14 Buggy and pram friendly walks Somerset
I’ve been on the lookout for pram friendly walks in Somerset for a few years now. Having some good buggy-friendly walks up your sleeve is one of the best parenting hacks for those with young children. Somewhere you can escape to when you need to get out of the house with a newborn, a place to meet up and regain your sanity with other adults, or a chance to nap the baby while your older children burn off some energy.
Plus, lots of fresh air supposedly helps babies sleep better… so it’s worth a try! Even if you don’t want to bring the buggy along, all of these walks I’ve selected have well-maintained paths, making them easily doable with youngsters in slings or on foot.
From a commanding castle with sensational views, to a lockside stroll in rural countryside surroundings, a serene nature reserve with a rustic playground, to a peaceful riverside stroll on the edge of the city and a fabulous North Somerset coastal walk, get your buggies at the ready for these delightful wheel-friendly adventures.
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West Somerset pushchair friendly walks
The National Trust’s Dunster Castle
Sitting atop a tor, surrounded by colour-washed, medieval thatched cottages, tea rooms, cobbled streets, spectacular grounds, rolling countryside and sea views, the red stone Dunster Castle is straight out of a fairytale.
As with many National Trust properties, accessibility for rolling wheels and families has been well-catered for here, path suitability is marked on a map and there’s plenty to see for a full family day out.
A walk around the gardens takes you through four different microclimates and it doesn’t really matter which order you explore them in, but making your way up to the South Terrace via the hard surfaced Vine Walk will bring you out near the castle. On a sunny day, it’s easy enough to feel like you’ve been transported to tropical climes – the area has a Mediterranean feel thanks to its balmy (for Exmoor) micro-climate. Spiky palms line the pathway, framing views that reach as far as the Bristol Channel. It’s planted in the Victorian style, with spring bulbs and vibrant summer bedding plants painting the terrace with a riot of colour in season.
From here you can wind your way up to The Keep garden, the highest point in the Dunster landscape with views looking down on the castle turrets and green Somerset hills. In 1721, this area was levelled and turned into a bowling green, with the Octagon Tower built to offer shade to guests.
If you have small children on foot, you’ll want to head towards the River Garden at some point, this area is wild and wooded and its lush, native microclimate seems to make everything grow seemingly that much larger. Redwoods tower over the rustic log play area, while gigantic rhubarb leaves loom over visitors.
Down here, the River Avil runs through the gardens, flowing under the characterful Lovers’ Bridge and made use of by the working water mill, which produces six tonnes of flour a year to make its own bread. It’s labelled on the map as unsuitable for some buggies, but is manageable unless it’s extra muddy.
Wimbleball Lake
Part of the Exmoor Strolls collection, this walk offers a short, accessible route for people of all ages and abilities to experience Exmoor’s moors, valleys, and coast. The lovely 2.5-mile (4 km) there-and-back walk takes visitors with sturdy pushchairs alongside Wimbleball Lake to the high dam across the Haddeo Valley.
Starting from Wimbleball Lake Café car park (postcode TA22 9NU), take the
path heading towards the lake, then follow signs towards Wimbleball Wheeler and ‘To Dam’. For the best view of the spillway from the dam continue on the path straight-ahead. Return along the same route. Click here to see the route.
Buggy friendly walks Somerset, Taunton Deane
Bridgwater and Taunton Canal
Running alongside the 14.5 mile Bridgwater and Taunton canal, this level tow path connects the two towns from Bridgwater Docks to the River Tone at Taunton. Predominantly rural, the canal makes a wonderful strolling spot for wildlife enthusiasts and those looking for a wheel-friendly countryside amble.
One of the canal’s highlights is the Somerset Space Walk, a scaled model of the solar system (1:530,000,000, meaning that 1mm on the ground equates to 530km) created by Tauntonian inventor, poet and astronomer, Pip Youngman.
This cosmic-themed canalside journey is a fun way to encourage any reluctant walking kids accompanying you. Planets run in both directions from ‘the sun’, which can be found at the canal’s mid-point, Maunsel Lock – a great place to start or end your stroll, as Maunsel Lock Tea Rooms have great coffee and big slabs of cake – the perfect reward for walkers.
Somerset Boat Centre’s The Lock Inn is also nearby and has a dreamy pub garden for sunny days (check ahead for seasonal opening times).
The towpath can be accessed from most road bridges that cross it – Bridgwater Docks (TA6 3HR), Kings Lock (TA7 0BG), Maunsel Lock (TA7 0DH), Charlton Engine House (TA3 5PF), Creech St. Michael (TA3 5PZ), Bathpool (TA2 8BZ) or Firepool Lock (TA1 1AJ), all of which have a car park nearby.
As the canal is cut off from other waterways, it’s not bustling with lots of boats, so wildlife here has more of a chance to thrive. Keep your eyes peeled for grey herons, kingfishers, semi-aquatic grass snakes and, if you’re really lucky, the occasional otter. Best saved for drier days with buggies, as sections of the towpath can get muddy.
Pram friendly walks South Somerset
Chard Reservoir
Situated on Chard’s north eastern fringes, the peaceful Chard Reservoir and nature reserve is made up of native woodlands, wildflower meadows, and a reservoir. Ideal for buggy ramblers, thanks to good-surfaced pathways, there are three trails to choose from, leading off from the main car park at Oaklands Avenue.
Visitors can tailor their walk’s length, pottering the 1.5km from one end of the reservoir to the other on the woodland path, or you can extend your stroll by walking along Chaffcombe Road, joining the Sustrans cycle route, and then heading left along the old railway cycle route back to Touches Lane (3.3km). Whichever you opt for, be sure to include the woodland play zone and shoreline bird hide.
Forde Abbey
The magnificent Forde Abbey estate, with its 30 acres of gardens, lies on the border with Dorset. Originally a monastery some 800 years ago, the garden’s seasonal blooms often steal the show, attracting visitors to Snowdrop Weekends, Crocus Week in early March, a Tulip Extravaganza from mid-April to mid-May, and Spectacular Sweet Peas in July.
Buggy-friendly pathways lead visitors around the gardens, to an arboretum, rock garden, bog garden, willow den, spiral garden, lime avenue, and a 48-meter fountain in the ‘Mermaid Pond,’ activated at noon, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm.
The Newt in Somerset
You have to be a member of The Newt to visit (or pals with a member who can get you in), so if you’re pondering a National Trust membership, the price is similar, and I’d definitely recommend giving these gorgeous upmarket gardens a year of your time. Particularly if you have a baby or small children, as there are endless pram-friendly paths and fascinating things to explore in the super scenic grounds.
From a Beezantium, to a serpentine treetop walkway, Story of Gardening museum, a Roman Villa experience, a four seasons garden complete with water walkways for kids to splash through, onsite eateries and acres of space to run around in.
National Trust Somerset
Most National Trust places are extremely family-friendly, with buggy-friendly walks, acres to explore, natural play areas and child-friendly activities taking place all year-round.
Across Somerset, there are some beautiful National Trust-protected estates with accessible pathways for a great pushchair friendly day out with little ones in tow (entrance fees apply unless you are a member). My favourites include:
North Somerset:
South Somerset:
Wiltshire/Somerset border:
Pushchair friendly walks North Somerset
Brean Down Way
The Brean Down Way, an eight-mile trail (part of Sustrans route 33), links The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare to the tip of the stunning natural pier, Brean Down. The route takes keen walkers and cyclists through Uphill, passing The Boathouse Cafe, the Great Bird Screen of Brean (which protects roosting birds on tidal mud flats), sluice gates and the Walborough Nature Reserve on the River Axe estuary, all the way to Brean Down Fort.
You’re not obligated to cover the entire eight miles – the Weston seafront stretch or charming Uphill marina are excellent abbreviated sections.
Clevedon seafront
With its beach location, marine lake, boutique shops and independent restaurants, Clevedon has always been one of our favourite days out with kids.
The seafront promenade is a flat, picturesque buggy-friendly amble, starting from Clevedon Marine Lake, and leading strollers past the Victorian bandstand, mini golf, skate park, food kiosks and pebbly beaches, all the way to the elegant Clevedon Pier.
In summer, there’s often a bouncy castle on Salthouse Fields, and you might want to check out The Salthouse Pub, with its large outdoor children’s play area.
Mendip district buggy friendly walks
Ham Wall
Ham Wall Nature Reserve takes visitors into Somerset’s wetlands and offers them a glimpse into the region’s rich biodiversity and natural beauty.
The reserve has more than 3 miles of trails and there are several options for family walks here – you can choose to stick to the main track, a wide and raised hard standing surface which runs through the heart of the reserve, or, if you’ve got the stamina, stroll along a waymarked four flat miles of marshes, reed beds, and tranquil waterways from Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve to Glastonbury. It’s more of a cycling route (which you can see here), but there’s nothing to stop you pottering along as far as you feel able.
As well as the main path, there are a couple of short pram and wheelchair accessible boardwalks that take you into the marshes beside bird hides, where you can get a closer look at the wildlife.
Keep your eyes peeled for a sighting of the elusive bittern, a rare type of heron that calls these wetlands home. A massive amount of conservation work in the Avalon Marshes saved the bird from extinction and it’s now home to one of the biggest bittern populations in the UK. The buggy-friendly walking trail offers opportunities to spot these birds as well as a variety of wildlife, from graceful herons to colourful dragonflies.
The Marshes Hub Tea Stop café serves hot and cold drinks, ice creams, homemade cakes, breakfast and a range of sandwiches. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and you are assured of a warm welcome.
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