쉬운 스톡랜드 주변 하이킹 및 워킹 코스

It's a bridge over troubled waters

Beautiful river and a bench

Foodie and environmentalist Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's town centre restaurant, the River Cottage Kitchen takes its name from his home, just a few miles away at River Cottage HQ. Currently open Wednesday to Saturday during the day, see website for more details. https://www.rivercottage.net/restaurants/axminster

This sprawling farm sits on the Channel to Channel footpath and occupies a rather pretty position on the edge of the Yarty Valley. Several footpaths intersect here and you can hike east up to Membury village or west, down to the river itself.

A wonderful packhorse bridge, Beckford Bridge spans the River Yarty in the Blackdown Hills AONB to the north west of Axminster. Made from local rubble stone, this Grade II-listed span is in remarkably good condition, thanks to a modern bridge taking traffic. You can walk over the old bridge although it's best admired from the new one.

Reputed to be the best chippy around (even better than some coastal options), the Lemon Plaice is a great fish and chip takeaway in the centre of Axminster. We enjoyed some very crispy battered fish and took it a short walk to the churchyard grass to enjoy in the late evening sunshine.

The bridge is currently under reconstruction, although you can still take the gorgeous old packhorse bridge by bike or foot.

Axminster has a long history dating back to the Neolithic periods and in more recent times was an important market town. The town has a carpet-making history that goes back hundreds of years and the Heritage Centre is the perfect place to learn about its remarkable past. With interactive exhibitions, this is a great place to bring the kids too.