St Catherine's Church, Swell
WALK 4
FIVEHEAD
An ancient church, country lanes, droves and the R Isle
Easy walking but droves may be muddy
Distance 11.5 Km/7.1 miles
Total ascent/descent 54 m
www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/18533764
Updated June 2025 Comments to [email protected]
FIVEHEAD
An ancient church, country lanes, droves and the R Isle
Easy walking but droves may be muddy
Distance 11.5 Km/7.1 miles
Total ascent/descent 54 m
www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/18533764
Updated June 2025 Comments to [email protected]
1 From the bus stop (GR352 233), walk east (towards Langport) for 100m and turn R down Butchers Hill for 500m past large lay-by. At junction by Baptist Church, turn L (SP Isle Brewers) 150m to T-junction just beyond Old Post Office. Continue ahead (SP Swell) 70m, bear R by “White Gables”, then after 100m sharp L and continue for 400m past Langford Manor on go R along track on R (SP Swell Drove ½m). After 800m at Swell Drove T-junction, turn R and after 500m reach a road [2.5Km]
2 (GR356 222) Go L and after 1Km pass the Isle Brewers entry sign and cross bridge over the River Isle. After 150m cross a second bridge over the Mill Stream and after 250m enter the village and just before the village green with willow trees and Millennium stone, turn R and follow road for 350m [1.8Km]
3 (GR365 209) Where road bears sharp R after Monks Dairy House, go ahead on waymarked path over bridge. Go through metal gate then R along track 10m, then L along field edge with hedge on L. After 300m at end of field go through metal gate beneath power line and follow the next field boundary on L for 50m, then through gate and over bridge on L. Follow through another gate and keep hedge on L 100m, locate stile on L to cross a small field 100m to enclosed track in R corner to reach road opposite All Saints’ Church(1). Turn L along road 400m passing the elegant Bartlett’s Farm(2) to junction on R just before a thatched cottage[1.0Km]
4 (GR366 212) Turn R along the road and after 450m where the road bends sharp R, go L across stream then R on small meandering path 200m through woods keeping stream on R. Cross sleeper bridge into open field for 450m then follow path round L of copse to reach the River Isle. Bear R along river bank through woods then 100m to Bristol gate by weir and bear L with river on L. Follow for 700m and cross via pedestrian gate and the metal Bully Moor bridge and continue ahead with rhyne on L 250m to reach track [2.1Km]
5 (GR375 228) Turn L along grassy track between hedges for 250m and just before metal gate go R to reach track and follow 800m to emerge at a road. Go straight ahead (not L) 150m to the fine Swell Court Farm(3) and take the concrete track on the R (SP Ancient Church) and follow to reach the tiny St Catherine’s Church(4). After visiting, retrace your steps back to the road turn L and continue round the right hand bend [1.5Km]
6 (GR369 234) Follow for 1Km through the hamlet of Swell to a fork and go L. Follow for a further 900m, passing Western Farm, to reach Fivehead(5) village and the Baptist Church. Continue ahead past St Martin’s Anglican Church with its squat tower and turn R past the Old Vicarage and the Crown Inn. Follow road 500m up Ganges Hill ignoring the L turn to reach the main road where the bus stops are to the R [2.6Km]
FOR A SHORTER WALK Distance 4.2 Km/2.6 miles
At end of point 1, turn R and follow road 800m to T-junction in Fivehead. Turn L to reach Baptist Church then ahead to reach the Anglican Church in point 6.
For car travellers:
There is a large lay-by 250m on the left hand side down Butchers Hill in point 1.
Refreshments:
Crown Inn, Ganges Hill
Stable community cafe, Butchers Hill
1 All Saints Church, Isle Brewers, has an unusual octagonal tower with a tiled spire on top. Built in “High Victorian" Early English style by C E Giles 1861
2 Bartlett’s Farm is a 300-acre working dairy farm forming part of the Duchy of Cornwall
3 Swell Court Farmhouse is a mid-15th century Manor House and is Grade I listed
4 St Catherine’s has no tower or spire and looks like a chapel belonging to the farmhouse. There is a Norman south doorway (hidden in the porch) Records go back to 1559 and there is no electricity! It is Grade I listed.
5 The name of the village of Fivehead comes from a Domesday manor which measured five hides. (600 acres).
2 (GR356 222) Go L and after 1Km pass the Isle Brewers entry sign and cross bridge over the River Isle. After 150m cross a second bridge over the Mill Stream and after 250m enter the village and just before the village green with willow trees and Millennium stone, turn R and follow road for 350m [1.8Km]
3 (GR365 209) Where road bears sharp R after Monks Dairy House, go ahead on waymarked path over bridge. Go through metal gate then R along track 10m, then L along field edge with hedge on L. After 300m at end of field go through metal gate beneath power line and follow the next field boundary on L for 50m, then through gate and over bridge on L. Follow through another gate and keep hedge on L 100m, locate stile on L to cross a small field 100m to enclosed track in R corner to reach road opposite All Saints’ Church(1). Turn L along road 400m passing the elegant Bartlett’s Farm(2) to junction on R just before a thatched cottage[1.0Km]
4 (GR366 212) Turn R along the road and after 450m where the road bends sharp R, go L across stream then R on small meandering path 200m through woods keeping stream on R. Cross sleeper bridge into open field for 450m then follow path round L of copse to reach the River Isle. Bear R along river bank through woods then 100m to Bristol gate by weir and bear L with river on L. Follow for 700m and cross via pedestrian gate and the metal Bully Moor bridge and continue ahead with rhyne on L 250m to reach track [2.1Km]
5 (GR375 228) Turn L along grassy track between hedges for 250m and just before metal gate go R to reach track and follow 800m to emerge at a road. Go straight ahead (not L) 150m to the fine Swell Court Farm(3) and take the concrete track on the R (SP Ancient Church) and follow to reach the tiny St Catherine’s Church(4). After visiting, retrace your steps back to the road turn L and continue round the right hand bend [1.5Km]
6 (GR369 234) Follow for 1Km through the hamlet of Swell to a fork and go L. Follow for a further 900m, passing Western Farm, to reach Fivehead(5) village and the Baptist Church. Continue ahead past St Martin’s Anglican Church with its squat tower and turn R past the Old Vicarage and the Crown Inn. Follow road 500m up Ganges Hill ignoring the L turn to reach the main road where the bus stops are to the R [2.6Km]
FOR A SHORTER WALK Distance 4.2 Km/2.6 miles
At end of point 1, turn R and follow road 800m to T-junction in Fivehead. Turn L to reach Baptist Church then ahead to reach the Anglican Church in point 6.
For car travellers:
There is a large lay-by 250m on the left hand side down Butchers Hill in point 1.
Refreshments:
Crown Inn, Ganges Hill
Stable community cafe, Butchers Hill
1 All Saints Church, Isle Brewers, has an unusual octagonal tower with a tiled spire on top. Built in “High Victorian" Early English style by C E Giles 1861
2 Bartlett’s Farm is a 300-acre working dairy farm forming part of the Duchy of Cornwall
3 Swell Court Farmhouse is a mid-15th century Manor House and is Grade I listed
4 St Catherine’s has no tower or spire and looks like a chapel belonging to the farmhouse. There is a Norman south doorway (hidden in the porch) Records go back to 1559 and there is no electricity! It is Grade I listed.
5 The name of the village of Fivehead comes from a Domesday manor which measured five hides. (600 acres).
