The Butcombe Trail & Beacon Batch loop from Cheddar — Mendip Hills

Hiking trails & Routes

The Butcombe Trail & Beacon Batch loop from Cheddar — Mendip Hills

Hard

4.8

(5)

hikers

The Butcombe Trail & Beacon Batch loop from Cheddar — Mendip Hills

05:35

20.0km

370m

Hiking

Embark on a challenging hike through the Mendip Hills with the Butcombe Trail & Beacon Batch loop from Cheddar. This difficult 12.4-mile (20.0 km) route takes you across limestone ridges, through ancient woodlands, and over expansive plateaus. You will gain 1224 feet (373 metres) in elevation, with the journey typically…

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Mendip Hills AONB

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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4.09 km

King John's Hunting Lodge, Axbridge

Highlight • Monument

Worth a quick stop if you're heading down the Strawberry Line to the sea or to Cheddar.

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6.29 km

Shute Shelve Tunnel

Highlight • Trail

Shute Shelve Tunnel, under the Shute Shelve Hill. It is a 165-metre long tunnel that you can safely walk through. The geology changes from soft marl to hard limestone, and tunnel has rare cave spiders and various species of bat.

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11.9 km

Rowberrow Warren

Highlight • MTB Park

Rowberrow Warren is a leased wood by Forestry England on the western side of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a very popular spot with all …

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12.7 km

Black Down Summit and Wild Ponies

Highlight • Natural

Black Down is the highest area of the Mendip Hills and affords wonderful views across the Bristol Channel into Wales, over Weston-super-Mare, the Chew Valley, the Quantocks and beyond. There …

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14.0 km

Beacon Batch summit trig point

Highlight • Viewpoint

This special site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific interest for its valuable wildlife habitats and is a nationally important site for its archaeology from the late Stone …

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19.8 km