]
FOR A SHORTER WALK Distance 5.4Km/3.3 miles
Walk to end of point 2 and at the road turn L and follow for 400m, bearing L as far as the canal. Turn round and follow from the beginning of point 6 to Henlade.
For car travellers
Careful parking is possible in Lipe Lane – there is space on the R beyond Knightstone.
Refreshments: Ruishton Inn
1 Ruishton Church was built in the 14th Century. The nave roof was completed in 1549, but the tower was never finished. The font was carved in about 1380.
2 The five arch bridge carried the Taunton to Chard branch of the Bristol & Exeter railway
3 The Chard Canal, planned to link the Bristol & English Channels opened in 1842 and closed in 1868, but later with Pill Boxes formed part of the WWII Taunton Stop Line.
4 The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal opened in 1827 linking the River Tone to the River Parrett as part of a plan to link Bristol to Taunton. It closed in 1907 but restored as a leisure facility completed in 1994.
5 Charlton Engine House (1826) used to house steam engines to pump water from the River Tone into the canal. The Tone was navigable before the canal was built and was considered navigable until after WWII
6 Uranus is part of a scale model of the Solar System (the Somerset Space Walk) with the planets placed along the canal at a scale of 1:53 million.The Sun is at Higher Maunsel, Plutos are in Taunton and Bridgwater. The nearest star would be 76,000 Km away!