The Chew Valley
The Chew Valley rises in the Mendips and flows into Chew Valley Lake, the largest lake in south-west England. After leaving the lake it flows into the River Avon at Keynsham.
An area full of myth and mystery, Chew Valley contains many hidden gems such as the stone circles at Stanton Drew, believed to be part of a Neolithic site of pagan worship contemporary with Stonehenge and Avebury. Many legends surround these three circles, including one which tells that the stones were a wedding party intent on dancing through a Saturday evening into the Sabbath. At midnight the piper refused to play on, but the celebrations were saved by a mysterious piper who arrived and offered to play. As the guests continued to dance the music grew faster and faster and the dancers were unable to stop, realising too late that the new piper was the devil himself! When the music stopped they were all turned to stone...
The gentle hills of the Chew Valley make for excellent walking countryside. Riverside walks, field walks, woodland walks and hill walks all feature in the huge number of footpaths which criss cross the area. Bath Tourist Information Centre stock a free leaflet on the 3 Peaks Circular Walk, a beautiful circular walk taking in the villages of Pensford, Clutton and Chew Magna.
Chew Valley Lake, which was built as a reservoir to supply the city of Bristol in 1956, provides a thriving leisure facility for sailors, fishermen, ornathologists and picknickers. A number of hides around the lake allow you to watch some of the 250 species of wildfowl who live on and around the lake, but to make the most of Chew Valley Lake go to the Visitor Centre at the northern end of the lake.
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