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Home , Dolebury Warren, Mendip Hills

Music on Mendip “a unique musical experience”

1 Introduction

Churchill Community School music students, working with renowned sound artist Duncan Speakman, have composed a series of musical pieces inspired by a Mendip landscape – – a high hilltop hosting an fort with spectacular views to the Channel.

Duncan Speakman has also composed his own music for this landscape.

You can listen to the the students’ and Duncan’s music while exploring Dolebury Warren. Follow the links on the following pages to get free music downloads for your mp3 player. And find out about the groundbreaking GPS experience.

Contents 1 Music on Mendip - ‘a unique musical experience’ 2 Introduction 3 The project, music while you walk and how to get there 4 Dolebury Warren - Map 1 5 Dolebury Warren - Map 2 6 Who helped it happen? 7 Music on Mendip - images of the project 8 Music on Mendip - images of Dolebury Warren 9 Dolebury history and wildlife 10 More to see and do in the 11 Local Journeys 12 Thank you

Originated and coordinated by

Supported by

2 MUSIC while you WALK in the beautiful MENDIP hills

Music on Mendip Music while you walk How to get there The project You can download mp3 files of both Dolebury Warren has a small car Churchill Community School has Duncan Speakman’s music and the park and can be accessed from the a reputation for excellence in music. pieces composed by the students – A38 (see map below) Both teaching staff and students follow the link at the bottom of the were enthusiastic about finding page. So you can listen to the music Bristol inspiration for music in their local as you explore Dolebury Warren on M5 landscape – the Mendip Hills are your iPod or any other mp3 player. Churchill Maps are on the following pages. Weston Community A38 right on their doorstep. - Super A371 20 School - Churchill Mare A368 “Great to hear young A371 A368

Car Dolebury Park people making music A38 Warren like this, really inspiring.” Dolebury Warren can be accessed by Duncan Speakman is a Bristol bus from Bristol and Weston-super- Mare Wessex Connect service 121 based sound artist and composer In the next few months you will also with an international reputation be able to download a version of the Coordinates are: for innovative work using location students’ work that you will be able ST 446 588 aware technology. to play on the new generation of 51o 19’ 37.00, -2o 47’ 29.00 location aware mobile phones.

“A marvellous The students have chosen specific joining of landscape, locations to inspire their music. Download Now invention and Using the new GPS-based technology you will be able to walk For more details about the project music.” across Dolebury Warren and hear please go to: the music, and hear it change as The Music on Mendip project you pass through each of these www.localjourneys.org.uk/mom brings you the creative results of locations. a collaboration between Duncan Speakman and over 40 14 &15 year • New music inspired by the old GCSE students, and their tutors. Mendip landscape This is new music inspired by • Free downloads Dolebury Warren, one of the most • Listen while you walk evocative sites on the Mendips.

3 Map 1: Student music locations

Start 1. Angus Macleod 2. Georgia Gammon Beth Galloway 1 Harry Millard 3. Luke Graham 2 17 4 April Kirby 5 4. Holly Greenwood-Rogers 3 5. David Elliott 6 7 6. Jo Innes 7. Luke Smith 8 9 13 Niall Massey 8. Patrick Hegarty 10 11 12 9. Suzy Allen 10. Aimee Ractliffe 11. Suzie Uddin Nuala Harding Breze Harding Dylan Mallett Ellie Rylands 12. Luke Dyer-Mills 14 15 Ben Smart 13. Oliver Glaisyer 14. Bronwyn Grey 16 Tom Bryant 15. Richard Owen Samara Knight 16. Rosie Barcham Aliyah Rendall Sam Harding Tamara Lewis 17. Natalie Hunter

Background Map ©

4 Download now at: www.localjourneys.org.uk/mom Map 2: Duncan Speakman’s music journey

Start

5 Download now at: www.localjourneys.org.uk/mom The project was also supported by the Pervasive Media Studio, which Mendip Hills Area of is part of the Watershed Media Outstanding Natural Centre in Bristol, who gave advice and lent equipment. Beauty (AONB) Naturally beautiful and nationally “I thought that protected the Mendip Hills AONB was designated in 1972 and covers this was a great 198sq km from in the west to in the east, project for inspiring taking in the reservoirs of and . creativity. There The Mendip Hills are a distinctive Who helped it happen? were some lovely feature in the landscape rising from surrounding the flat The project has been financially pieces.” wetlands. The limestone ridge is supported by Find Your Talent – a one of Englands most attractive scheme run by landscapes – the windswept Council to encourage creativity Dolebury Warren is owned by the plateau punctuated by spectacular dry valleys and gorges, ancient and cultural activity in schools and National Trust but managed and sink holes and depressions, and amongst young people. It was also maintained by Avon Wildlife Trust. Both organisations have welcomed impressive rocky outcrops. On supported by Mendip Hills AONB the hilltops there are hundreds Sustainable Development Fund, and encouraged the Music on Mendip project – providing staff- of ancient monuments yielding which seeks to create stronger evocative tales of ancient peoples, support, background information ties between the landscape and while on the steeper slopes flower and other resources. the community as well as new rich grasslands and wooded sustainable ways of enjoying the combes offer habitats of a wide Mendip Hills landscape. Churchill School variety.

Churchill Community School is a Hidden beneath the hills is the “Great – fantastic specialist school for the performing underground world of the experience. Thanks.” arts. The school aims for excellence landscape, including many famous in all its endeavours and is ambitious Mendip caves, adds to the unique character of the area. for the achievements of all its The project was originated and students. coordinated by Local Journeys, a The AONB Partnership, that includes community interest company. Local the National Trust and Avon Wildlife Journeys seeks to create new ways Trust, seeks to retain the unique for people to understand, appreciate character and special qualities of and enjoy their local landscapes in the area whilst recognising that it the West of . is a place for people to live in, work and visit.

6 7 8 “Thoroughly enjoyable and back to nature at end of a busy day – thank you for a great experience.”

Dolebury history and and fur. The masonry of the artificial The open hilltop is surrounded by burrows and the house of the thick woodland so this is a haven wildlife ‘Warrener’ can still be seen. for a wide diversity of wildlife. In summer you may hear a cuckoo Dolebury Warren is a part of the Wildlife and management sounding from the woods or Mendip Hills, whose rocks were In summer it is easy to see the wide even a nightingale singing on a laid down or created in ancient variety of flowering plants that warm evening. At twilight Lesser environments over the past 350 flourish in the limestone soils of horseshoe, Whiskered and Natterer million years – these include arid the hilltop – Spotted orchid, Kidney bats flutter silently over the deserts, swamps and shallow vetch, Yellow rattle and Bird’s foot grassland and along the woodland tropical seas teaming with early life. trefoil can all be found here. But edges to feed on insects. Larger The principal rocks created were beside the ‘lime-loving’ plants there mammals seen here include hares, sandstones and – where are also ‘acid-loving plants’ such as Red deer, foxes and badgers. these rocks come to the surface Bell heather. This is because there and form soils, those soils favour are patches of acidic sandy soil on In autumn Spindle trees display very different colonies of plants and the hilltop, created by sand that their exotic pink casings and orange animals. was blown onto the hilltop by wind seeds. But even on the bleakest during the last Ice Age, over 10,000 winter day you are likely to see History years ago. a buzzard soaring high over the Dolebury Warren is a limestone Mendip slopes looking for a meal. hilltop with extensive views across The hilltop is also very rich in insect Dolebury Warren has many moods the North to the life, there are hundreds of anthills, and is worth a visit at any time of . This splendid the grass is alive with grasshoppers year. site was recognised as a place of and 70% of all British butterfly strategic importance by Celtic Iron species are to be found here. Dozens Age people who lived in the area of Cinnabar moths, with their “Really fantastic around 2000 years ago. You can still magenta and black wings, can easily find the banks of the great be seen in early summer feeding on evocative they built here. clover and Yellow rattle. experience. Well The banks were built from limestone But this rich flora has been hewn from the hillside. The stone maintained over the centuries by worth every penny rubble can be seen exposed in grazing, principally by sheep and spent for both the several places. The bank would have rabbits, which nibble away at the been surmounted by a wooden first shoots of other taller plants children involved stockade behind which would have such as trees, bushes and been roundhouses and stockades that would grow up and shade out and the wider for livestock. the grass and the myriads of flowers. But since the myxomatosis disease community…” Eventually the hillfort was was introduced in the 1950s the abandoned. The name Warren rabbit population has decreased Dolebury Warren is owned by the derives from the fact that in and it has been necessary to clear National Trust but managed and medieval times – 500 to 600 years areas of invading scrub by hand – maintained as a nature reserve by ago – the hilltop was used for even though sheep and cattle are the Avon Wildlife Trust. rearing rabbits as a source of food also brought in to graze the site regularly. 9 More to SEE and DO in the beautiful MENDIP hills

More to see and do in the Mendip Hills “Absolutely lovely – the music, We hope you’ve enjoyed Music on Mendip and visiting Dolebury organisation and Warren – but there is far more to enjoy in the Mendip Hills Area of setting.” Outstanding Natural Beauty.

There are other high hilltops with distant views but there are also deep gorges, woods and lakeside walks. And at the borders of the Mendip area there are fascinating towns such as Wells and .

This varied landscape offers both gentle and more rigorous walking, as well as a range of other outdoor pursuits. You could try horse riding or mountain biking, even climbing or . Beginners can sample these activities guided by experienced and qualified trainers.

To find out more about the area, a range of walks and the other activities available go to these websites – www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk www.activemendipvenues.co.uk

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community interest company chairperson - Peter Milner 17 Church Path Road Pill, North Somerset BS20 0EE

tel: 01275 374904 email: [email protected]

Local Journeys knowledge or skills including wildlife experts, visual artists, Local Journeys is a community geologists, musicians, historians, interest company which seeks to gardeners, farmers, writers, teachers find new ways for people to enjoy, etc. appreciate and understand their local landscapes. You can also share your favourite place or walk with others on the Local Journeys website

www.localjourneys.org.uk

community interest company Follow Local Journeys on Twitter chairperson - Peter Milner Local17 ChurchJourneys Path Road works with groups of peoplePill, North ofSomerset all ages as well as peopleBS20 0EEwho have local or specialist tel: 01275 374904 email: [email protected] www.localjourneys.org.uk EXPLORE & CELEBRATE

Thanks to Anya Stewart-Maggs, a year 12 student at Churchill Community School for creating artwork for the Music on Mendip project.

Photos by Jim Hardcastle, Liz Milner, Peter Milner and courtesy of Mendip AONB Project management and coordination Peter Milner & Fiona Matthews Publicity Jim Hardcastle Viper Communications Graphic design Gary Bristow

www.localjourneys.org.uk EXPLORE & CELEBRATE

11 Thank you

Churchill Community School

Duncan Speakman

Find Your Talent

Mendip Hills AONB Sustainability Fund

North Somerset Council

National Trust

Avon Wildlife Trust

Pervasive Media Studio

Watershed Media Centre

Originated and coordinated by

Supported by

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