Sue GearingWalking

a right hand bend near the top, turn left onto the West Mendip Way and follow it along a track known as Scratchy Lane. At the end, at a T-junction with a track, turn left downhill. Soon follow it right and climb gently, coming alongside fields.

5. PLANTATION

Reach woodland on the right, part of Christon Plantation and drop down. There will be some bluebells here but they get better as you progress. Ignore a track going left and just bend right, going downhill over very bumpy terrain, still with Christon Plantation on your right. At a T-junction with a track and a field ahead, turn right with the field left and woods right. Begin a climb and carry on to another junction by cottages. There is a great view here across to Crook Peak. Turn right opposite the second cottage coming alongside the southern edge of the plantation. It’s a steady but not difficult climb now on a rocky path until you reach the top and a junction. Here, turn up left on the West Mendip Way. Leave the WMW as it goes left. Just keep straight on and arrive at a gate into a field on the top. Head across with fantastic views in all directions, particularly down the Mendip spine to Brean Down and Flat Holm and Steep Holm.

6. SHIPLATE SLAIT

On the far side of the field, head through a gate and follow the right fence on down in an area known as Shiplate Slait. The name comes from “Shiplade” meaning sheep path and “slait” which was a pasture and this area was described as “one of the finest sheep slaits in England” at the end of the 18th century.

Go through a gate, and continue down a path which leads to a Tarmac lane/drive.

6.75 miles, about 4 hours walking. OS Explorer 153 Weston-super-Mare & Bleadon Hill, grid ref: 340 568. Postcode BS24 0PG

Follow it on down and bend round getting amazing views over the vast cider apple orchards of Thatchers Cider based in Sandford a few miles away to the north east. On these slopes the Romans used to grow vines. The orchards here of over 100 acres were planted about nine years ago with the aid of a GPS. The variety of cider apple trees includes Dabinett, Harry Masters Jersey, 3 Counties, Redstreak, Angela and Lizzie.

At the foot reach the Bleadon-Loxton road.

7. FARM

Cross over and on the right of the farm entrance go through a pedestrian gate and left along the fence, down and round the corner. Then join a path which soon crosses a plank bridge and reaches a field. Follow the right edge of several fields, going through Bristol Gates. At the fifth gate where you have to go left or right, take the kissing gate on the right and bear diagonally up across the field to another gate. Join a path which goes along the side of the hill above the farm and takes you up into a field on South Hill. From here there are good views south and below you can see the River Axe. The river rises 20 miles away in Wookey Hole and before the construction of the sluice in 1802, the river was navigable for coal vessels and small craft as far as Cheddar. It also had important fisheries but these were ruined by poisoned water from the lead works at Charterhouse and chemical refuse from paper mills. Today, the cleaned-up river is once again favoured by anglers. The sluice has greatly minimised the risk of flooding.

8. SOUTH HILL

Bear left up to a kissing gate and carry on along the side of the hill. At a crossing track turn up right then head on across left aiming for the tower of Bleadon church below. A gate in the corner leads onto a path which drops down, with steps, through another gate and comes out by Bleadon Church. Retrace your earlier steps through the churchyard, past the cross and to Coronation Road. Turn left back to the car park, or for the Queens Arms, turn right and then go on up to the pub which is on the left at the start of Celtic Way.

West Countryman’s diary

IT’Sthe middle of seem, the temperature within the the 1960s. Geoff Haig was the sports April as I write this, encapsulating ice was just above freezing master and youth leader of the day who but cold and I still and sufficient to stop the damage. introduced the idea to some of us hopefuls light the fire every Two very large pumps would supply in 1966. Those early days of the award night. The ground hundreds of litres of water from a have changed, but the basics remain the needs to warm up reservoir, whilst a team of us would be on same. With LES DAVIES MBE before anything starts to grow in my vegetable patch, standby to carry out the work throughout the night. Once started it couldn’t stop until the sun brought a slow thaw the Fitness, some sort of public rescue and service training, an expedition together with a pursuits and project section made which is just as well because I haven’t following day. The blossom was thus up the four areas that were progressively started. My grandfather was often late saved by this unusual method. expanded from Bronze through to the getting his potatoes in, so he would end up The death of the Duke of Edinburgh has Gold Award. I still have my award record digging and planting at the same time. left the whole country in shock. The book and it contains the names and There is an art to this and that is Queen came to the throne in the year I was signatures of those who were so influential remembering where you put the last row born and as a “New Elizabethan” I grew in my teenage years. in. I tried it once and potatoes came up up in a world of hope after the post-war Amongst those names is Scanda everywhere! darkness. HRH was always there in Vaitalingam, the biology master from

The rest of the world continues to turn support of the Queen. It must be said that Clevedon School, who wrote of my as things move towards spring. My plum he made a huge difference to other Natural History project: “An interesting and pear blossom looks good in the people’s lives, especially those in their diary, quite well presented.” Perhaps these orchard, whilst the apples show promise. teenage years. words of conservative encouragement led There is however a long way to go before The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award gave so to West Countryman’s Diary? they are harvested. many the chance to achieve. Youngsters By 1967 I had successfully completed

Sue Gearing tells me that she is doing an didn’t have to be cut out for the world of the Bronze Award. It’s with the expedition apple blossom and bluebell walk in this academia to be successful. They had the for the Silver Award that my most lasting month’s Mendip Times. For me these are “D of E” award. Charterhouse Centre was recollection of the D of E remains. I two iconic floral tributes to spring. The linked with the award and during the completed this through the Army Cadet orchards will certainly look their best expedition season, Mendip would be full Force whilst at camp in Dorset during under a covering of blossom, but it’s also a of groups undergoing training. 1968. A small group of us carried out the very vulnerable time for the apple tree. Laden like pack animals with everything three nights covering 30 miles.

Frost at this time of the year can destroy they were going to need (and then some) It was on the final night that we set up the crop. One such story relates to the they would trudge the lanes and pathways. camp feeling somewhat exhausted and fell former Abbot of Glastonbury, St Dunstan. There always seemed to be a map case into a deep sleep. I awoke with a start, Dunstan is said to have made a pact with swinging around the neck and a tin cup looked at my watch showing 7.30 and the Devil to destroy the apple crop so that strapped onto the rucksack, as they roused everyone else. We broke camp and barley he was growing could secure a attempted to find the next check point. started off down the road to our pregood price for beer. The Devil kept his My involvement with the award began arranged pick-up point. I started to wonder part of the bargain and sent a frost to at Clevedon Secondary Modern School in why it was getting darker rather than destroy the blossom. lighter, when the officer who came to

I can’t find what Dunstan’s repayment check on us asked where we were going. was, but there are so many stories of him I explained we were off to the pick-up tangling with old Beelzebub that maybe be point, to which he replied that was not promised to leave him alone for a while! arranged until the following morning! Yes, Cider apples blossom a little later than we thought we had slept the whole night eating and cooking varieties and in doing through in just a few hours and were so miss many of the potentially damaging totally disorientated. The officer drove frosts. away laughing to relate the tale in the

However an air frost occasionally comes mess that night. We however found an down through the Vale of Avalon in the alternative camp thanks to a local farmer, middle of May, knocking out the blossom. whose generous wife cooked us all It’s still called a Dunstan Frost. breakfast the following morning.

When I worked at Long Ashton Finally, this month’s photo is of a young Research Station during the mid-1970s, Les Davies who woke everyone up that water was sprayed onto apple blossom to evening. This was taken just before I left protect it from frost. Some experimental for two weeks’ training in Germany, work was so vital that blossom had to be February 1969. My Silver standard badge protected and using water was a proven is just visible on the right sleeve. way of doing it. Strange though it may Whatever happened to that young man!