The above map courtesy of wwww.multimap.com
Just clicking on the above map should enlarge the area. Just select the area you want to explore by clicking on it. If your
graphics are set to off, click the following link: Map of Congresbury to Urchinwood Manor
The walk is approximately one mile and takes you alongside the River Yeo. Suitable for dogs, but in some fields there's cattle and at certain times, throughout the year,
Urchinwood Manor holds horse trial events.
We commence this walk from The Millennium Green in Congresbury - easily recognisable by its wooden seat and table - just behind the bus stop (Nos.350 and 351)
from Bristol to Weston-super-Mare. Follow sign saying "Footpath to Iwood". Walk past the bridge on your right, the gateway and stile with board
explaining a little of the history of the area.
Go through the gate, carry straight on and through the next gate you come to. This then brings you on to land used by Urchinwood Manor in their horseriding
events, held regularly throughout the year. When these events are being held, keep your dog on its lead for safety reasons. The group of buildings you see
on your left forms part of Urchinwood Manor.
Carry on, still walking alongside the River Yeo, and passing through the next gate, which will bring you to Congresbury Weir and Footbridge. For this walk,
don't go across the footbridge but carry on. You'll come to a little stile, although there's a gate also. This area becomes extremely muddy and slippery if
there's been rain the day before. From this area you can see Urchinwood Manor unmistakably on your left.
Carry on alongside the River Yeo and cross the stile (again, a very muddy area should it have rained). The pink building on your left is actually Urchinwood
Manor.
Carry on walking alongside the River Yeo until you come to the next stile and gate. Just on your right, before this stile, is another stile - ignore
it!
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Leave River Yeo at this point and walk across the field to your left. When you reach the top of the field you'll see two fields. The first one will have a
few silver-barrel jumps in it (correct at time of writing 02.01.04)
The field next to it should be empty. Open the gate and walk through it (remembering to shut it after you). Walk to the top of the field but, before going through the gate at the top, ensure your dog is on its lead because you'll soon be coming
to a busy and dangerous road. As you near the top you'll see a gate to the left, which will take you to Urchinwood Manor and its riding stables.
You are now on Urchinwood Lane. The left leads to Urchinwood Manor
At this point you can either go back the way you've just come, or walk along to your left where you'll come to a main road, Wrington Road. Turn left and
carrying straight on brings you to the main A38, where turning left will bring you back to Congresbury and The Millennium Green.
Click here to see an old map of Urchinwood Farm
Again, you can move around the map by pressing north, south, east, west
A rumour? or a fact? a little mystery surrounding Urchinwood Manor -
an extract from John Bailey of the Weston & Somerset Mercury
There is a suggestion that at some time Urchinwood was an inn. This seems unlikely if one takes into account that today it lies in a little cul-de-sac
off the Congresbury-Wrington road. This little highway, however, is known as Somerset Lane. It is rather an imposing title and Mrs Towill wonders whether
in former days the lane might have been the main route from Bristol through Congresbury.
while the lane now ends at a field gate, its continuing route can be traced across the fields over the Yeo to link up with Venus Street in Congresbury.
In one of the fields en route there was once said to have been 'the hanging tree'.
"It seems likely that a tree used for hanging felons would have been beside a road," said Mrs Towill
Present day
The above article was written on the 28th May 1965. What I believe was then called Somerset Road is now Urchinwood Lane, and the walk I've just detailed
above may well cover part of that old route from Bristol through Congresbury.
To read more of the fascinating history of Urchinwood Manor by John Bailey of the Weston & Somerset Mercury, click
Urchinwood Manor and its legend of a king's visit.
I shall up-date as and when more info. becomes available.
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