Route Filmstrip & Description
An enjoyable circular trail of approximately 1.25 miles / 2km through Bearland / Chargot Woods where you can appreciate the challenges the engineers and miners faced in this undulating landscape with superb valley views. Along the route you can view the entrance to two Adits (horizontal mine shafts) that form part of the heritage iron-ore mining industry and community that existed on the Brendon Hills 150 years ago. A very pleasant walk with the local history explained on well presented information boards maintained by the West Somerset Mineral Line Association. For further information and additional walks - including guided tours - visit their website at www.wsmla.org.uk
Surveyed by: Exmoor National Park Authority Volunteer, May 2016
(Spring)
Accessibility Rating: 3
Distance: 2.3 km
Car Park: There is a car park (Chargot Woods Car Park) on the northern side of the B3224 with a good packed gravel surface and room for at least 10 vehicles.
Steps: If you wish to observe the entrance to the Adits close-up you may have to climb some wooden steps. However you can also complete the trail without taking the steps and still observe the Adits from a short distance.
Barriers: There is a gateway approximately 1.2 metres wide as you exit the car park to start the walk and a gateway approximately 1.4 metres wide at the finish. There are also large stones / boulders to be negotiated (walk through or step over) approximately 15 metres after the start.
Toilets: No


The starting point for the walk (the information board in the Chargot Woods car park) can be seen on the left hand side of the photo. To begin the walk exit the car park through the 3-metre wide gateway (seen on right of photo) at the eastern end of the car park and turn left onto a 3 metre wide hard-packed gravel road.

After approximately 20 metres there is a narrow pathway (approx. 0.5 metres wide with tall grass either side in the summer) leading off to the left. The path is accessed by walking over or between some large stones approx. one foot high and up to several feet in length lining the left hand side of the road

After approximately 50 metres the path opens out into about 1 metre wide with a solid surface of packed earth/gravel occasionally covered with pine needles as it wanders through the woods. There is a steady downwards gradient of 10% - 17% (1:10 > 1:6).

After another approx 200 metres walking northwards the path turns sharply to the left (approx 180 degrees) with a slightly steeper gradient on the turn.

After approximately 100 metres walking south the path turns sharply (almost 180 degrees) to the right. At the corner there is a small one-person resting perch.

After approximately 100 metres the path joins a hard-packed gravel roadway approx 3 metres (10 feet ) wide. The pathway at the junction is marked with a wooden marker post annotated 'Miners Trail'.

Turn sharp left onto the roadway travelling approximately south west on a downward gradient of approx 10% (1:10). The photo shows the junction where the grassy track meets the roadway.

View taken approximately northwards at the apex of the roadway bend. At this point there is a narrow path off to the left which may be obscurred by undergrowth; it is possible to take this path and rejoin the main trail further along having passed the entrance to the Adit. However this phototrail uses the main roadway as the main trail.

After a further 150 metres there is a grassy trail approx three metres wide leading sharply off to the left. Take this trail - it is flat to start with; it has a hard-packed surface with a central grass strip.

50 metres along the grassy track, on the left hand side is a pathway which leads to some steps which signifies the site of one of the iron-ore Adits - this pathway is the continuation of the one that left the main roadway approx 250 metres previously.

The entrance to the Adit can be viewed by walking approx 40 paces along the narrow sidepath where steps indicate the site of the Adit.

Continuing up the main trail on an upward gradient of 10% > 17% (1:10 > 1:6), after approx 50 metres there is an opening in the woods where the track curves to the right. On the left hand side of the bend you can see the fenced-off entrance to another Adit approximately 20 metres from the track.

This is a closer view of the entrance to the Adit. There are two steps up to a solid wooden platform for closer viewing.

Approximately 75 metres further along and the track again narrows to approx 1.5 metres with an uphill gradient of 10% > 17% (1:10 > 1:6)

After another 50 metres or so the path joins a 3 - 4 metre wide hard-packed earth/gravel road. Turn left onto this road. The gradient of the last metre or two of the path where it meets the road increases. There is a wooden marker on the right hand side of the path where it meets the road.

View south along the road at the point where the steep grassy path joins (left hand side of the picture.)

100 metres along the road and it curves gently round to the right at a steady gradient of up to 10% (1:10).

Over the next 150 metres the road curves gently to the right and then left. The track remains 3 - 4 metres wide with a steady upwards gradient of 10% (1:10)

After a further 50 metres or so as the road curves gently to the right, to the left hand side through the trees you can see the Bearland Woods Ventilation Flue and and information Board.

A few metres further along the track, a marker post can be seen on the left hand side of the road; shortly after this there is a narrow (approx 1 metre wide) steep path (downwards gradient 25%; 1:4) approx 75 metres long which leads to a bench and a short flat pathway where you can view the Ventilation Flue close-up and inspect the Information Board.

Continuing along the main roadway for approximatey 200 metres it curves gently round to the right and then to the left at a steady uphill gradient of 10% (1:10). The road has occasional sideways gradients/cambers of up to 17% (1:6).
Miners Trail, Bearland Wood Phototrail
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Vertical Profile
This is an approximate vertical profile with samples taken at 100m intervals along the trail.
