New Viewing Platform Designs How to Catch a Crane Chick Breeding Bird
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
River Brue's Historic Bridges by David Jury
River Brue’s Historic Bridges By David Jury The River Brue’s Historic Bridges In his book "Bridges of Britain" Geoffrey Wright writes: "Most bridges are fascinating, many are beautiful, particularly those spanning rivers in naturally attractive settings. The graceful curves and rhythms of arches, the texture of stone, the cold hardness of iron, the stark simplicity of iron, form constant contrasts with the living fluidity of the water which flows beneath." I cannot add anything to that – it is exactly what I see and feel when walking the rivers of Somerset and discover such a bridge. From source to sea there are 58 bridges that span the River Brue, they range from the simple plank bridge to the enormity of the structures that carry the M5 Motorway. This article will look at the history behind some of those bridges. From the river’s source the first bridge of note is Church Bridge in South Brewham, with it’s downstream arch straddling the river between two buildings. Figure 1 - Church Bridge South Brewham The existing bridge is circa 18th century but there was a bridge recorded here in 1258. Reaching Bruton, we find Church Bridge described by John Leland in 1525 as the " Est Bridge of 3 Archys of Stone", so not dissimilar to what we have today, but in 1757 the bridge was much narrower “barely wide enough for a carriage” and was widened on the east side sometime in the early part of the 19th century. Figure 2 - Church Bridge Bruton Close by we find that wonderful medieval Bow Bridge or Packhorse Bridge constructed in the 15th century with its graceful slightly pointed chamfered arch. -
January 2020 Tour Report Somerset Levels in Winter with Mike Dilger
Tour Report UK – Somerset Levels in Winter 12-15 January 2020 Starling murmuration Shapwick Heath Marsh harrier Shoveler Compiled by Helen Bryon 01962 302086 [email protected] www.wildlifeworldwide.com Tour Leader: Mike Dilger with seven participants Day 1: Meet-up at the hotel & visit to Shapwick Heath NNR Sunday 12 January 2020 The group convened at 2pm in the Swan Hotel’s front reception area in the centre of Wells so that tour leader Mike Dilger (MD) could formally welcome everyone. After introducing himself, MD then gave a brief outline as to the locations the group would visit and the key species he hoped the group would encounter during the course of their stay. With a very mixed weather picture looking increasingly likely, MD also made it clear that the itinerary would have to be fairly flexible to mitigate for the impending arrival of Storm Brendan! Each group member then introduced themselves, highlighting both their level of birding experience and which species they most hoped to catch up with during their stay on the Levels. With the weather calm (possibly before the storm), MD suggested they seize the initiative and head straight out to catch up with the famous starling murmuration, a wildlife spectacle for which the Somerset Levels in winter have become justifiably famous. Assembling at the minibus the group then travelled across to the western end of Shapwick NNR to get in position for the evening’s entertainment. MD had caught up with the spectacle the previous evening, as the roost location can be quite mobile, so up-to-date information on where the starlings ‘are currently going down’ is vital to avoid any disappointment. -
Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) Management Plan
Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) Management Plan 2018 - 2023 Site Description 1: Description 1.1: Location Notes Location Shapwick Heath NNR lies 12 km from M5 Junction 23 between the villages of Westhay and Shapwick. Its central entrance lies on Shapwick Road, which intersects the site, approx. 7 km west of the town of Glastonbury. County Somerset District Sedgemoor and Mendip District Councils Local Planning Somerset County Council: Authority Sedgemoor District Council and Mendip District Council National Grid ST430403 Centre of site Reference See Appenix 1: Map 1 Avalon Marshes 1.2: Land Tenure Area Notes (ha) Total Area of NNR 530.40 Freehold 421.93 Declared an NNR in 1961 and acquired in stages: 1964/ 1984/ 1995 / 2006. Leasehold 108.47 Leased from Wessex Water plc S 35 Agreement S16 Agreement Other Agreements 137.81 A 10 year grazing licence with Mrs E R Whitcombe is in place until 30th April 2021. This includes use of farm buildings and infrastructure. This land is also subject to a Higher Level Stewardship agreement expiring on the same date. Legal rights of See Map 2 – Shapwick Heath NNR Landholdings access Access rights granted to Natural England by the Environment Agency Other rights, Natural England own access, mineral, sporting and covenants, etc. timber rights over all freehold land Notes Copies of leases and conveyances are held at 14-16 The Crescent Taunton TA1 4EB See Appendix 2: Map 2 Shapwick Heath NNR Landholdings 1.3: Site Status Designation Area Date Notes (ha) Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Special Designation: 1995 Part of the Somerset Levels & protection Area Moors SPA (SPA) Ramsar Designation: 1995 Part of the Somerset Levels & Moors Ramsar site NNR 452.4 Declarations: NNR and SSSI boundaries are No.1 1961 similar but not the same. -
TABLE 1: Highly Generalised Key Character Defining Features Of
TABLE 1: Highly generalised key character defining features of Rackham’s (1986) ‘ancient’ and ‘planned’ countryside (based on Rackham 1986 tabs 1.1 and 1.2, with additions in square brackets) ‘ancient’ countryside (South East and western England) ‘planned’ countryside (Midland England) modern historic modern historic isolated farms, hamlets [farmsteads, hamlets and villages [resulting from villages [resulting from and small towns small towns, derived the 9th-12th century the 9th-12th century from a long history of ‘replanning’] and isolated ‘replanning’] settlement growth and farms [which emerged contraction] after Parliamentary Enclosure as farmers moved closer to their now consolidated landholdings] [enclosed fields, mostly open fields either absent [enclosed fields, mostly strong tradition of open irregular in layout] or of modest extent and rectilinear/planned in fields lasting into the enclosed before c.1700 layout resulting from Enclosure Act period [though recent research, Parliamentary Enclosure] [18th-19th century] including the HLCs in Cornwall and Devon, are challenging this: see Part 3] hedges mainly mixed, not most hedges ancient hedges mainly hawthorn, [very few hedges in a straight and straight [having been landscape of open fields] planted following Parliamentary Enclosure, the plants coming from nurseries] roads many, and not [roads many, and not roads few, and straight [different network of straight straight] [resulting from roads to that created Parliamentary Enclosure] during Parliamentary Enclosure] many public footpaths [many footpaths/rights of few footpaths [different network of way] footpaths/rights of way to that created during Enclosure] many woods, often small many woods, often small woods absent, or few and woods absent, or few large and large TABLE 2: Schematic examples of historic landscape elements, parcels, components, types and areas. -
Homeway Farm, Meare Homeway Farm Westhay Road, Meare, Glastonbury, BA6 9TL Versatile Small Holding Nestled in the Somerset Countryside
Homeway Farm, Meare Homeway Farm Westhay Road, Meare, Glastonbury, BA6 9TL Versatile small holding nestled in the Somerset countryside. • Four bedroom modernised farmhouse with enclosed garden • Range of well equipped agricultural and equestrian buildings • Converted traditional stone barn with scope for development • Two timber clad chalet style static homes • All weather equestrian school • 15.75 acres of level grassland land with mature trees and hedgerows • Available as a whole • About 17.25 acres in total • EPC Rating - E Meare 1 mile, Glastonbury 4.5 miles, M5 (Junction 23) 11 miles, Taunton 22 miles, Bristol 26 miles Introduction Located in the beautiful Somerset countryside, Homeway Farm is a unique private farm, accessed via the B3151 from Glastonbury. A well apportioned four bedroom farmhouse is complimented by attractive pastureland and a range of buildings including a converted stone barn, workshop and livestock facilities. Planning consent has also been granted for two established chalet style static homes located within the farmstead, both of which are fully serviced. The farm has been used for a range of purposes and includes stabling for up to 14 horses along with general purpose storage, stock handling facilities and an outdoor school. Land for grazing and haymaking is provided by 15.75 acres of permanent pasture located within a ring fence of the farm. Situation Homeway Farm is situated approximately one mile west of Meare alongside the B3151, which leads to picturesque market town of Glastonbury located just over 4 miles away. Glastonbury offers extensive everyday amenities along with an iconic cultural identity. The A361/A39 is approximately two miles south of the farm and provides a link to the M5 motorway connecting to Taunton, Bristol and West Country. -
The Hydrological Studies for the Avalon Lakes Scheme
Jïwfriofogy of Natural and Manmade Lakes (Proceedings of the Vienna Symposium, August 1991). IAHS Publ. no. 206,1991. The hydrological studies for the Avalon Lakes scheme A. T. NEWMAN National Rivers Authority, Wessex Region, UK P. J. HAWKER Sir William Halcrow & Partners, UK S. M. POSTLE Global Atmosphere Division, Department of the Environment, UK ABSTRACT The Counties of Somerset and Avon in south-west England contain 635 km2 of land below the level of the highest tides in the adjacent Bristol Channel, but protected from them. Some 13 km2 of these wetlands are being excavated of peat for horticultural use. The residual depressions of the land are in coherent blocks of up to 3m deep, and close to a river system with available water resources for a pumped storage scheme. The Avalon Lakes project was perceived as an opportunity to harness these resources for public water supplies, by using a series of peat excavations surrounded by clay bunds. The bunds would be constructed specifically in order to transform the former peat workings into shallow lakes. Hydrological examination of the yield of such a scheme was complicated by a number of factors peculiar to the site. Principal amongst these was the nature of land management in the wetlands, which relies upon numerous river offtakes for distribution of water between the fields of the surrounding valley. Other factors were the water retention characteristics of the underlying clays, and the need for rigorous attention to environmental constraints which governed reservoir area and storage potential. Investigations of the feasibility of the scheme included pilot scale experiments using on-site lagoons to test both leakage rates and water quality. -
The Somerset Levels and Moors Are an Ancient and Wildlife-Rich World Just Waiting to Be Channels Were Cut to Speed the Water to the Sea
Left The ‘Willow Man’ sculpture by Serena de la Hey. At 40ft high, it is thought to be the world’s tallest willow sculpture. SUMMER Right Drainage channels, or ‘rhynes’, criss-cross the ancient watery landscape. Below Willows have been a characteristic feature of the Somerset Levels for around 6000 years, and MAN’S have been harvested for LAND their wood nearly as long. The Somerset Levels and Moors are an ancient and wildlife-rich world just waiting to be channels were cut to speed the water to the sea. In 1831 the first steam-powered explored. Alison Thomas and photographer Kim Sayer are our guides to this remarkable landscape. pumping station swung into action at Westonzoyland. When steam gave way ust outside Bridgwater, a giant hillocks dripping with legend and myth. took up residence, moving down to to diesel in the 1950s, the station fell J Willow Man strides forth beside the Curlews nest, herons fish for eels and the wetlands when the winter floods out of use and it is now a museum M5, inviting travellers to explore the otters hide away in the reedbeds. receded. This is the original Somerset, devoted to the way things were done secret world beyond his outstretched Willows have been a feature of from the Saxon Sumersaeta, meaning in days gone by. arms. Most people scurry on by, this water wonderland since the ‘summer man’s land’. Flooding remains a fact of life, unaware of his significance. Those first settlers moved in 6000 years Since Roman times successive however, and people still live on who know better are richly rewarded. -
The Somerset Levels - a Beginner Birdwatching Tour
The Somerset Levels - A Beginner Birdwatching Tour Naturetrek Tour Report 3 - 5 February 2014 Starlings by Ed Drewitt Group at Ham Wall by Ed Drewitt Ham Wall by Ed Drewitt Great Crested Grebe & Coot by Roger Hull Report compiled by Ed Drewitt Images by Roger Hull & Ed Drewitt Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report The Somerset Levels - A Beginner Birdwatching Tour Tour Leader: Ed Drewitt Charles Martin Participants Anne Vials Ivor Vials Christine Snelling Edward Snelling Lin Ewart Sue Bailey Carol Flemming Beth Yates Roger Hull Jenny Hull Francis Hewitt Brenda Hewitt Gillian McIntosh Pauline Lawrence Malcolm Watson Jane Watson Introduction After a month’s worth of rainfall and flooding on the Somerset Levels the group set out onto what the area is best known for (aside from the wildlife) – its wide open landscape and water! The Levels are renowned for their winter floods, though over the past hundred years or so farming and drainage has meant that water is generally kept off the land. Nature Reserves that join up across the Levels help maintain water levels and ensure that during the summer wading birds have moist habitats to nest. The abundance of water and mild temperatures meant that thousands of birds including various duck species and Lapwings were present – they often vacate the area and fly off to mainland Europe during very cold spells. While they were spread out across a wider expanse of wetlands, we still caught up with good numbers and had excellent views of Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, and Pintail. -
Land at Westhay Ii Near Glastonbury Somerset
LAND AT WESTHAY II NEAR GLASTONBURY SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION CA PROJECT: 1475 CA REPORT: 02141 Author: Kevin Colls Approved: Simon Cox Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: 6 JANUARY 2003 This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Cotswold Archaeology Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 3 The site ................................................................................................................ 3 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Archaeological objectives .................................................................................... 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 4 2. RESULTS (FIGS. 2 & 3)............................................................................................ -
142: Somerset Levels and Moors Area Profile: Supporting Documents
National Character 142: Somerset Levels and Moors Area profile: Supporting documents www.naturalengland.org.uk 1 National Character 142: Somerset Levels and Moors Area profile: Supporting documents Introduction National Character Areas map As part of Natural England’s responsibilities as set out in the Natural Environment White Paper1, Biodiversity 20202 and the European Landscape Convention3, we are revising profiles for England’s 159 National Character Areas (NCAs). These are areas that share similar landscape characteristics, and which follow natural lines in the landscape rather than administrative boundaries, making them a good decision-making framework for the natural environment. NCA profiles are guidance documents which can help communities to inform theirdecision-making about the places that they live in and care for. The informationthey contain will support the planning of conservation initiatives at a landscape scale, inform the delivery of Nature Improvement Areas and encourage broader partnership working through Local Nature Partnerships. The profiles will also help to inform choices about how land is managed and can change. Each profile includes a description of the natural and cultural features that shape our landscapes, how the landscape has changed over time, the current key drivers for ongoing change, and a broad analysis of each area’s characteristics and ecosystem services. Statements of Environmental Opportunity (SEOs) are suggested, which draw on this integrated information. The SEOs offer guidance on the critical issues, which could help to achieve sustainable growth and a more secure environmental future. 1 The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature, Defra NCA profiles are working documents which draw on current evidence and (2011; URL: www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm80/8082/8082.pdf) 2 knowledge. -
Avalonprints-Pdf Brochure Dec 2020
Val and Al We are photographers living in Glastonbury, Somerset. We both love the natural and historic beauty of Somerset especially the Somerset Levels. We’re very fortunate in having the Natural England reserve at Shapwick Heath and the RSPB nature reserve at Ham Wall right on our doorstep. Many of our images, in particular the spectacular starling murmurations, are taken at these beautiful locations. During their displays the starlings make amazing shapes, this fantastic aerial ballet has been described as natural bird art. All photos in this brochure are © avalonprints.uk.com ~~~~ If you are planning a visit to Somerset, why not come along and visit the Avalon Marshes Centre, Shapwick Road, Westhay, BA6 9TT. There we display a large selection of our work at Somerset Crafts which is situated on the Avalon Marshes Centre, website: http://somersetcrafts.com/ email: [email protected], phone: 01458 860426 Somerset Crafts is currently open 7 days a week, 11am to 4pm All our photos featured in this brochure are available to buy or order at Somerset Crafts, either mounted or framed. ~~~~ Also at the Avalon Marshes Centre you can partake of delicious hot and cold refreshments from Sally and her team at the Marshes Hub Tea Stop, with both indoor seating (inside Somerset Crafts) & outdoor seating. And then you could visit the beautiful local nature reserves of Shapwick Heath, Ham Wall or Westhay Moor. ~~~~ The images in this brochure are divided into sections each covering different themes A - Sunrises, Sunsets & Landscapes, B - Flood Landscapes , C - Somerset Starlings, D - Wildlife, E - Local Interest & Heritage, E5 F - Photographs taken in areas other than Somerset. -
Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Climate Change on the Brue Valley
Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Climate Change on the Brue Valley Final Report for Somerset Wildlife Trust and the Brue Valley Living Landscape Project RPA May 2011 Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Climate Change on the Brue Valley Final Report prepared for Somerset Wildlife Trust and the Brue Valley Living Landscape Project by Risk & Policy Analysts Limited, Farthing Green House, 1 Beccles Road, Loddon, Norfolk, NR14 6LT Tel: 01508 528465 Fax: 01508 520758 Email: [email protected] In association with Geckoella environmental consultants pvt ltd Suite 323, 7 Bridge Street, Taunton, TA1 1TD Tel: 0392 762334 Email: [email protected] Environment Systems Ltd 8G Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3AH Tel: 01970 626688 Email: [email protected] This report should be cited as: RPA, Geckoella and Environment Systems (2011): Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of Climate Change on the Brue Valley, report prepared for the Somerset Wildlife Trust Brue Valley Living Landscape Project, May 2011. RPA REPORT – ASSURED QUALITY Project: Ref/Title J716/Brue Valley Approach: In accordance with the Proposal Report Status: Final Report Report Prepared by: Teresa Fenn, Principal Consultant, RPA Rocio Salado, Senior Consultant, RPA Elizabeth Daly, Consultant, RPA Andy King, Co-director, Geckoella Kate Jeffreys, Co-director, Geckoella Steve Keyworth, Director, Environment Systems Eleanor Goupillon, Environment Systems Report approved for issue by: Meg Postle, Director, RPA Date: 13 May 2011 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction Climate change is one of the main challenges to be faced by policy makers and local stakeholders in the years to come. This study focuses on assessing how climate change and socio-economic factors may interact to impact land use, habitats and biodiversity in the Brue Valley.