A walk in Carrs Woodland

Carrs Woodland is a wooded nature reserve in Twerton, with a footpath that provides an attractive walk lasting about 45 minutes. The walk is particularly enjoyable in the Autumn, when the leaves on the many beech trees turn golden brown.

   

You can begin the walk by turning into Woodhouse Road and following the road as it bends around to the left. The place names here all have historical meanings. Carr House is named after the influential Carr family, who owned Twerton Woollen Factories and Pennyquick Colliery in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries. Brunel House is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel who built the railway through Twerton in 1840. Rodney House is named after the Rodney family who owned parts of Twerton in medieval times. And Woodhouse Road itself is named after Wood House, one of the Carr family homes which once stood where the bungalows are now. Go through the slipway by Rodney House that is shown in the above right-hand photo.

   

As soon as you have passed through the slipway, turn right so that you are behind the bungalows. Follow the perimeter of the wood to the right and you will see the remains of the stone steps (shown above) which once led from the garden at Wood House into the wood. A few yards further on lies the opening to the footpath which will take you through the wood.

   

The footpath was originally a metalled track laid down in the 1830s by Wilkins - the mill owner who preceded the Carrs. It will take you to a wooden style leading into a field. As you walk through the field, you will see on your right some of the neo-gothic railway tunnel built by Brunel.

   

On the right-hand 'tower' there is some very old graffiti, including that left by the individual who signed himself as WV 1841 - only a year after the railway was completed at Twerton.

   

Continuing along the footpath you will pass more beech trees which were planted mostly in the 1850s. When you see it, take the left-hand path with the wooden rail shown above. This will bring you into Pennyquick View.

   

Follow Pennyquick View towards the playing field (this was once the site of the great heaps of spoil from the Pennyquick Colliery). Then turn left towards Newton Road, so-called because it is the road leading to the village of Newton St Loe. Turn left at Newton Road, past St Michael's Junior School, and back to Woodhouse Road.

You can download a leaflet about Carrs Woodland here: Carrs Woodland leaflet.