1
From the car park, walk back along the road turning left into Worlebury Park Road, crossing one of the more interesting traffic islands where bluebells, daffodils, buttercups and wood anemone all take their turn to flower beneath the trees. Turn right into Furze Road and follow it round to the left, then take Woodspring Avenue on the right. Pass Worlebury Close on the right and both ends of Woodspring Crescent on the left, then look for the top of Monks Steps running downhill on the left.
(A) The Domesday name Chewstock became Kewstock in the time of Edward I. Local thought is that the name was taken from Saint Kew, a hermit that lived in a cell next to the Monks Steps, which were constructed in medieval times. They lead from Worlebury Hill to Kewstoke church.
There are between 150 and 200 steps, all uneven so descend with care. At the bottom, cross the road to a stone stile in the wall a little to the left, then carefully climb down the steps on the far side. Follow the footpath which leads you steeply downward skirting an attractive private garden on your left, to reach the road and St Paul’s church opposite.
2
Turn right, then first left into Crooke’s Lane, passing the New Inn on the left. Continue until you reach a caravan park on the left and here, where the road bears left, cross and go ahead on a footpath running down the side of a long front garden. Pass through a kissing gate and follow the path over meadows, bright with buttercups in summer, to your left, and a drainage ditch on the right. You cross several footbridges and stiles eventually passing through another kissing gate giving access to a tree-lined footpath, which leads you into the car park of Pontin’s holiday camp. Go ahead, cross the main drive and walk across the lawn aiming for the far left corner where a gap in the fence affords access to a lane. Go left to reach Beach Road.
3
Turn right here, walk for 400 metres then turn right again into Sand Farm Lane. Follow this unsurfaced road to its end where you climb a stile into Sand Farm, passing close to the old grain silos on the right and over a stile into the first of a succession of meadows, which in summer are a sea of buttercups.
Take care here as the hedges can be overgrown in the summer. Follow the path lined by a wooden fence to the right, which is soon matched by one on the left, to guide your way across the field and over a splendid footbridge. Then go right and follow the hedge until it makes a right turn, where you continue ahead and very slightly left to the next bridge. Cross the following strip of field and over another bridge, then go slightly right, across this L-shaped field to join an indistinct track taking you to a metal farm gate with a stile and bridge to the left.
4
Straight on now with the hedge on the your left, passing beneath power lines and making for a metal field gate ahead, beside which is a further stile and bridge combination. In the next meadow, go ahead again with the hedge on your left and when this falls away to the left, continue on a few metres to exit this last field to a stile beside a metal gate.Go ahead in the same direction but bear half-left now to a new concrete bridge which allows you to cross Kewstoke Rhyne then go ahead along a rutted farm track (take care as can be very muddy after heavy or prolonged rain). The track eventually leads you onto a lane, turn left and walk down towards Woodspring Priory whose tower can now be seen in the distance.
5
As you approach the cottages in front of the Priory, note the drive bearing right by a National Trust car park sign; this will be your return route. The path to the Priory is clearly signposted.
(B) Woodspring Priory was founded in the early 13th century by William de Courtney for Augustinian canons of the Order of St.Victor de Paris. William de Courtney was a descendant of one of the assassins of Saint Thomas Becket and his martyrdom is depicted on the Priory seal. Lack of funds meant that construction dragged on until the 15th century, by which time the original building had been replaced by a completely new one. Construction continued until 1536 when the priory was dissolved by King Henry VIII, after which time it fell into disrepair. Much of the edifice, including the chancel has since been destroyed but the tower and western portion of the church were retained for use as a private residence. As you approach the building, you pass the infirmary on your left; this, the nave and the crossing – the first part of the building you enter – are 15th century, the north aisle being 16th century. The interior of the nave has been restored to a condition similar to its residential use in the 16th and 17th centuries. When visiting, kindly observe the notice about walking boots and the request for payment.
Now retrace your steps back to the start of [5], then turning left onto the drive and passing a pig farm on the left. Continue to the sea dyke where you climb the steps, turn left at the top and walk the length of the embankment, ignoring the sign-posted path down left.
(C) The creek on the right is a favourite feeding station for wading birds at low tide. Beyond is Woodspring Bay with Clevedon in the distance.
Where the dyke ends with a pond on your right, go left through a wooden field gate onto downland. Climb ahead, veering away from the wire fence on the left and picking up the course of a grassy path that will lead you to the top of the rise. The route doesn’t have to be exact, you will soon cross a metalled track with a wall to your right (built by prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars), from where you continue until the ground drops away revealing gorse bushes and cliffs beyond.
Here, there are fine views on a clear day across the mouth of the Severn toward South Wales.
(D) The high ground of Middle Hope has had many uses over the years. There are traces of bowl and disc barrows, medieval field systems, and a motte and bailey, all more clearly recognisable from the air. Lead mining was carried out here and there a mine shaft on the far side of the ridge, now filled in, while some of the tracks here may have been tram roads used to transport the ore. In more recent times, during Second World War, secret experiments were carried out in Middle Hope Cove where high-speed catapult tracks were laid down for the testing of missiles.
Walk westward now along this high ridge.
From this vantage point, you can often gaze down upon kestrels who are scouring the grass for prey.
You can choose your own route over this green sward as you are ultimately constrained by the cliff on the right and a track and wall on the left. When you reach a cross-wall, climb the ladder stile then continue, keeping to the right of the track and aiming for the high ground ahead. After about 800 metres of pleasant walking over gently rising ground, you will come to a stone wall crossing your route, go through the gate and walk ahead to the trig point.
Although barely 50 metres, this is the highest point on these downs.
7
From here, you have the option to continue 800 metres further to the western-most point of the downs, before returning to continue on the main route.
From this point, double back to pick up a stony path that drops down the hillside with fine views of Sand Bay to your right. Pass through a wooden gate and follow the path down to the National Trust car park, You are now going to walk south for the full length of Sand Bay, the lack of a suitable pavement alongside the road makes it worthwhile walking along the foreshore.
Sand-loving plants such as the sea spurge can be seen here.
8
Eventually, you will join a tarmac path above the road, contuinue your route allong this.
The mud of Sand Bay stretches out a mile distant to the low-water mark and on clear days Birnbeck pier and the island of Steep Holm can be seen to the south.
Where the path above the dunes ends, join the road as it swings away from the coast by the Commodore Hotel and follow it uphill for about 300 metres to a point where it joins Kewstoke Road.
