Our Walking Groups are open to all Cheddar Valley u3a members, but if you are new to the group you would like to walk with, please contact the group leader or walk leader first, to ensure you can cope with the distance, speed and terrain. Please see your news bulletin to find contact details.

EASY WALKING GROUP

The Easy Walking Group walk on the 4th Wednesday of the month, in the morning.   Normally walking for about an hour and a half on level ground with no stiles, covering about 2 to 3 miles. Walking shoes or trainers are adequate.  Dogs are usually welcome, and we have a coffee stop at the end of the walk.  The group leader is Chris Barker.

Easy Walking Group Wednesday 25^th August

The walk is from the Chew Valley Lake, where there is roadside parking, a circuit through farmland, mainly flat but with a short hill, and a view! No stiles, some of the footpaths are rough underfoot as the ground is so dry. The walk takes about an hour and a half, and goes past a moated farmhouse dating from the 16th century. We can have coffee at the Blue Bowl Inn. 

Meet to carshare at the Sharpham Road playing fields carpark, ready to leave at 10.00am. 

Park at the Chew Valley Lake, on the |B3114 from Chew Stoke to West Harptree. There is a parking bay on the causeway by Herons Green Bay. Postcode BS40 6NH, map ref 554 393, what3words hardly.subtitle.drips   

Start time 10.30am 

If you have any questions, especially about where we are going, contact me on on the usual numbers, Please note my email address has changed. The new address has been posted in the news bulletin. 

MODERATE WALKING GROUP

The Moderate Walking Group meet on the 1st Wednesday of the month, to set off at 10.00 am at the starting point, The walks are for the same length of time as the easy walking group, but cover more ground, usually 3 miles or more, with some hills and the odd stile. Walking shoes or boots are required. Dogs are usually welcome. Our walks are usually followed by coffee at a nearby location. If you can walk around the top of the Cheddar reservoir in 45 to 50 mins our pace will suit you.

Moderate Walking Group Wednesday 5^th August

We are doing a circuit from Wedmore, across the moor, so it is a flat walk. The walk is about 4 miles, mostly on field paths and farm tracks, but with some road. There are a couple of stiles which are suitable for dogs.

Meet and park in the Wedmore village carpark. Postcode: BS28 4EE, what3words deluded.quantity.juggled , map ref 437 481. This is the carpark in the village, accessible from the Cheddar Road or The Lerburne, not the carpark on the Blackford Road. 

Start time 10.00am 

We can have coffee afterwards in The Swan or the Bluebird Cafe.Any questions, or if you need or can offer a lift, contact Chris Barker

The September walk will be on Wednesday 2nd, probably from East Harptree. 

Recent walks: Wednesday 26^th November 2025

The Easy Walking group tried out the new bit of the Strawberry Line behind Kings of Wessex school, and the new bridge over the river.

Moderate Walking group Wednesday 4^th February

The Moderate walking group went to Shipham on February 4th, and did a circuit around Churchill and Rowberrow. There was plenty of mud, but glorious sunshine all the way. The pictures were taken in Dolebury Bottom, before a coffee stop at The Swan, Rowberrow. 

Recent walks: Moderate Walking group Wednesday 5^th November.

We walked a four mile circuit up past the Priddy 9 barrows and across to the Ashen Hill barrows. We managed to avoid the rain and puddles, though it was breezy on top of the hill. Coffee afterwards in the Queen Vic was very welcome.

Recent walks: Moderate Walking group Wednesday 1st October.

Moderate Walking group Wednesday 1st October:  The Moderate Walking group went to Wedmore on 1st October, walking on lanes and footpaths, some of which were quite challenging. There were 4 stiles of varying degrees of difficulty, a field with bullocks racing round but keeping their distance, a path through a tunnel of trees and bushes, where the secateurs came in handy, and finally the scramble down Madwoman`s Lane, which for once was dry, not muddy, and with no stream running down it. The photo shows the group looking very happy at getting to the bottom!

16 walkers had a great time walking from Priddy, on a circuit that included Deer Leap, where the photo was taken. The view was magnificent, the weather was ideal, and there wasn`t much in the way of hill as we were already up on the top when we started out. We had coffee at the Priddy Good Food farm cafe, which was good too.

Chris Barker Easy and Moderate Walking groups leader.