Ninesprings is a

country park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised cou ...

situated in the South East of

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. It is the largest country park in

South Somerset South Somerset is a local government district in Somerset, England. The South Somerset district covers an area of ranging from the borders with Devon, Wiltshire and Dorset to the edge of the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approxim ...

, spanning over . The site lies on Yeovil Sands (a yellow micaceous sand) of the Upper Lias, in the Lower

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

Period of the

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretace ...

Era, formed some 160 million years ago and includes several springs supplying small streams and ponds. It is believed to have been developed as an ornamental park, for the Aldon Estate, in the early nineteenth century and now forms a broad-leaved woodland with coniferous trees forming less than 10% of the total. The nationally rare Water Vole has been seen amongst the swans and other fauna at the site. In 2007 £10,000 was received from the Big Lottery Fund's Breathing Places grant programme to enhance the environment and organise activities in the park. New Zealand artist Selwyn Price was commissioned by the local council to produce eight sculptures of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

gods, which were placed between the carpark and the footpath at Ninesprings. The main path of the walk, often referred to by locals as 'the

yellow brick road The yellow brick road is a fictional element in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by American author L. Frank Baum. The road also appears in the several sequel Oz books such as ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904) and ''Th ...

', runs from BM Stores and the caravan park all the way to Pen Mill railway station on the other side of town. It follows the track bed of the former

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

route between Pen Mill and

Yeovil Town railway station Yeovil Town railway station was a railway station serving the town of Yeovil in Somerset, England. The station was on the Yeovil to Taunton Line Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The popula ...

Notable landmarks along this path are Goldenstones leisure centre, the Ninesprings playground, the ski lodge, and Bowlplex/Cineworld. Hills viewable from this walk include Tilly's Hill, Summerhouse Hill and Wyndham Hill.

References

{{reflist Yeovil Country parks in Somerset