Somerset: The Best of the Quantock Hills in Spring (Day Trip)

Summary

The Quantock Hills, running between Taunton and the Bristol Channel in Somerset, were England’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956. They consist of heathland, ancient oak woodland, rough grassland and deep, wooded valleys known as “combes”. On this day trip, we will explore these varied habitats, enjoying their birds, butterflies, other insects and plant life.

We will begin our day with an exploration of Hodder’s Combe, a classic example of Britain’s rare temperate rainforest habitat, where high humidity, regular rainfall and mild temperatures provide the ideal conditions to allow this unique ecosystem to develop. It supports an exceptional abundance of moisture-loving plants such as ferns, mosses and lichens, which often cloak the trees and forest floor, creating a lush, green landscape. Here, we will hope to find Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Redstart and Cuckoo, among other birds and insects. 

After enjoying a packed lunch, we will spend the afternoon walking up the hillside of Longstone Hill for impressive 360-degree views across the Quantock Hills and the coastline along Bridgwater Bay. Here, walking above the tree line to Longstone Hill, we will find hilltops characterised by open, treeless heathland, comprising ling heather, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, whortleberry (bilberry), western gorse and bracken. This habitat supports species such as Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Stonechat, along with other common warblers, plus various insects that are active in warm conditions, including Green Hairstreak, Small Heath, Ashy Mining Bee and Green Tiger Beetle.

The Quantock Hills also offer scenic beauty and upland wildlife, as well as interesting geology. The day will involve moderate walking, covering around 7 km, including some uphill sections between approximately 120 m and 350 m in elevation along hiking paths. There is no driving between sites during the day.

Highlights