The River Parrett Trail is a
long-distance footpath
A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway (landscape), greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking (wilderness), backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-cou ...
that can be used for walking, jogging, or running, following the route of the
River Parrett in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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, preceded_by =
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
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,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The trail, which is long, runs from
Chedington
Chedington is a small village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, situated near the A356 road southeast of Crewkerne in Somerset. Dorset County Council estimate that in 2013 the population of the civil parish was 130. It is administered a ...
in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
to the mouth of the river in
Bridgwater Bay
Bridgwater Bay is on the Bristol Channel, north of Bridgwater in Somerset, England at the mouth of the River Parrett and the end of the River Parrett Trail. It stretches from Minehead at the southwestern end of the bay to Brean Down in the nor ...
where it joins the
West Somerset Coast Path.
It passes many landmarks and places of interest including;
Burrow Hill Cider Farm
Burrow Hill Cider Farm is a cider farm in Somerset, England at the base of Burrow Hill overlooking the Somerset Levels.
It has views of most of South Somerset on clear days. The cider is made in traditional vats and uses age old traditional meth ...
,
Muchelney Abbey
Muchelney Abbey is an English Heritage property in the village of Muchelney in the Somerset Levels, England. The site consists of ruined walls showing the layout of the abbey buildings constructed from the 7th to 16th centuries, and the remaini ...
,
West Sedgemoor
West Sedgemoor or West Sedge Moor () is an area of the Somerset Levels, in Somerset, England, around 8 miles (13 km) east of Taunton, which approximately coincides with the West Sedgemoor biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, a 1,016 he ...
(a
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the
Blake Museum
The Blake Museum is in Bridgwater, Somerset, England at what is believed to be the birthplace of Robert Blake, General at Sea (1598–1657). Since April 2009 it has been run by Bridgwater Town Council with help from the Friends of Blake Museum ...
,
Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum
The Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum of Steam Power and Land Drainage is a small industrial heritage museum dedicated to steam powered machinery at Westonzoyland in the English county of Somerset. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The mus ...
, the site of the
Battle of Sedgemoor
The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between the Kingdom of England and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerse ...
and finally discharging into
Bridgwater Bay
Bridgwater Bay is on the Bristol Channel, north of Bridgwater in Somerset, England at the mouth of the River Parrett and the end of the River Parrett Trail. It stretches from Minehead at the southwestern end of the bay to Brean Down in the nor ...
(another SSSI).
The trail is managed by The Parrett Trail Partnership, a consortium of agencies including:
,
British Waterways
British Waterways, often shortened to BW, was a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom. It served as the navigation authority for the majority of canals and a number of rivers and docks in England, Scotlan ...
, Cannington Agricultural College,
Country Land and Business Association
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is a membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales. It was until quite recently called the Country Landowners' Association.
Membership
CLA members ...
,
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
,
Environment Agency,
National Farmers Union,
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment thr ...
,
Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset County Council,
Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Somerset, England.
The trust, which was established in 1964, aims to safeguard the county's wildlife and wild places for this and future generations and manages almost 80 nature ...
,
South Somerset District Council
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
, South West Tourism, Take Art!,
Somerset West and Taunton
Somerset West and Taunton is a local government district in Somerset, England. It was established on 1 April 2019 by the Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018. The council replaced the Taunton Deane and West Somerset co ...
District Council and
Dorset Council.
Route and points of interest
The following table lists key points of interest along the river.
Image:ParrettTrailmarker.jpg, Trail marker on the River Parrett Trail
Image:SwanAndcygnets.jpg, Family of mute swans nesting by the River Parrett Trail near Langport
Langport is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The parish, which covers only part of the town, has a population of 1,081. Langport is contiguous with Huish Episcopi, a separate ...
Image:WestonZoylandpumpingstation.jpg, Westonzoyland Pumping Station, viewed from the River Parrett Trail
Image:SomersetLevelsViewfromparrett.jpg, View of the Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels are a coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, England, running south from the Mendips to the Blackdown Hills.
The Somerset Levels have an area of about and are bisected by the Polden Hills; the areas to the south a ...
from the River Parrett Trail
Image:Riverparrettseat.jpg, Seat, made in 1996, on the west bank of the Parrett Estuary, a mile from the village of Combwich
Combwich ( ) is a village in the parish of Otterhampton within the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, between Bridgwater and the Steart Peninsula.
The village lies on Combwich Reach as the River Parrett flows to the sea and was the site of an anc ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official River Parrett Trail websiteRiver Parrett Trail at the Long Distance Walkers AssociationThe River Parrett Trail (re)visited
- website encouraging arts related to the trail
Long-distance footpaths in Dorset
Footpaths in Somerset