The Cheddar Gorge Outing

 While visiting my sister in Bristol with my stepfather for Christmas, we decided to finally escape the endless eating - by me, mostly - and escape into the countryside, where while it was still raining heavily as it did all trip, we would have a change of scene from wet Bristol pavements. 

The beach not appealing on a day when the sea and the land were virtually the same thing, we headed inland for Cheddar Gorge, a famous natural formation to the south of the city comprising of a narrow road surrounded by towering crags and the site of the earliest complete human skeleton found in the UK.

Despite the appalling weather, it was amazing how many waterproofed figures were walking up and down the gorge. There were cyclists too, serious types of expensive road bikes grinding their way up the climb through the gorge as the rain hosed them down. 

Evidence of human activity was everywhere - rubbish and more disgustingly human waste at the various stopping points. My sister and stepfather collected a box of the the former and thankfully not the latter. 

It's really upsetting that supposedly outdoor loving types would do this. 

The gorge indeed is spectacular, looming cliffs of slate and limestone, where apparently peregrines and ravens fly, although they were too smart to be doing it on such a rotten day and were probably laughing at the brightly coloured humans scurrying about from their lofty eyries. 

The village is surface pretty, but as with so many similar places it's largely filled with tourist tat  - genuine cheddar cheese on sale, no doubt at about £5 per gram. We couldn't find a cafe open to shelter from the weather in as we trundled up and down the village. 

Still, it was a fun little jaunt, and I'd like to come again in warmer months when there might be some flora and fauna to see. I'd love to see a raven for the first time!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.01.23

Walking Long and Getting Fat

I spent Christmas away with my Stepfather at my sister's nice little house in Bristol, where I had a lovely time and ate a lot. Far too much in fact, despite trying to keep an eye on things and not go to the pub.

We just wanted to be happy together after the crappy few months we've had as family. And it worked.

In my defence, I did stay active, taking in long walks around Horsfield Common and right out to Westbury on Trim to climb the mud up to Blaise Castle while sweletering in a boil in the bag set of waterproofs as the rain hammered down.

I would have been drier if I'd walked around naked, until I got arrested at any rate.

Blaise Castle isn't a proper castle at all, but rather a mini french style chateau folly that was very popular back in the day for folk with more money than sense to plonk on their estates to say they were the big "I am". It does have an imposing setting however, and I'd quite like to live in it. There's a pub not too far away.

There was also Badock's Wood with its Bronze Age burial mound I've shown you before. Saw a lovely grey wagtail on the Trym in this little reserve. I also saw a jay, a bird I've not seen in a very long time, on the golf course.

The most stunning of our crows, but a very retiring bird.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 27.12.19

Zoo Trip Revisited

All my pictures recently are essentially grey green and brown, there is barely a scrap of colour to be seen anywhere, and I thought it was better to go back to a happier and more colourful time when my sister and I visited Bristol Zoo.

It was a beautiful warm April day, the zoo and the animals were lovely, and my sister and I ate burgers and had ice creams in the sun. The seals performed, the penguins swam and the big silverback gorilla sat with his back to everyone who wanted a picture like the big boss he was.

It was mum's funeral, or cremation rather, on Wednesday. It was at least a bright, but cold day, and it was well attended. It was very comforting that entirely accidentally the woman who gave the service was a very close school friend of mine I hadn't seen for nearly 30 years and knew my mother a little.

Now I see how to make positive things come from this awful time.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.11.19

Blaise Castle Walk

Last week I wrote of my walk to Canford Park and WEstbury on Trym from my sister's  house in Southmead in Bristol. Well, I didn't stop there.

I carried on walking, along a main road and a sharp did, and found myself on what I hoped would be a walk up to Blaise Castle, a feature I'd seen on a map but had no idea what was there.

As it turned out, it was a long, sticky walk along a path along the Hollow Beck, where children damned the stream and the occasional algae filled pond opened up beneath stone bridges.

The stream was at the bottom of a gorge, and high above rock walls stood vertical, lit by late afternoon sun. If there was a castle it was well hidden for sure.

I kept going, passing families out on bicycles and on foot; the path began to spiral.

I'd more or less given up finding anything when abruptly the route opened up onto an open field filled with people enjoying themselves, a cafe, playground and museum.

A crenellated tower was just visible above a stand of very tall trees, but when I tried to walk up to the castle I could find no route. Bugger that, I thought, and had a cup of tea amongst everyone enjoying the warm sun.

It isn't even a real castle - it's a folly!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.08.19

Barrows of the Dead in Bristol

I've just had a few days in Bristol with my sister, which was very nice even if the getting to and getting back were two similar, but totally different nightmares, with public transport. 16 plus hours travelling in total.

But, the company was worth it! My sister has a nice little house, two beautiful cats, and Bristol is a very green minded city where it is actually council policy to remove roses and such flowers from public parks and replace them with pollinator friendly species.

Two such parks / reserves were within decent walking distance of my sister's place. Badock's Wood, which I visited on Wednesday, is a nature reserve with an added extra - a bronze age burial tumulus, the sort of thing I've never been able to get close to before.

It's hardly Silbury Hill, but the fact that there is a 3500 year old tomb in suburban Bristol is quite mindblowing to me! There's a short horror film begging to me made about this I reckon, and I might well write it.

Thursday I took myself on a much longer walk to Westbury on Trym, there to visit  Canford Park, a Victorian era public space with an antique water fountain, a pond that looks like it's empty but put bread in and goldfish go on the rampage. Here were also dragonflies and butterflies on those pollinator friendly plants, but I didn't stop here, I went further...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.08.19