Fifteen free guided walks and activities across Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Paulton and Peasedown from 11 to 13 September. Booking is open and Sunday takes walk-ins.
The full programme for this year’s Somer Valley Walking Festival is out, and every one of the fifteen walks and activities is free. It runs from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September, across Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Paulton and Peasedown St John.
Booking is open now through the organiser, Somer Valley Rediscovered, which publishes the timings, meeting points and a booking link for each event. Most of the walks are ticketed, so book rather than turn up.
Friday 11 September
Three events, all starting from Midsomer Norton or Haydon:
- Women’s Wild Walk, 10:00 to 13:00, from the Haydon Que Club on Kilmersdon Road. A route over the batch and through woodland into Waterside Valley, finishing towards Radstock.
- A nature walk on Haydon Batch, 14:00 to 16:30, from the Que Club entrance off Kilmersdon Road. Led by an ecologist working on the West of England Combined Authority’s Wildlife Index programme, covering what has been recorded on the batch over the summer.
- Bat walk, 19:00 to 21:00, meeting outside the Midsomer Norton Town Park entrance on Gullock Tyning. A talk on bat ecology, then a gentle stroll through Waterside Valley using bat detectors to identify species.
Saturday 12 September
Four events, spread across the valley:
- Paulton walk, 10:30 to 12:00, from The Hub Community Library, 1-2 Hill Court, High Street, Paulton. A 2.55 mile route to the Coal Canal and Paulton Engine, returning via Brittens. No dogs on this one.
- Nordic walking taster, 11:00 to 12:30, Midsomer Norton Town Park, meeting on Gullock Tyning. An introductory session with a qualified instructor.
- Song ceremony and art, 11:00 to 13:00, at Hillside Farm in Peasedown St John, opposite the Hillside View terraced houses. Seasonal songs, then making a piece of ephemeral art from things found on the land.
- Artist field journal walk, 14:00 to 16:00, meeting outside St Nicholas’ Church, Church Street, Radstock. A gentle walk to Waterside Valley with stencil printing; all materials provided and you keep the journal.
Sunday 13 September
Sunday is the big day, and it works differently. Five walks leave Radstock Town Library at 10:00 and finish back at the Radstock Working Men’s Club for coffee and cake, and a sixth sets off from the club itself in the afternoon. The organiser says all of Sunday’s walks will have spaces for walk-ins on the day, so it is the one part of the weekend you can turn up to without booking.
- Morning stroller, nature on your doorstep, 3.4 miles, 10:00 to 12:30. Hills and valleys close to Radstock at a leisurely pace.
- Short walk, 6 miles, 10:00 to 14:00. Out to Foxcote and Shoscombe, past the site of the temporary houses built for Durham miners who came south for work.
- A walk in celebration of the restoration of our wildlife parks, 7 miles, 10:00 to 15:30.
- Medium walk, 7.5 miles, 10:00 to 15:30. Kilmersdon, Babington House, an ancient coffin way and back down Waterside Valley. No dogs on this walk.
- Long walk, 13 miles, 10:00 to 17:00. Out to Woodborough, Combe Hay via White Ox Mead, Wellow and the Stoney Littleton long barrow, back through Foxcote. Dogs welcome on short leads.
- Afternoon stroller, 3.4 miles. The same route as the morning stroller. Register at the Radstock Working Men’s Club from 13:30; the walk sets off at 13:45.
Two other Sunday events run from the Swallows Cafe in Radstock rather than the library: a walk and draw from 09:00 to 11:00, up to three miles with pencils and paper provided, and forest bathing in Waterside Valley from 11:30 to 13:30. Both are adults only and both ask that dogs are left at home.
What it means for you
- Everything is free, but most events need booking, and the programme page carries a separate link for each one.
- Parking for the Radstock walks: Church Street Car Park, Church Street, Radstock BA3 3QG, behind Radstock Library. The organiser says parking is free for the festival and you print your own ticket from the machine. Its MiPermit location number is 751087.
- Coming by bus for the afternoon stroller: the organiser points walkers to the stop at Radstock Co-op, a few yards east of the Working Men’s Club.
- Check the dog rules per walk. The Paulton walk and the 7.5 mile medium walk say no dogs; the 13 mile walk allows them on short leads.
- The longer Sunday walks want boots rather than trainers, and cross open countryside, so take a drink and a waterproof.
- If you would rather go at your own pace, the Westfield Heritage Trails and the Somer Valley Audio Trails are available any time.
Somer Valley Rediscovered is a partnership set up in 2023 to improve access to green space across the Cam and Wellow catchments, working in the former coal mining landscape around Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Westfield. Its stated aims include restoring habitats and promoting the valley for walking and cycling, and this year’s programme leans heavily on those restored mining sites.
More ideas for the weekend are on our things to do in Bath page.
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