Shepton Mallet Walks - Near and Around
Visit the Charlton viaduct and the village of Doulting on this circular walk in the Somerset town of Shepton Mallet.
Just to the north of the town you can pick up the East Mendip Way on Barren Down. Then follow the path east to the Charlton Viaduct. This section passes close to Kilver Court where there are some splendid gardens with hostas, day lilies and candelabra primula next to the River Sheppey.
From the viaduct the route climbs towards Ingsdons Hill which reaches a height of over 700ft. You then descend to Chelynch passing Pitts Wood on the way. From here you turn south to the little village of Doulting. The spring in Doulton is the source of the River Sheppey and named after St Aldhelm who died in the village in 709. The village also includes a tithe barn which dates from the 15th century.
The final section of the walk follows a public footpath along the River Sheppey, returning you to the viaduct.
To extend your walk you could continue east along the East Mendip Way towards Downhead, Cranmore Tower and Asham Wood. Heading west will take you towards Croscombe.
Shepton Mallet Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Shepton Mallet Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Shepton Mallet OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Shepton Mallet Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Walks near Shepton Mallet
- Cranmore Tower - Visit the highest point on the Mendip Way and enjoy a stroll through Cranmore Wood on this circular walk in Somerset
- East Mendip Way - This walk takes you through the beautiful Somerset countryside from Wells to Frome along the eastern section of the Mendip Way.
You start in the city of Wells near the magnificent cathedral and pass around the moat of the splendid Bishop's Palace - Stourhead - The 1,072 hectare (2,650 acre) Stourhead estate has miles of lovely walking trails to try. You can follow the well surfaced footpaths around the stunning lake and into the surrounding woodlands, parkland and gardens
- Shepton Mallet - Visit the Charlton viaduct and the village of Doulting on this circular walk in the Somerset town of Shepton Mallet.
Just to the north of the town you can pick up the East Mendip Way on Barren Down - White Sheet Hill - Climb to the 245 m (804 ft) summit of this hill in Wiltshire and enjoy wonderful views over the Stourhead Estate and the surrounding countryside
- Leland Trail - Follow in the footsteps of royal librarian John Leland during his 16th century survey of Britain's churches and priories.
You start at King Alfred's Tower at the north-western edge of the Stourhead in Wiltshire and head west towards Bruton and Castle Cary Walk in Somerset - Wylye Way - Follow the River Wylye through Wiltshire on this interesting and varied waterside walk
- Stour Valley Way - This splendid walk takes you along the River Stour from Hengistbury Head on the Dorset south coast to Stourton in Wiltshire
- Bruton - This pleasant town in Somerset has some interesting features including a hill top 16th century Dovecote and a 15th century packhorse bridge over the River Brue, which runs through the town
- Mere - This delightful Wiltshire based town is a fine place to start a walk with miles of trails to explore the surrounding downland and farmland of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Penselwood - This little village in Somerset has a noteworthy 15th century church and some nice country trails to try
- Street Somerset - This pretty Somerset based village is a great place from which to explore the nearby Polden Hills and Mendip Hills
- Combe Hill Wood - This circular walk explores the area around the Somerset village of Compton Dundon.
- Polden Way - This walk follows the Polden Way from Walton Hill to Hurcot in Somerset
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
For more walking ideas in the area see the Somerset Walks and the Mendip Hills Walks pages.
Photos
The Dusthole, Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet library
Wider High Street
Entrance to Collett Park
.jpg)
Kilver Court gardens
.jpg)
Charlton Viaduct
St. Aldhelm's Well, Doulting, Somerset On May 25th, 709, Aldhelm sat by this spring singing his favourite psalms for the very last time. Then, according to the chronicler William of Malmesbury, he directed that he should be carried into the nearby church, where he breathed his last. The church 1358153 celebrated its 1300th Anniversary in May, 2009. The spring, at the foot of the ridge on which church and village are built, has a reputation as one of our most authentic holy wells. It is the source of the River Sheppey; in charters of Aldhelm's day the Sheppey was called Doulting Stream.
Old maltings at Charlton. These buildings were converted for office use in the mid 1980s. Beer from Charlton Brewery was being exported to places as far away as Winchester, Cardiff and Salisbury by the 1860s. Since the 1980s firms such as UK Online and Easy Net South West have occupied the maltings