Description
New Year: Walking in the Mendips and partying in Loxton
Grade 
Come and enjoy a refreshing Ads Ventures walking break in the Mendips over New Year, complete with a 7-course gala dinner with live music on New Year’s Eve at the Webbington Hotel and Spa.
3 or 4 Nights
29th or 30th Dec to 2nd Jan
Price: from
£565 or £665
SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS BELOW
What could be better to see in the New Year than a healthy walking break in the beautiful Mendips complete with an all singing, all dancing, 7-course gala dinner on New Year’s Eve?. Book yourself in for a 3- or 4- night break and come and enjoy some lovely walks in this delightful part of the country with time to take advantage of the hotel spa at the end of the day and start 2026 in the way you would like it to carry on!
Holiday highlights
- Discover the Mendips, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Stay in the comfortable Webbington Hotel and Spa and enjoy a 7-course gala dinner on New Year’s Eve with live music (and I’m very sure, a bit of dancing).
- Walk along the rim of Cheddar Gorge, one of the natural wonders of Britain, for far reaching views across Cheddar Reservoir, the Somerset Levels and the Quantock Hills.
- Use the complimentary leisure facilities at the end of our walks and relax in the pool, detox in the sumptuous steam room or even spoil yourself with an exotic beauty treatment.
Accommodation
Our home for this New Year break is the Webbington Hotel and Spa one of the most idyllic country hotels in Somerset. Originally an attractive Edwardian Manor, the house and grounds have been developed to create a peaceful and spacious hotel with extensive Leisure Club facilities including swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, steam room and treatment rooms. Use of these is complimentary during our stay.
All rooms are comfortable, are ensuite, and have tea and coffee making facilities.
Single supplements and upgrades
- 3-nights £100.
- 4-nights £130.
Included
- Half-board accommodation in comfortable en-suite rooms in Webbington Hotel and Spa.
- Breakfast each morning, and a three-course evening meal each evening, served in the hotel restaurant.
- 7-course gala dinner with live music on New Year’s Eve.
- Full day walks on December 30th (for the 4-night break) New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (with a slightly later start) with a qualified and professional leader.
Not included
- These can be ordered from the hotel or bought locally.
- Incidental expenses such as drinks.
- Transport to the walks. Two of these are a short drive away. On New Year’s Day we walk from the hotel.
Day-to-Day Itinerary
The following is the proposed itinerary for this short break. However, please bear in mind that in the event of local conditions changing, for example, due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, then it may be necessary to change the itinerary.
29th December: arrive at Webbington Hotel
For those on the 4-night break, arrive at Webbington Hotel and check into your room. Meet at 7pm for a short briefing about the week ahead before our three-course dinner is served in the hotel’s restaurant.
Meals included: Dinner
30th December: Dolebury Warren and Black Down
Our walk takes us to the highest point of the Mendips through lovely woodland and over the open heathland of National Trust area Dolebury Warren for superb views over the Mendips and across the Bristol Channel.
We drive approximately 20 minutes to the start of the walk at Burrington. We first walk through Mendip Lodge Wood and then onto Dolebury Warren climbing steadily to an Iron Age hillfort -one of the finest viewpoints in the area. We then follow the Mendip Trail to Beacon Batch (325 m) the highest point in the Mendips for a late lunch and a chance to take in spectacular panoramic views across the Mendips, the Somerset Levels and coast to the Quantocks and the hills of South Wales. From here we descend on the Limestone Way back to our vehicles.
Before dinner we welcome those arriving for the 3-night break.
13 km (8.5 miles) ascent/descent 420m
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
New Year’s Eve: Cheddar Gorge
Today we explore Cheddar Gorge, a 137 m deep, 1.5 kilometre long chasm in the Mendip Hills, one of the greatest natural wonders of Britain. We drive and park in Cheddar, approximately 20 minutes from the hotel, and then climb Tuttors Hill steadily to Ashridge Farm. Once we are high we stay high and pick up the West Mendip Way as it crosses fields and woodland before continuing through a steep sided dry limestone valley – a particularly attractive part of the walk. A brief climb takes us on to a path along the rim of Cheddar Gorge with views ahead across Cheddar Reservoir, the Somerset levels and Quantocks. We descend into the town of Cheddar which we will have time to explore before returning to the hotel.
You may want to relax in the spa for a while before getting ready for the highlight of our holiday, a 7-course gala dinner to see in 2026.
12 km (7.5 miles) ascent/descent 280 m
Meals included: breakfast and 7-course gala dinner
New Year’s Day: Crooks Peak
We will allow ourselves a later start for New Year’s Day and walk from the hotel. An ascent of Crooks Peak, the closest hill to the hotel should blow some cobwebs away. We stay high to take in Compton Hill and then descend gently over Wavering Down to the village of Cross. From here we follow the Cheddar Yeo river back to Webbington.
12 km (7.5 miles) ascent/descent 380 m
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
January 2nd: Farewells until next time!
After a good breakfast we say goodbye, until next time.
Meal included: Breakfast
Kit list
For walking each day:
- Good walking boots or shoes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Lightweight, quick drying trousers
- Base layer
- Mid-layer such as a fleece jacket and an additional ‘spare’ layer depending on the forecast
- Walking socks
- Warm hat and gloves
- Day sack (25 litre capacity is a good size) to comfortably carry your kit, lunch and water
- Dry bag or rucksack cover to keep the contents of your daypack dry
- Water bottle
- Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic etc)
- Some snacks to keep you going
- Walking/trekking poles (if you use them)
Maps
OS Explorer maps OL 141 Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills West, 153 Weston-Super-Mere and Bleadon Hill.
