The first in a short series of adventure journal posts recounting my hike of the Mendip Way, including planning, packing, and my journey to the starting point in Weston-super-Mare.
The Mendip Way is a waymarked long-distance hike in Somerset, England, stretching from Weston-super-Mare to Frome. At the end of January (yes, January…), I hiked the route solo, thoroughly enjoying the picturesque Mendip Hills along the way.
Despite challenging weather and the resulting (ridiculously) muddy conditions, the hike was rewarding. Over four days, I hiked 55-miles – the Mendip Way was the perfect length for a long weekend away. It definitely deserved its place in my blog post on that topic!
I walked deep into the English countryside without ever being too far from civilisation. It gave me time to think and was a real escape from the routine of everyday life; there is nothing quite like going for a very long walk (other than maybe a very long motorcycle road trip) for that.
In this short adventure journal series, I will share my experience of hiking the Mendip Way. I hope that you find my account featuring each day on this long-distance trail interesting and maybe even entertaining. If you are planning to hike the Mendip Way yourself sometime, I hope this series of blogs assists with your preparation and builds some all-important anticipation.
To begin, this day zero post will provide a chatty overview of the all-important first step – getting to the start.
The Mendip Way
To give you its full introduction, the Mendip Way is a long-distance footpath in Somerset in south west England, stretching a little over 50 miles from Weston-super-Mare to Frome. The trail meanders through the picturesque Mendip Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), offering a mix of scenic views, rolling hills, and interesting historic landmarks.
It’s not a National Trail (find all those listed here), but it is an officially waymarked long-distance path, complete with diamonds on the OS Map, and excellent on-the-trail signposting. The below map shows the whole route – I walked it in the traditional direction from west to east.
Download file for GPSSee the full route in OS Maps.
A Real Variety
The Mendip Way is beautiful. An excellent example of a long-distance trail here in the UK. During my hike, I walked through a real variety of landscapes, from the dramatic limestone gorges at Cheddar and Ebbor, to expansive woodlands and open (very open…) green fields.
The route is divided into two sections: the West Mendip Way and the East Mendip Way. The West Mendip Way runs from Weston-super-Mare to Wells, visiting notable sites such as Crook Peak, Wavering Down, Cheddar Gorge and Wookie Hole. The East Mendip Way continues from Wells to Frome, taking hikers over the rolling hills and through historical mining landscapes of the eastern Mendips.
Along the way, I saw ancient and modern landmarks, including hill forts, Roman roads, medieval churches, large farms, and managed woodlands. The trail was also rich with wildlife – I saw deer, foxes, and some very relaxed birds of prey. Passing through charming villages like Loxton and Priddy, and towns like Shepton Mallet, I enjoyed local hospitality at traditional pubs and little cafes.
On paper, the Mendip Way appeared to be a reasonably easy long-distance trail. But it wasn’t – it isn’t – just a casual stroll through the countryside. And certainly not in the conditions I experienced. Every other paragraph in the guide leaflet I had with me said ‘may be muddy during or after rain’ – and boy, was that true! The trail’s varied terrain, combined with steep ascents and descents, meant I tested my fitness and preparation. But the effort was well rewarded with big views and a profound sense of accomplishment. Even if I did feel like I was sliding backwards at times.
My Hike in Summary
I decided to tackle the Mendip Way solo, both adding a touch of personal challenge to the adventure, and allowing me the simplicity of just going for a really long walk on my own schedule. That’s what this hike was all about for me – making the time and creating the space to go for a very long walk. Long-distance walking is a real escape for me; the act of walking gives me time to think, feel, and be myself. And it really felt like I was a long way from everything despite never actually being far from the bustle of normal life.
Given that it was January, I chose not to camp, in favour of staying in traveller’s inns and convenient hotels each night, which provided respite from each day’s exertions. To be honest, I have come to very much enjoy this kind of long-distance hiking, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Having a proper bed (and bathroom!), indoors, means I get real rest without needing to carry or put up a tent. I still carry my own gear, but the weight is much reduced because I don’t need any kind of sleep system.
As with the Cotswold Way and Cumbria Way, I pre-booked my accommodation for every night, which removed any flexibility, but did at least mean I knew exactly where I would sleep each night.
The Muddiest Hike Ever?
Mother Nature decided to throw in two named storms just to keep things super interesting. There was Storm Éowyn on the Friday, and Storm Herminia on the Sunday. And while I could have postponed my trip, after studying the weather maps and route, I made a conscious decision to tackle the weather and resulting conditions head-on. It was going to be wet and windy for sure, but I wasn’t putting myself in weather danger.
It was incredibly wet and muddy, with rain-soaked trails that tested my resolve. But even when I was cursing the thickest, slipperiest mud I’ve ever experienced, it was all part of the fun. Type two fun, that is! Each moment, even the toughest ones, contributed to a deeply satisfying adventure. And I hope you will glean some of that from this short adventure journal series.
Packing for the Mendip Way
Packing for the hike was a bit of a last-minute scramble. And this was despite having this hike in the diary for several weeks. Unusually for me, I packed the night before – my excuses being that things were busy in the run-up, and I felt reasonably confident I was experienced enough not to find this difficult. I mean, how hard can it be?!
As I was packing, I realised this was surprisingly one of the longest trips I’d done using my 40l backpack – I’d got five full days of hiking scheduled (more about not doing the fifth day in this weekly blog), plus an extra day of travel, so six days total. Even though the Cotswold Way and Cumbria Way were longer, both allowed me to rotate some of my gear during the hike, but this time I had to fit everything into one pack.
And let’s be honest, with the exception of perhaps an extra pair of knickers and an extra snack or two, the amount of stuff required for six days hiking versus four or five, is exactly the same.
My Backpack of Choice
As for all my multi-day hikes without my tent, I used my trusted Osprey Tempest 40l pack. This is a great pack – full of features which make it comfortable and useful on the trail. I think I mentioned in other adventure journal packing segments that I could have managed with the 30l version – definitely a 34/35l one. But this is the pack I have, and so it is the pack I use. Happily.
I packed and re-packed over the course of a few hours, making some last-minute reductions as late as an hour before I left my house. Fitting it all in wasn’t a problem, this was simply about making decisions on what to take and what to leave behind.
I didn’t weight it, I never do. I’m definitely not claiming to be any kind of ultralight hiker here! And while I know I had more things with me than some people would consider wholly necessary, I was happy with the contents of my pack and how it felt when I picked it up.
Let me give you an overview of the kit I took for the Mendip Way, in case you’re looking for inspiration for your own packing list…
More Than a Few Luxuries
I hiked in a pair of hiking trousers, merino tee, thin but warm midlayer, and a low impact sports bra. I then carried a complete change of clothes for the evenings that I could also hike in if the need arose, a pair of pyjamas, and enough microfibre knickers and comfortable hiking socks for one a day – definitely a luxury but I had the space and could carry the weight. Then I had my waterproof coat, waterproof trousers, puffy coat, beanie hat, baseball cap, buff, sunglasses, and some gloves, which were on and off as the need arose through the hike.
I took a small wash kit, but I was staying in hotels I needed a few personal can’t-live-without essentials such as face cream (always wear your SPF, folks!), toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, brush, you know the drill. I also had the various charging cables I needed. And a pair of lightweight trainers to wear in the evenings because I knew my boots would likely be caked in mud. Everything from here and up went in a dry bag at the bottom of my pack, as I didn’t need any of it in the daytime.
Day Hike Essentials
Naturally, I also carried my usual day hike gear, which I can prepare without the need for any list these days. In a couple of small dry bags, I had a small first aid kit, a tiny towel (which was incredibly handy for drying my phone screen), my PACMAT Patch picnic blanket for one, a spare buff, my kula cloth, some tissues, a small pot of Vaseline, hand sanitiser, and my headphones, which was one of the very few items I didn’t use at all.
I had a small power bank (this one with 5200mAh, which gave me 1.5 charges of my iPhone on the go, plenty for a full day using my phone with GPS/tracking switched on. Finally, I carried a head torch just in case I ended up hiking as darkness fell (you never know what the day might bring), and my wallet with cash and cards.
For Navigation
I was really impressed with the signage on the Mendip Way (which I obviously didn’t know until I was on the trail), but a map with the route marked was still very necessary. Especially on a couple of occasions when signposts were a bit far apart (or had been knocked over…). I had all the maps downloaded on OS Maps on my phone for general navigation, which was very convenient and worked from start to finish.
Having an analogue backup (and knowing how to use it to find your location and re-route as needed) is crucial, as technology can fail. I therefore packed my compass, a full set of paper maps (printed with the route marked at home via OS Maps), and a copy of the Mendip Way leaflet I could refer to when needed. I chucked the used pages away each evening, which is a hiking routine I rather enjoy.
Food and Drink
I didn’t bother with my hydration bladder on this hike. Instead, I carried a large (1182ml / 40oz) Klean Kanteen for water, and a smaller (473l / 16oz) Hydroflask for tea, which was plenty. For food, I packed a bunch of snacks in my SIGG tin and some freezer bags – a batch of homemade energy balls, some dried mango, honey roasted cashews, and other goodies. The plan was to have breakfast (most of my overnights provided it), munch on snacks while hiking, and enjoy a proper meal in the evenings.
Oh, and I aimed to find cake at least once a day, which I totally nailed! My initial snack stash lasted through the entire hike, so I didn’t need to resupply, although that would have been easy enough should I have needed to.
Hiking Poles – For the Mud!
Finally for my Mendip Way kit, and after bouncing back and forth for at least a week, I also took my hiking poles. These were probably the item that I thought about the most in the run up to leaving for the hike!
In the end it was a conversation with my boss just a couple of hours before I caught the train that ultimately meant I took them. She was right, I needed them, I’d have been rather screwed without them. I hiked the first seven miles with them attached to my pack, and that was it – they propelled me along (and stopped me sliding/sinking/falling) the rest of the way.
The Night Before
I could say that my Mendip Way adventure started before the hiking did… Setting off from home, I took a late afternoon train to Weston-super-Mare. Well, I didn’t. What should have been a straightforward trip ended up being a bit of a hassle. My first train was cancelled, so I had to wait on a cold platform for the next one, which was also delayed. That train was packed, and so I had to stand squished between other passengers for the 45-minute ride.
Of course, given the delay, I missed my connection and had to wait some more. I did at least get a seat for the second half of the journey. I’ve come to expect problems when travelling by train and so I guess this journey was not outside that! I eventually arrived at my destination a little over half an hour later than planned, which wasn’t too bad.
While the Mendip Way officially starts in Uphill, a small village a little south along the coast from the centre of Weston-super-Mare, I decided to stay – and start – from Weston itself. I therefore checked into the Premier Inn on the seafront, a comforting and familiar choice, got myself situated, and headed out to find some dinner.
As is the often the case in seaside towns in the off-season, a lot of the restaurants in Weston-super-Mare were closed on a Thursday night. Initially, I spotted an open Turkish restaurant with good reviews on Google Maps, but it was completely empty when I walked by. Not wanting to dine alone in an empty restaurant, I opted for Loco Mexicano on the seafront instead. I dined on Peri-Peri chicken with grilled pineapple and fries, followed by churros. It was a pretty decent meal, not expensive, and a comfortable place to eat.
More Weather Talk
The weather forecast really did add another layer of complexity to my planning. I knew the weather might be dodgy – that’s winter hiking in the UK. There were reasons, though; I purposefully planned to do the Mendip Way so early in the year to allow me to start 2025 with some good hiking time, something I felt I missed in 2024. I was willing to take whatever the conditions might be as a result.
As I sat in bed in Weston-super-Mare, I checked the forecast another time. With a yellow weather warning for wind plus heavy rain expected overnight, and the potential of very wet weather on the Sunday (at this point this storm had not yet been named), I was a bit apprehensive but hopeful. The worst of Storm Éowyn was expected to hit before 9am on Friday, and so I decided I would do well to have a slow start and leave around that time and not before. I was nowhere near the worst affected area (I felt for those who were in the red zone), and the rest of the day looked relatively clear – certainly blustery, but not any worse than I’ve experienced before.
As you will gather from the upcoming adventure journal posts, the weather certainly played a big part in my Mendip Way experience. But I did not make the wrong choice here. Better weather would have been lovely, I know that, but it was all part of the adventure. Even the hail.
Looking Forward to Hiking the Mendip Way
As I lay in bed, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I was about to start a new adventure, and even with the weather potentially providing additional challenges, I was looking forward to the journey ahead.
The following day I would be hiking the first 14.5 miles of the Mendip Way, taking me from the seaside, east to Rowberrow. Reading through the route notes one last time, I already knew I’d made the right decision to bring my hiking poles – it was going to be muddy. There would be 1,500 feet of elevation gain, which seemed manageable, and one trig pillar, which I always like to see along a route. And I also spotted there would be a charity-run café just a couple of hundred metres off the trail at almost exactly half way – I was definitely going there!
Despite the forecast, the prospect of hiking through the picturesque landscapes of the Mendip Hills filled me with anticipation. I liked the thought of all that fresh air, the sounds I would hear, the scenery I would see, and the sense of accomplishment waiting at the end of the day. This hike promised not just physical exercise, but also a mental reset and a chance to reconnect with nature. The Mendip Way was calling, and I was ready to embrace it.
I’ll be back soon to tell you what day one was like…
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