Barrow Hill

Hill, Mountain in Somerset Mendip

England

Barrow Hill

Stone Stile on Park Hill near Mells A stone stile beside the road on Park Hill near Mells.
The stile leads onto a public footpath that goes down to Mells.
Photograph taken at the bend in the road where Park Hill becomes Conduit Hill. — Stone Stile on Park Hill near Mells Credit: Kevin Pearson

Barrow Hill, located in Somerset, England, is a prominent hill that rises to an elevation of approximately 350 meters (1150 feet) above sea level. Situated in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

The hill is characterized by its distinctive conical shape, which is believed to have been formed during the last ice age when glacial deposits shaped its slopes. Covered in lush green vegetation, Barrow Hill supports a diverse range of flora and fauna, making it an important habitat for wildlife. Visitors to the area can expect to see various species of birds, butterflies, and small mammals.

Barrow Hill has been a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and hikers for many years. It offers a network of well-maintained walking trails that cater to different skill levels, allowing visitors to explore the hill's natural beauty at their own pace. The paths wind through woodlands, open meadows, and heathland, providing opportunities to discover hidden gems like ancient burial mounds and archaeological sites.

Aside from its natural appeal, Barrow Hill holds historical significance. It is believed to have been an important landmark during ancient times, potentially serving as a meeting place or a site for ritual ceremonies. Its name, "Barrow Hill," hints at its association with burial mounds, indicating a connection to prehistoric burial practices.

Barrow Hill, Somerset, offers a tranquil and scenic environment for those seeking to escape the bustling city and immerse themselves in the beauty of the natural world. Whether it's a leisurely stroll or a more challenging hike, this hill promises a memorable experience for all who visit.

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Barrow Hill Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.251343/-2.3650077 or Grid Reference ST7450. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Stone Stile on Park Hill near Mells

A stone stile beside the road on Park Hill near Mells. The stile leads onto a public footpath that goes down to Mells. Photograph taken at the bend in the road where Park Hill becomes Conduit Hill.

Kevin Pearson

Course of the Dorset and Somerset Canal

Looking west along the bed of the abandoned Dorset and Somerset Canal, constructed in about 1798, but never completed or opened. This section of the canal was intended to form part of a branch extending to Nettlebridge for the purpose of transporting coal from the Somerset coal field.

David Tyers

Remains of a balance lock on the Dorset and Somerset Canal

In 1798 the Somerset ironmaster James Fussell patented a "Balance Lock for Raising or Lowering Boats, &c.". A canal lift to his design was built and demonstrated at this site in 1800, when it successfully raised boats by about 20 feet up to the summit level of the Nettlebridge branch of the Dorset and Somerset Canal. Following the trial, construction of several more balance locks was begun at nearby Barrow Hill, but work on the canal was abandoned when funds ran out, and the locks were never completed. This balance lock was the subject of an archaeological excavation in about 2005, but nature is now taking over the site again.

David Tyers

Brick Kiln Farm Bridge

Bridge carrying Wanwards Lane across the Frome to Radstock railway (closed to passenger traffic in 1959, and to goods in 1968). It now crosses The Colliers Way (part of National Cycle Network Route 24), though the overgrown railway tracks are still in place.

David Tyers

Bed of the abandoned Dorset and Somerset Canal

The Dorset and Somerset canal was intended to ascend Barrow Hill using a flight of five boat lifts. Counting from the bottom, there is no evidence that work ever commenced on the first lift. The other four were never completed, and their chambers, set into the hillside, are overgrown and in various states of dereliction. This image was taken in the short section of canal above the third lift and looks northwest towards the chamber of the fourth.

David Tyers

Dangerfield farm

Rob Purvis

Buckland Dinham garage

Rob Purvis

The Bell at Buckland Dinham

Rob Purvis

Benchmark on Conduit Bridge

An old cutmark, as listed in the Benchmark Database: Link

, on the east wall of the old railway bridge. See ST7350 : A choice of routes for a wider view and ST7350 : Lost! for where an old projecting bracket used to be below.

Neil Owen

A choice of routes

The small road bridge over the old railway not leads down to the cycle path. A benchmark can be found on the eastern wall of the bridge - see ST7350 : Benchmark on Conduit Bridge - but a projecting bracket in the structure of the bridge itself has not enjoyed a similar fate. See ST7350 : Lost!.

Neil Owen

Lost!

This scar in the stonework of the railway bridge appears to be the remains of an old projecting bracket. It has clearly been removed, by fair means or foul! This part of the old Colliers' Way railway has become a popular cycle path and has a number of these types dotted along it - see Link

for the listing in the Benchmark Database and ST7350 : Conduit Bridge for a wider view of the bridge.

Neil Owen

Conduit Bridge

The Colliers Way - Route 24 of Sustrans National Cycle Network - is part of the route that links Midsomer Norton to Frome. Originally it was the Somersetshire Coal Canal before the railway took over, but today is a popular and peaceful cyclepath. A benchmark used to be in the stonework of the left abutment but has been lost now - see ST7350 : Lost!. Also see Link

for the local information.

Neil Owen

Flowers Farm Bridge

Another small pedestrian bridge over the old railway bridge. Today it's Route 24 on the National Cycle Network, but it was originally a GWR branch line from Radstock to Frome, built in 1854 to Brunel's Broad Gauge initially, and carried coal from the local mines. A year later it began carrying passengers too. But as the viability declined passengers were stopped in 1958; freight soldiered on until the line closed completely in 1988. It made a natural cyclepath which has a tarmac surface only recently completed, but the old rails remain for much of its length. An old fashioned benchmark still exists at the foot of the arch - see ST7450 : Projecting Bracket at Barrow Hill.

Neil Owen

Projecting Bracket at Barrow Hill

The old Radstock-Frome railway line was opened in the mid-1850s, but this Ordnance Survey benchmark was installed in the early part of the 1900s. It is fairly common on the railways of the area but the type itself was replaced by the Flush Bracket shortly after the start of the Second Geodetic Levelling. Indeed, it appears to be a collector's item as the Conduit Bridge item (some 1.5Km to the west) has been removed. See ST7450 : Flowers Farm Bridge a wider location view, ST7350 : Lost! for the missing mark and Link

for the entry in the Benchmark Database.

Neil Owen

Join here for Route 24

Conduit Bridge is a handy point to access the cyclepath, or the other way around if you like. Of course, you could always go to the pub.

Neil Owen

It's been a while

The old coal railway line between Radstock and Frome ran up until 1988; however, the compulsion of Mother Nature won't allow the lines to remain untouched.

Neil Owen

Anyone know who 'H' is?

Stonemasons' marks are common enough, but it seems like one man had put in plenty of work here.

Neil Owen

Enamel fingers

Route 24 has plenty of artworks along its length, including a series of these fingers on rusty sheets which are high under the bridges. They recreate a bye-gone era when such styles were prevalent. See ST7549 : A curious mixture for another example.

Neil Owen

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Barrow Hill is located at Grid Ref: ST7450 (Lat: 51.251343, Lng: -2.3650077)

Administrative County: Somerset

District: Mendip

Police Authority: Avon and Somerset