Cadbury Camp ramble
Gently climb the bridleway to discover the earth works of Cadbury Camp Iron Age hill fort. Enjoy the stunning views across the Severn Estuary and the Mendip hills. Cadbury Camp is an important site for nature conservation; look out for the silver-washed fritillary butterfly and the six-spot burnet moth.
Map
Start:
Tickenham village hall car park; grid ref ST445715
1
Start from Tickenham village hall car park. At the front of the hall, turn left onto the Clevedon road (B3130). Continue along the pavement until you reach a bridleway sign just past a bus stop.
2
Turn left on to the bridleway and continue up the hill. When you join the driveway to the cottages, continue straight ahead, following the bridleway with the golf course on your right.
3
Continue along the bridleway past a kissing gate on your left. You will reach a metal field gate with a wooden bridle gate to the right. Walk straight on through this gate.
4
Follow the bridleway with the fence on your left, continue straight ahead through a metal field gate and turn left on to Cadbury Camp lane. Pass the Old Pound on the right and continue up the track.
5
Walk through the small metal pedestrian gate on the left onto National Trust land - Cadbury Camp. This site is often grazed by sheep and cows. Please help us by keeping your dog under close control.
Cadbury Camp
There are a variety of habitats at Cadbury Camp - grassland, woodland and scrub - which make it an important site for nature conservation. The limestone grassland has never been affected by modern farming methods, so it is a great place to see wild flowers, such as wild thyme, harebell and eyebright.
6
Continue along the footpath to the information panel on your right. Continue forward through the entrance, on to the Iron Age hill fort.
Iron Age hill fort
The gentle grass banks of Cadbury Camp are not a natural feature of the landscape but were created by man and once lived in by ancestors about whom we have only a few clues. The Camp was built in the late Iron Age, by a local community who lived in the Somerset area. They dug out ditches and threw back the soil to make high banks for the fortress to protect them from any invading forces. They added a high timber fence on top of the bank and a complicated entrance to make it difficult for anyone to attack.
7
Bear left and follow the footpath across the centre of the camp. You will reach the inner rampart on the other side of the fort.
Stunning views
Ahead you will see stunning views of the Severn estuary including Steep Holm and Sand Point. To the left are wonderful views of the Mendip hills. This is a great place to stop for a packed lunch or simply to relax and enjoy the view.
8
Exit the hill fort through the ramparts, turn left and keep the ramparts on your left. Bear right towards a bench. Just before the bench, turn right and head down the hill along the footpath.
9
Continue forward over the stile, exiting National Trust land. Follow the path down a steep grassy hill, continue forward down a short set of steps and through a kissing gate.
10
Follow the narrow footpath down the hill passing an orchard on your right. Exit the footpath through a pedestrian gate on to Clevedon Road, turn right and return to the village hall car park.
End:
Tickenham village hall car park; grid ref ST445715
