My Newt Buttress

My Newt Buttress sits on the edge of the Mendips, a proper vantage point that catches you off guard if you're not expecting it. The rock outcrop offers views across Somerset's valleys - on a clear day you can see for miles, which makes the short walk up entirely worthwhile. It's the kind of spot where the landscape just falls away beneath you, and you understand why people have been drawn to high ground here for centuries.

This is a walker's stop rather than a destination in itself. Most people spend thirty minutes here, maybe an hour if you're the type to sit and stare. The approach is straightforward enough, though the final bit to the buttress itself can be a bit slippery after rain. There's no café, no visitor centre, no facilities - just the view and the moorland. That's rather the appeal, to be honest.

It works brilliantly as part of a wider Mendips ramble, especially if you're based at one of the local campsites like Mendip Basecamp or The Batch, both within five kilometres. Bristol's close enough for a day trip if you're staying further afield. History types will appreciate that you're standing on ancient high ground; walkers will love that it's accessible without being a major expedition. Kids might get restless if you linger too long, but the scramble up appeals to the under-twelves.

Free to visit, obviously - it's moorland. Go when the light's good and the cloud is low enough to be interesting but high enough to see through it.