Walks near Taunton by train
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Taunton and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Taunton.
Castle Cary Circular via Cadbury Castle (Camelot) (Somerset)
15 minutes direct from Taunton.
Somerset Levels fringes, hillock, quiet residential streets, charming market town, dry green valley, ancient holloway, pastures, shallow river valley, hillfort plateau, steep ascents, large WWII airfield remains and broad plateau with views.
Time: 7h
Warnings: Steep ascents and descents.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Pewsey Circular via Pewsey White Horse (Wiltshire)
1 hour direct from Taunton.
Chalk downland, the Pewsey White Horse hill figure, the River Avon and a quiet village, with spectacular views.
Pewsey White Horse: A 20th-century chalk hill figure cut into the downs above Pewsey.
Walk details: Visit Pewsey Vale (photos).
Bruton Circular via Stourhead Estate (Somerset)
30 minutes from Taunton, with one change.
South Somerset pastures, wooded ridge forming the Wiltshire/Somerset boundary, hanging woods, landscaped estate gardens with lakeside walks, grassy U-shaped valley and honey-coloured stone-built town.
Time: 5h30
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Bath Spa Circular via Dundas Aqueduct (Somerset)
45 minutes from Taunton, with one change.
Disused railway path, tunnels, viaducts, canal towpath, river and historic city centre.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Maiden Newton Circular via Cerne Abbas (Dorset)
1 hour from Taunton, with one change.
Chalk downland, dry hanging valleys, rounded hills, broad ridges, chalk streams, picturesque villages and historic churches.
Time: 7h
Warnings: Six hilly ascents.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Exmouth Circular via West Down Beacon (Devon)
1 hour from Taunton, with one change.
A varied circular using the trackbed of the former Exmouth-to-Sidmouth Junction railway out through Littleham, then returning along the South West Coast Path over the cliffs of West Down Beacon and the High Land of Orcombe, passing the Geoneedle that marks the start of the Jurassic Coast before the long esplanade back into town.
The Geoneedle at Orcombe Point: a Portland-stone monument marking the western start of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Time: 3h30
Lunch: Pubs and shops in Littleham, Exmouth town centre and the seafront; the South Beach Café at Sandy Bay (seasonal).
Warnings: The coast path skirts the Straight Point firing range — obey any red-flag warnings; one moderate climb onto the cliffs.
Walk details: Avocet Line Rail Users Group (PDF).
Similar walk: Great Scenic Railways of Devon & Cornwall (PDF).
Feniton Circular via Ottery St Mary (Devon)
45 minutes from Taunton, with one change.
Rolling farmland to a market town, reaching the River Otter, home to wild otters and reintroduced beavers.
Walk details: Great Scenic Railways of Devon & Cornwall (PDF).
Honiton Circular via Round Ball Hill (Devon)
1 hour from Taunton, with one change.
A steady climb to two Iron Age hillforts and a toll house, with wide country views.
Warnings: Includes a sustained climb.
Walk details: Great Scenic Railways of Devon & Cornwall (PDF).
Chippenham Circular via Lacock (Wiltshire)
1 hour from Taunton, with one change.
Flat fields, river meadows, canal path, farmland, small woods and residential streets.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Westbury to Warminster (Wiltshire)
45 minutes direct from Taunton.
Chalk downland, Iron Age hillforts, five hills, Salisbury Plain military range, abandoned village and sweeping views over Wiltshire and Somerset.
Time: 7h
Warnings: MOD closures apply.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Digby and Sowton to Topsham (Devon)
45 minutes from Taunton, with one change.
A walk through open country and urban byways, leaving Digby & Sowton past the Victorian former Digby Hospital and dropping through Ludwell Valley Park with superb views down the Exe Estuary, then on by Countess Wear and the riverside to the historic estuary town of Topsham.
Ludwell Valley Park: a Devon Wildlife Trust valley park on the edge of the city, with views down to the Exe estuary.
Topsham
Time: 2h30
Lunch: Numerous pubs and shops in Topsham at the finish.
Walk details: Avocet Line Rail Users Group (PDF).
Polsloe Bridge to Exeter St Davids (Devon)
45 minutes from Taunton, with one change.
A walk in open country and Devon green lanes linking the city's two outer stations, climbing out of the suburbs through Mincinglake Valley Park and over Stoke Hill, with superb views opening up over Exeter and down the Exe Estuary before a long descent past the University to St David's.
Mincinglake Valley Park: a wooded valley park and Local Nature Reserve climbing out of the city, with views opening back over Exeter.
Exeter
Time: 2h30
Lunch: Pubs and shops at the start (the Queen's Head by Polsloe Bridge) and at the finish (the Jolly Porter and Great Western, opposite St David's station).
Walk details: Avocet Line Rail Users Group (PDF).