Molland Common Circular

Terrain difficulty: Moderate- several short sharp climbs

Ease of navigation: Moderate- navigating over open moorland can be difficult in poor weather conditions

Animal Dangers: Minimal- although hopefully you will see the lovely Exmoor Ponies!

Ponies seen on an Exmoor Walk

Route

This walk starts from the village of Molland. We leave the village by heading east along the road towards Bremley. Ignore a turning on the left and follow the road round a left hand bend then steeply downhill then uphill to a junction. At the junction go straight over and immediately left through a gate with a hidden footpath sign onto a footpath that carries across four fields to meet another lane. In the last field head steeply downhill making your way through the bracken to the right of the gully. Go left along a sheep path to find the stile hidden in the undergrowth. Here turn left and follow the lane round to the right ignoring a bridleway.

Head up a steep hill, and ignoring a second bridleway, leave the lane on a track. You will come to a fork with a choice of two bridleways. Choose the right hand fork along the tarmac lane to Whitley Farm. Follow the bridleway through the farm and follow it as it bends left to run downhill to the stream which is to your right. At a junction of paths turn right to cross a stream and through a gate. Follow this bridleway as it turns into a track and passes through a wooded area. Ignore a path on the left and head uphill towards a farm building.

Continue to climb as the path turns left and heads through two fields with their boundaries to your right. At a crossroads of paths keep straight on to start out across Molland Common, an area popular with Exmoor Ponies. After ¾ of a mile you come to another crossroads of bridleways. Turn left here on the bridleway back towards Molland and head across the common gradually downhill along the side of the tautologically named Smallacombe Combe.

When the bridleway reaches a lane follow the lane to a sharp left hand bend where you should take the footpath on the right. Head to the southern corner of the field where it narrows and head downhill to the bridge over the stream. Climb diagonally to pass around another filed boundary and then across the hill to a lane. Go straight over the lane onto a footpath opposite and head back into Molland coming in through a cluster of houses.

 

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