Where the wild things are
I’ve only recently discovered this area which considering its only 20 minutes down the road from where I have lived for 11 years is pretty bad form on my part.
Stockhill Woods is located in the Mendip Hills just outside of the village Priddy and city of Wells and is a great place to explore if you want to get out and enjoy the natural landscape. It reminds me of a pine forest we have behind our property in Australia and as soon as we got into the tree line I automatically felt transported home.
The Mendip Hills can be found in Somerset in England and and have been named as an Area of Outstanding Beauty. THis is largely due to the stunning landscapes that you can find with the gorges, limestone outcrops, hilltops, lakes and and the grasslands that make up this beautiful area.
Stockhill Wood fits within this description and even more so when you learn of its past. This is what happens when an industrial wasteland becomes an area of outstanding natural beauty.
All over the Mendip Hills there is remnants of the 200 years of Lead mining that went on in the past. Over the years with every new technology advancement the mining took on a different shaped and in turn has shaped the landscape to what you see today. The rises, gullies and trenches haven’t just happened as nature intended they were set in motion by our forefathers looking to industrialise the nation.
It really is so hard to imagine what it was in the past, when what’s been left is a mystical and picturesque landscape. You feel like fairies should be buzzing around or that Snow White and the seven dwarfs will go marching by. The sun streaming through the canopy, birds singing, and hidden delights on what you will discover with the next step. It’s a very peaceful place and whilst every time I’ve been there has been a car park full of cars I’ve only ever bumped into a handful of people walking the trails.
There are soft trails meandering through the trees or dirt tracks if you want something more solid to walk or cycle on. It does have a sign saying no horses but dogs and bikes are certainly allowed. Just make sure you pick up any dog mess. No one wants to step in that!
There is a large car park and picnic area perfect for a sarnie and drink after your walk. It is an easy walk but if you go on the soft trails you will need to go steady. Definitely make sure you’ve got wellies or boots on as it can get pretty muddy.
You may have seen on our Instagram that we’ve recently added to our fur family with a sweet and lively little pooch called Ozzy. With this it has meant that we have a whole new type of adventuring and if these are the types of places we can start discovering I can’t ruddy wait to find more!!
You can find other great pleaces to explore in Somerset here
Share on Pinterest
