Many people choose to pop in their headphones and listen to music whilst they walk, but have you followed the route between Wells and Glastonbury which invites you to ring bells as you cover the miles? We pick up the melodic pilgrimage trail
Twenty-five years ago, two artists were commissioned to create a community sculpture project tracking the pilgrimage route between Wells and Glastonbury. The project was named ‘Syrens’ and features nine large carboniferous limestone waymarkers with bronze ‘bells’ inset. The eight-mile route can be walked or cycled and is completely stile free, and aside from the hike up to the Tor, is relatively flat and easy going as it courses across the Levels. Although a couple of the Syrens are currently undergoing a little in situ refurbishment, the work should be completed early in 2023.
Sculptor Barry Cooper and musician and artist Laurence Parnell collaborated on the project with walking and cycling charity, Sustrans. Together they wished to create a musical instrument which could be played whilst walkers or cyclists progressed through the miles across this part of our county. Inspiration for the bells was drawn in part by John Milton’s ode ‘At a solemn Musick’ from which the English composer Hubert Parry created ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’.
It is believed that Milton’s ode is a poem that describes nature intellectually as well as emotionally. Parnell says ‘Additional inspiration was drawn of course by the remarkable scissor arches in Wells Cathedral. The bells were then tuned individually according to a rather esoteric interpretation of their geographical positions!’ A lyrical stanza can be re-created by striking each bell with a stone as you pass by. It is, without doubt, the most fabulously rewarding walk - not only are you enveloped by the splendour of the Somerset Levels, you are also rewarded every mile or so with tangible access to incredible art. Ding ding!
A pilgrim walking
You can of course walk the route in either direction, but I have chosen to eco-hike the route by catching the bus to Wells. You begin at the Bishops Palace which, depending on your itinerary, makes for an ideal pre-hike coffee injection whilst also giving you time to admire the swans. Siobhan Goodwin, Community Engagement Manager at Bishops Palace enjoys telling visitors about the pilgrimage, ‘The first ‘Syren’ or ‘Sound Stone’ as they are also known, is located at the south west corner of the moat and has an image of Glastonbury Tor.
This is the first of the stones and it is directing people to the final destination. When they reach the foot of Glastonbury Tor, they will see the final Syren with three swans on it. This represents our swans on the moat here, which are famous for ringing a bell when they want to be fed.’
Art is life, and life is art
The route weaves out through the city following the National Cycle Network 3, a pathway which is certainly wide enough for both pedestrian and cycle usage. You’ll soon be picking up the old sunken track bed of the Strawberry Line and here, not only will you find Syren II, but you will also be able to admire public artworks by renowned artists Lucy Glendinning, Mark Merer and Aaron Davies. Syren II features a dragon based on a spiral motif and represents the victory of good over evil. Laurence Parnell also highlights that the dragon is used to symbolise the life force, the essence of nature or perhaps even the unconscious mind, ‘The dragon motif also came from carvings in the nearby church of St Michael in Dinder, sitting below Worminster Down. Worm is of course an old English word for a dragon!’
This walk is certainly one to be taken at a leisurely pace as you absorb the sculptures and decipher the imagery carved out on the stones. Kelly Knight, Principal Sustainable Travel & Tourism Officer at Mendip District Council is working hard to raise awareness of the pilgrimage route, ‘As part of our work to build the missing Mendip sections of The Strawberry Line, we want to show residents and visitors the beautiful routes we already have, the fantastic extra sections we have built, as well as the aspirations that we have for active travel in the Mendip district area in the future. The Syrens are a stunning asset to the Mendip section of National Cycle Route 3, and after 25 years the stones deserve a little TLC and subsequent promotion so that they can be shared with future walkers and cyclists.’ 
As you leave Dulcote behind you, the winding lane leads you towards Launcherley and before long the Tor will pop its head up and begin guiding you in. You’ll pass several stones depicting triple spirals, local willow and suggestions towards local landmarks – I will not spoil your pilgrimage by divulging all! As you continue on your way, cattle are grazing in the neighbouring fields and you will be able to spot Wells Cathedral to your right before dropping down to join the two-mile stretch along the aptly named, Long Drove.
I think this was in fact my favourite section of the walk, with my map packed away, for the path ahead is obvious, and one can simply just enjoy the peace of the Somerset Levels. It’s easy walking which gives you time to immerse yourself in your surroundings, the stationary rhynes flanking you either side, and the sky taking dominance over the landscape. I enjoyed watching the clouds as they altered the sunlight which played with the Tor in the middle-distance, a creative’s delight! At the end of the drove, Syren VII greets you with three fiery wheels carved into the calcium carbonate. Cooper and Parnell tell us that ‘the wheels represent the movement of time, the circle of life. In one tradition, fiery wheels like this are thrown into the sky to induce, by sympathetic magic, the appearance of the sun.’
The carving on Syren VII says we have 2¾ miles remaining on this pilgrimage until we reach the Tor. It certainly doesn’t look far away and you are, at this point, greeted by a sign welcoming you to the Ancient Isle of Avalon. You’ll be sweeping around the outskirts of the town before picking up a lane which in a short while leads you to a well-deserved pit-stop, Middlewick Farm Shop. The owner, Jill Barker regularly welcomes cyclists and walkers into her café for a warming hot chocolate, full English breakfast or their revered Somerset Rarebit. At this point in the pilgrimage, if you are on foot rather than two wheels, I would actually recommend picking up the footpath from the farm and cutting across the fields to the Tor. The lane, though relatively quiet, is rather winding and I found myself on high alert for traffic. You won’t miss any of the Syrens by taking this minor detour and you’ll hook back up with the official trail soon enough. Barry Cooper was so pleased to hear that the Syrens are being refurbished, ‘These Syrens represent part of the ancient pilgrimage journey from Inverness to Santiago. Together with Laurence we wanted to create a conceptual monumental sculpture signifying the link between Glastonbury and Wells. We are very excited to hear that this public art is now being rejuvenated - it’s a wonderful feeling!’ However many times I walk to the Tor I never seem to tire of its majesty and now that I know the Syrens are there to accompany one along the way, the journey seems all the more reverential.
Transport Links and walking notes
For those of you who wish to eco-hike, Wells and Glastonbury are both serviced by regular buses. A bus ride back from Glastonbury Town Hall to Wells Bus Station takes approximately 15 minutes.
The route follows the National Cycle Route 3 between Bishops Palace and Glastonbury Tor with an optional de-tour along the new section of the Dulcote Path (which in time will offer a new pathway all the way to Shepton.) There is also an alternative footpath from Middlewick Farm Shop to the Tor which avoids a winding road.
