The Leland Trail is a footpath in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, England. It was named after the

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic sit ...

John Leland, and runs from

King Alfred's Tower Alfred's Tower is a folly in Somerset, England, on the edge of the border with Wiltshire, on the Stourhead estate. The tower stands on Kingsettle Hill and belongs to the National Trust. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. Henry Hoa ...

Penselwood Penselwood or Pen Selwood is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It lies north east of Wincanton, south east of Bruton, west of Mere, and north west of Gillingham. The south-east of the parish borders Zeals and S ...

, southwest to

Ham Hill Country Park Ham Hill is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Scheduled Ancient Monument, Iron Age hill fort, Roman site, Local Nature Reserve and country park, to the west of Yeovil in Somerset, England. The hill has given its name to ...

near

Yeovil Yeovil () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England. It is close to Somerset's southern border with Dorset, west of London, south of Bristol, west of Sherborne and east of Taunton. The population of the bui ...

History

The path was established by creating rights of way via tracks and lanes. It is named after John Leland, who visited

South Somerset South Somerset was a local government district in Somerset, England, from 1974 to 2023. The district covered an area of ranging from the borders with Devon, Wiltshire and Dorset to the edge of the Somerset Levels. It had a population of appr ...

during the years 1535–1543. In his role as royal librarian, his journeys and tasks during that period were mapped out for him by

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

. His job was to reveal to the King all reference to "

antiquities Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean such as the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt, and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures such as Ancient Persia (Iran). Artifact ...

" and possessions of the local churches and priories. The exact route taken by Leland over much of South Somerset may never be known but the remaining records of the time form the basis of the trail.

Route

Typical all day walks allow the track to be traversed in manageable stages. The route may be broken into seven parts. The walk from

Bruton Bruton ( ) is a small market town, and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the River Brue and the A359 between Frome and Yeovil. It is south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, north-west of Gillingham ...

is fairly easy going for and takes about three hours. Then the journey onward to

Castle Cary Castle Cary () is a market town and civil parish in south Somerset, England, north west of Wincanton and south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill and on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett. History The word Cary derives ...

takes a little over two hours to cover the next . The next stage to

North Cadbury North Cadbury is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish west of Wincanton, by the River Cam, Somerset, River Cam, in Somerset, England. It shares its Parish councils in England, parish council with nearby Yarlington and its civil ...

will add about another two hours to the journey.

Queen Camel Queen Camel is a village and civil parish, on the River Cam and the A359 road, in the unitary authority of Somerset, England. It is about north of Yeovil. According to the 2011 census it had a population of 908. The parish includes the hamlet ...

is a further and takes just over two hours. The rest of the trail from

Ilchester Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. Originally a Roman town, and later a market town, Ilchester has a rich medieval history and was a notable settleme ...

covers mainly level ground and takes about two hours for a distance of .

Montacute Montacute is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 831 (2011 census). The name Montacute is thought by some to derive from the Latin "Mons Acutus", referring to the conically acute St ...

is the next "port of call" en route, and the slightly more difficult terrain means well over two hours to complete the next . Reaching Ham Hill, the end of the trail, takes another hour.

Places of interest

The forest of

has its

packhorse bridge A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses (horses loaded with sidebags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low Parapet#Bridg ...

dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or b ...

and famous twin-towered church. Near Castle Cary is Cadbury Castle, whose summit offers a spectacular panorama of the South Somerset countryside. The busy

military airfield An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

Yeovilton Yeovilton is a village in Somerset, England, east of Ilchester and north of Yeovil. It had a population of 1,226 in the 2011 census, estimated at 1,418 in 2019. The village is part of ''Yeovilton and District'' civil parish, which includes ...

is also home to the

Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintings ...

Montacute House Montacute House is a late Elizabethan era, Elizabethan mansion in Montacute, South Somerset, England. An example of English architecture created during a period that was moving from the medieval Gothic architecture, Gothic to the more Classica ...

is also close to the site of the former

Cluniac Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter, Saints Peter and Saint Paul, Paul. The abbey was constructed ...

Montacute Priory Montacute Priory was a Cluniac priory of the Benedictine order in Montacute, Somerset, England. History It was founded between 1078 and 1102 by William, Count of Mortain, in face of a threat that if he did not do so, the King would take the land ...

. At Ham Hill Country Park,

Exmoor Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simons ...

, the

Quantock Hills The Quantock Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England, consist of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land. They were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1956. Natural England have desi ...

, and the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...

can be seen. Looking east is the trail's starting point, Alfred's Tower.

Intersecting trails

The Leland Trail links with the

Monarch's Way The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester. It runs from Worcester via Bristol and Yeovil to Shoreham, West S ...

at Ilchester, and the

Liberty Trail The Liberty Trail is a 28-mile (45.1 km) trail between Ham Hill, Somerset, Ham Hill in Somerset and Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. History The route of the Liberty Trail route is based on information recorded by six Rebellion, rebels from ...

and the River Parrett Trail at Ham Hill.

Key points and map

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leland Trail Footpaths in Somerset Long-distance footpaths in England