The best running trails around Wayford

Small village which is almost like a cross roads to different cycling routes. Co-op shop here for resupply options.

Ham Hill is a magnificent country park with panoramic views over the South Somerset Moors, Exmoor and the Mendip Hills from the top. During the Iron Age, a huge hill fort would have stood here which would have been one of the largest in the south west. Today, there's a number of hiking trails and bike routes through the park.

Ham Hill has been quarried for so many generations that it’s surprising there’s still a hill there at all. The local hamstone has a pretty honey yellow hue to it and many of the locals buildings, and indeed entire villages, have been built with it. The quarry has long been defunct and, left to nature’s own devices, it has become an intriguing landscape of grassy mounds. It’s fun to roam around, particularly if you have children in tow.

This 16th-century manor is built from local hamstone, giving it a wonderful yellow hue. While it’s privately owned and the home of a local polo club, it’s still a fascinating sight from the road. The manor underwent significant construction during the 17th and 18th centuries along with the addition of other barns and buildings. Fun fact: they hold wedding receptions there, if you’re in the market for a venue.

Part of the Wulfric Benefice (named for St Wulfric who lived at one of the churches), this 13th century church lies next to Wayford Manor. The manor is exceptionally beautiful with wonderful gardens but is rarely open to the public. Instead, enjoy the serenity and beauty of the church instead, which is a marvellous slice of history all by itself.

This stunning patch of woodland lies just outside the village of Wayford and holds wonderful serenity under its canopy. It experienced a little fame in 2014 and 2015 thanks to its proliferation of fairy doors. While it started with just one intricately crafted wooden door in the base of a tree, more and more doors cropped up and with them came crowds and children who left presents and notes for the fairies. The local residents eventually shut the wood temporarily and removed the doors but the wood is no less magical for its fairy exodus. Instead, you’ll find tumbling streams, vibrant flora and unusual trees.

Somerset and Dorset are riddled with strip lynchets and some examples are particularly eye-catching. Best viewed from a distance, strip lynchets were a type of earthwork commonly used in ancient field systems, mainly in southern Britain. Like terraces in other countries, it’s thought that strip lynchets were made to increase the agricultural land available in hilly areas. There’s also a theory that they came about as a result of repeated ploughing. These ones can be seen from the south, on the southern side of Brympton Hill.

Excellent food and RCC Partner Cafe