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4. MARINA This area has seen colossal change over the last few years from industrial to leisure and housing. The former deep-water dock, used to supply coal and goods to the power stations, also had an oil refinery and a large Albright and Wilson phosphorus works. It has been fully redeveloped into a modern marina with 250 pontoon berths, shops and restaurants, surrounded by a large housing development. Cross the marina by the dock gates and on the other side go left and continue along the estuary. Pass dramatic pillars and at a metal animal sculpture, turn left on a small path leading down to the open estuary edge and the salt marsh flanking Portbury Nature Reserve. 5. SALT MARSH Follow the bank, with reed beds down on your right, or walk along the flat. There should be plenty of room to find a dry route. This 150-acre wetland nature reserve between Portishead and Portbury is a great habitat for hawks, owls, water birds, warblers and many breeds of birds that arrive from near and far to nest here. This was known as Portbury Ashlands.
6. TOWER HIDE Reach a tower hide on the right and turn off the salt marsh and head down the hard track inland through the nature reserve. Or you may like to go on along the bank a bit further to see over right across the ponds in the reserve. The track is known as Water Vole Lane referring to the big programme of vole protection that has been carried out. Reach pylons with a large electricity compound up right and here turn left on the track which soon bends right. There is an information board about the project to bring power from the new Hinkley Point reactors across country through here, and
WALKING
OS Explorer Map 154, Bristol West & Portishead, grid ref: 46469 77163, postcode BS20 7JE. 5.4 miles, about 3 hours walking.
information about conservation projects. The black plastic fencing compounds you pass along here are part of a huge ecological survey to reduce destruction to wildlife through the Hinkley Connection Project. Pass ponds and another bird hide and go through a red metal kissing gate leading onto the end of Wharf Lane. 7. WHARF LANE There may be puddles here for a short distance. Continue on and at a small car parking area on the right, turn right on the marked track. This wends its way across open country. You will spot bird hides and owl nesting boxes high on posts. The reserve and hides cannot be accessed during Covid-19 restrictions. Eventually reach a gate at a junction with a hard track, going through a cycle friendly barrier. You are heading back towards Port Marine development.
8. BOARDWALK Go along a boardwalk by ponds and at a fork, stay to the right. Reach a pond with swans in Portishead Ecological Park. Shortly, as you approach the edge of the development up ahead, turn right up steps up the bank.
9. BANK Then turn right on the path along the top of the bank with houses of Port Marine on your left. Go through by posts and turn right on a Tarmac pedestrian footway. Soon you should have views over the reserve. The path curves left and reaches a residential road (Bunting Lane). For the next few minutes we will weave our way through the edge of the development. So, turn right on Bunting Lane (signed at the
end) and at a T junction turn right again. Cross a side road, Fieldfare Avenue, and keep straight on. At a junction with Wren Gardens go right and follow it round to the left. Then don’t bend left again. Keep on, by posts, to the perimeter path. Here turn left along the path and follow it all the way back to where you were earlier, staying over right. Go past the pillar sculptures and the metal animal by the path you took to the salt marsh. Eventually reach the marina again. 10. MOORINGS Cross once more near the dock gates and then turn left with the marina on your left passing the many yachts and craft moored here. l If the dock gates are open you may have to stay on this side of the marina and then bend round at the end up to No.11 “School”. Pass the end of the moored craft. And near the end of the marina where a marina wall juts out, pass a small compound for gigs on the right. Then turn right on a hard path passing a sign for Portishead Primary School.
11. SCHOOL Turn right again through the parking area and by the school building cross Station Road. Head uphill up Beech Road East. Stay on this after going over a crossing road, passing some of the Victorian houses in Portishead, very different from Port Marine. Cross another side road and keep on in Beach Road West. Then cross Battery Road and finally turn right down Rodmore Road to the Lake Grounds. l NB: There may be some closures of footpaths on March 4th/5th due to the Hinkley work.
MENDIP TIMES • MARCH 2021 • PAGE 43
