An interesting rural walk which follows sections of the Frome Valley Walkway including the Huckford viaduct and the steep-sided, wooded valley at Winterbourne Down before climbing to visit Bury Hill Fort, an Iron Age fort with well preserved double earth ramparts.
There are 4 stiles and 32 steps, plus an optional section with steep slope and steps to the fort.
The Route – Bury Hill Fort
Start at Golden Heart pub in Down Road, just off A432 at Kendleshire/Winterbourne Down.
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Turn right out of pub & walk on pavement (beware fast traffic) to Damsons Bridge.
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Turn Right (through gate?) onto footpath and follow this toward viaduct.
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Turn Left over stile to follow River Frome toward railway viaduct.
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Cross Huckford footbridge and turn Right to go under viaduct.
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Turn Left at viaduct and follow UP path and 32 steep steps toward Winterbourne.
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Turn Left onto Hicks Common Road, over railway and downhill to bottom.
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Go straight across road outside a pub and along short road.
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Turn Left at end (Stone Lane), then keep/fork right.
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WATCH for a really sharp right on to a footpath and follow this (through woods, beside Frome) and eventually over bridge.
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Go right after bridge to continue along wider footpath through woods to its end.
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Turn Left onto road & look on left for footpath up into woods (by wooden posts after about 50 – 100 metres)
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Alternative route to omit next steep section: Continue on road, past house, keeping left, and follow road for a few hundred metres before turning left through kissing gate onto footpath on a slight bend mentioned in point 17. Continue from point 18.
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Take care up steep footpath with several steps at top (slippery if wet/mud/leaves)
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Go straight across surfaced track at top and over stile – or through gate if open.
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Follow path to the Right, which goes through trees & over rough ridge (earth embankment) to the Bury Hill Fort, an Iron Age encampment.
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Walk on trodden path, diagonally across flat top of Fort, and note earth embankment round edge (the view would have been good from here before the trees grew).
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Go over steep stile (or through gate if open) and turn Right to follow lane to road.
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Turn Left onto road for about 130 metres – at bend, Turn Left through kissing gate onto fenced footpath.
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Follow path to end and exit onto road via stile (or gap to right of stile).
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Turn Left onto road, Keep Left & then Right onto Down Road, crossing to pavement, which takes you back to pub.
Google Map – Bury Hill Fort Walk
Using this map
The map shows the main walk in yellow and alternative routes in red. The Start/End point is marked with a yellow diamond and points of interest on the route are marked with a red pin. Click on a red pin to see descriptions and photos.
Use the +/- buttons at the bottom of the map to zoom in or out. Use the icon at the top right of the map to get a full screen image.
This content, and all of the Village Action Walks content, was created by the now disbanded local group “Frampton Cotterell & Coalpit Heath Village Action”.
