Drystone walls near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset.

Driving or walking across the Mendip Hills in Somerset you cannot fail to notice mile upon mile of drystone walls.  The sight of them always makes me wonder when they were built, how long it took to build them, who built them, and who paid for their construction.

Apparently there are around 250 miles of such walls in the Mendip Hills AONB with 60 per cent of them in an advanced state of decay or derelict.  However, all is not lost as it seems dedicated teams of volunteers are undertaking the task of repair and reconstruction - after suitable instruction.*

I took these photos at Deer Leap on a lovely day in May back in 2011.

Looking west from near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset. Photo taken in May 2011.

A stretch of drystone wall near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset.

The view south from Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset photographed on a May day in 2011. 

*
https://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/2019/06/12/the-walls-of-mendip-look-set-for-a-brighter-future-thanks-to-volunteer-training/

Apple blossom in a South Somerset garden on St.George's Day.

Apple blossom in a South Somerset garden. 

St. George's Day finds England in lockdown - an unfortunate time to launch an English nationalist newspaper!

Robin Tilbrook and his English Democrats Party have had the misfortune of choosing this year’s St. George’s Day for the launch of their new English nationalist newspaper The English Patriot.  It appears they had hoped to distribute 50,000 copies at St. George’s Day parades across England.  I don’t think they will find many potential readers today!

Nevertheless, I am sure they will persevere in their endeavours to promote and advance the cause of English nationhood.  Robin Tilbrook and his followers intend that their publication “spreads not just the censored news they try to keep from you, but also our answers.”  It will be interesting to see if their newspaper succeeds in the long term despite the present unfavourable economic and social circumstances.

Black-tailed godwits on the River Axe in the neighbouring county of Devonshire.

More from the archives, this time some photos from an afternoon visit to Axmouth in the neighbouring county of Devonshire.  They were taken in October 2013 from the picnic area on the bank of the River Axe just as you exit the village of Axmouth and head toward Seaton. 

The Axe rises on the outskirts of Beaminster and meanders for 22 miles through the counties of Dorsetshire, Somerset and Devonshire to where it joins the English Channel at Axmouth Harbour.  It was low tide when I took photos of some black-tailed godwits which appeared to be feeding as they moved in a group along the mudflats.

The River Axe at low tide. Viewed from Axmouth in October 2013.

Black-tailed godwits on the mudflats of the River Axe at Axmouth in Devonshire. Photo taken 10th October 2013.

I am no expert on bird recognition, so they might well have been bar-tailed godwits!

A view of the Somerset Coast on the Severn Estuary from Poets Walk at Wain's Hill, Clevedon.

Another view from the archives, this time of the Somerset Coast of the Severn Estuary  taken from Poets Walk on Wain’s Hill in Clevedon.  Looking south west along the coast Middle Hope and Sand Point are visible with Steep Holm in sight out in the Bristol Channel.

On the top of Wain’s Hill, just above the position where I took the photos, is a Second World War pill-box/bunker which was ideally placed to observe the comings and goings in the Severn Estuary.

Just to the south of the hill are the mud flats where the two rivers known as the Blind Yeo and the Land Yeo flow into the estuary.  The photos were taken on the 22 September 2011 as the horizon was becoming a little hazy.

The view to the south west along the Somerset Coast from Wain's Hill, Clevedon.  Steep Holm is just visible in the haze.  Middle Hope and Sand Point are in the middle of the horizon.

The view from Poets Walk, Wain's Hill on the Somerset Coast at Clevedon.  The Blind Yeo and the Land Yeo join the Severn Estuary at this point.

Severn Estuary mud!

Views from Felton Common near Bristol Airport in North Somerset.

For obvious reasons I cannot get out and about at the moment, so I have delved into my archives and found some photos taken in 2012 on Felton Common, east of Bristol Airport, in North Somerset.  I often drove out from South Bristol to take my dog Rosie for walks on the common, savour the fresh air, enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside, and do a little plane spotting.

Bluebells and hawthorn in flower on Felton Common in North Somerset. Photo taken May 2012.

Looking east from Felton Common in North Somerset.  Dundry Hill is top left.  Photo taken in May 2012.

Ryanair Boeing 737-800 EI-EFZ coming in over Felton Common to land at Bristol Airport in North Somerset on 29 May 2012.  Note the buzzard circling above!