Thorne Coffin
WALK 12
YEOVIL (STIBY ROAD)
Close to the centre of this large town, but surprisingly rural
Country lanes with good views and suburban tarmac paths
Distance 10.8 Km/6.7 miles
Total ascent/descent 135m
www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/19116966
Rewritten May 2025 Comments to [email protected]
1 From the bus-stop (Southway Drive) (GR549 171) walk 80m to the traffic lights with Ilchester Road. Go L 250m then R on Alastair Drive for 120m then bear R into Alastair Close and follow enclosed path ahead to road. Go ahead 100m on enclosed path and down steps to reach another road. Go R for 70m cross with care and go down Marsh Lane. Descend gently for 1Km, admiring view from drive of Smoke Acre Farm, to reach crossroads by tree with circular seat [1.8Km]
2 (GR549 186) Go L (SP Yeovil Marsh) and follow road through village for 1Km to reach the busy and fast A37. Cross with care to lane opposite (No Through Road). Follow tarmac 200m to Target Farm then ahead on track 750m to reach road at a T-junction. Go ahead (no sign) 650m past Lower Vagg Farm to reach a cross-roads by the former Carpenter’s Arms, now an Italian restaurant [2.5Km]
3 (GR526 185) Go ahead (No Through Road) ascending 1.3Km past a vehicle barrier and the intriguing entry sign for Thorne Coffin(1) with golden stone houses including Thorne House(2) to a T- junction [1.3Km]
4 (GR527 173) Go L (SP Yeovil) and after 250m at roundabout turn R for 200m then L by telecoms mast into Stourton Way. Continue 250m past Forde Park then R by pedestrian lights to follow a tarmac path. After 150m by Jubilee stone take L fork to pass children’s play area and continue ahead 250m to pass houses on the R and a school on L. At Toose Road by school entrance go down the footpath to the L of the house across the road and follow 500m, passing the Arrow pub and grass area on the L, then ahead bearing L then R to a road. Cross and continue ahead into another path for 300m to cross Old School Court. Go straight across 150m to reach the busy Preston Road, with Preston Plucknett(3) church to the L [1.9Km]
5 (GR534 162) Go down the road to the R of the hairdressing salon opposite and after 70m where the concrete road ends, go L on a tarmac track 300m firstly in front of houses and past grass area on the R. Continue along pavement then ahead into another track to reach a crossing road. Go ahead (Tithe Court) and after 130m take path to L of number 7. After 100m go ahead along road with airfield(4) behind fence on R. After 150m opposite Century Park sign, take grassy path between stream and hedge 250m to Westlands(5) Entertainment Venue. At end of car-park go ahead along tarmac path 500m and cross footbridge on L to reach road [1.7Km]
6 (GR549 159) Go L 100m to Preston Grove. Go L 60m then R along Grove Avenue. After 500m by the ex-Services Club, go R 100m then L along Willow Road. After 150m fork R by number 28 and at the end of the cul-de-sac take path ahead 150m to Westfield Grove. Turn R and after 300m reach Stiby Road and the bus-stops are 100m to the R [1.5Km]
FOR A SHORTER WALK Distance 4.8 Km/3.0 miles
Follow to the end of 1, but turn R for 900m to a T-junction. Go R 1.4 Km to a junction. Go R (Combe St Lane) and after 800m just beyond Marsh Lane, go L along the path to retrace your steps via Alistair Drive to Ilchester Road . Go L 250m to the Stiby Road traffic lights and then R to the bus stop.
For car travellers:
Park carefully in Southway Drive, but do not block any drive.
Refreshments:
The Arrow, Abbey Manor Park
Westlands Entertainment Venue
1 Thorne Coffin acquired its name from the manor of Torne and the Coffin family - originally from Devon, but recorded in Somerset in the 13th Century.
2 Thorne House is Grade II listed and was built in the late 19th century in a neo-Elizabethan style
3 Preston Plucknett church was built in 1420 as a chapel and although the tower is part original the church was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. It is Grade II* listed.
4 The airfield was opened in 1916 and is operated by Augusta Westland and has a grass runway of 1182m long
5 Westlands, through various mergers, became Augusta Westland a subsidiary of Leonardo, an Italian helicopter company. Their former social club is now an entertainment venue, owned by the local council.
2 (GR549 186) Go L (SP Yeovil Marsh) and follow road through village for 1Km to reach the busy and fast A37. Cross with care to lane opposite (No Through Road). Follow tarmac 200m to Target Farm then ahead on track 750m to reach road at a T-junction. Go ahead (no sign) 650m past Lower Vagg Farm to reach a cross-roads by the former Carpenter’s Arms, now an Italian restaurant [2.5Km]
3 (GR526 185) Go ahead (No Through Road) ascending 1.3Km past a vehicle barrier and the intriguing entry sign for Thorne Coffin(1) with golden stone houses including Thorne House(2) to a T- junction [1.3Km]
4 (GR527 173) Go L (SP Yeovil) and after 250m at roundabout turn R for 200m then L by telecoms mast into Stourton Way. Continue 250m past Forde Park then R by pedestrian lights to follow a tarmac path. After 150m by Jubilee stone take L fork to pass children’s play area and continue ahead 250m to pass houses on the R and a school on L. At Toose Road by school entrance go down the footpath to the L of the house across the road and follow 500m, passing the Arrow pub and grass area on the L, then ahead bearing L then R to a road. Cross and continue ahead into another path for 300m to cross Old School Court. Go straight across 150m to reach the busy Preston Road, with Preston Plucknett(3) church to the L [1.9Km]
5 (GR534 162) Go down the road to the R of the hairdressing salon opposite and after 70m where the concrete road ends, go L on a tarmac track 300m firstly in front of houses and past grass area on the R. Continue along pavement then ahead into another track to reach a crossing road. Go ahead (Tithe Court) and after 130m take path to L of number 7. After 100m go ahead along road with airfield(4) behind fence on R. After 150m opposite Century Park sign, take grassy path between stream and hedge 250m to Westlands(5) Entertainment Venue. At end of car-park go ahead along tarmac path 500m and cross footbridge on L to reach road [1.7Km]
6 (GR549 159) Go L 100m to Preston Grove. Go L 60m then R along Grove Avenue. After 500m by the ex-Services Club, go R 100m then L along Willow Road. After 150m fork R by number 28 and at the end of the cul-de-sac take path ahead 150m to Westfield Grove. Turn R and after 300m reach Stiby Road and the bus-stops are 100m to the R [1.5Km]
FOR A SHORTER WALK Distance 4.8 Km/3.0 miles
Follow to the end of 1, but turn R for 900m to a T-junction. Go R 1.4 Km to a junction. Go R (Combe St Lane) and after 800m just beyond Marsh Lane, go L along the path to retrace your steps via Alistair Drive to Ilchester Road . Go L 250m to the Stiby Road traffic lights and then R to the bus stop.
For car travellers:
Park carefully in Southway Drive, but do not block any drive.
Refreshments:
The Arrow, Abbey Manor Park
Westlands Entertainment Venue
1 Thorne Coffin acquired its name from the manor of Torne and the Coffin family - originally from Devon, but recorded in Somerset in the 13th Century.
2 Thorne House is Grade II listed and was built in the late 19th century in a neo-Elizabethan style
3 Preston Plucknett church was built in 1420 as a chapel and although the tower is part original the church was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. It is Grade II* listed.
4 The airfield was opened in 1916 and is operated by Augusta Westland and has a grass runway of 1182m long
5 Westlands, through various mergers, became Augusta Westland a subsidiary of Leonardo, an Italian helicopter company. Their former social club is now an entertainment venue, owned by the local council.
