CENTRAL MENDIP
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MAP REFERENCES
O.S. Landranger 182 Weston-super-Mare & Bridgwater area
O.S. Explorer 4 Mendip Hills West
O.S. Pathfinder 1198 ST45/55 Cheddar
O.S. Pathfinder 1218 ST44/54 Wells & Wedmore
INTRODUCTION
The area that I am going to refer to as Central Mendip has the A39 at Green Ore at its eastern boundary and the A38 at Shute Shelve at its western boundary. Visitors to the area will no doubt have heard of Cheddar Gorge, a site that has been a 'honey-pot' site for botanists since Victorian times. Indeed, some may even have heard of Burrington Combe, famed as the place that Blagdon's Rev. Toplady penned 'Rock of Ages', while sheltering from a storm.It is part of one of England's designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is limestone upland rising to just over 300metres with thin soiled calcareous grassland on the southern slopes and extensive ash and oak woodland on the northern slopes. Much of the southern scarp has been brought into conservation control and includes many SSSI's forming a valuable wildlife corridor. The highest point, Beacon Batch on Black Down, is quite different in character being capped with sandstone and, therefore, giving rise to an area of extensive heath.On a clear day, looking west across the Bristol Channel you can see the Black Mountains of Wales and on turning south the purple massive of Exmoor rising from the levels across Bridgwater Bay. To the east the 'White Horse' chalk downs of Wiltshire gleam in the sun and finally the Cotswold escarpment angles away to the north beside the Severn. The Central Mendip plateau is a landscape greatly modified by man, from the dry stone walls erected in response to the 'Enclosures Act' to the more recent large-scale quarrying and coniferous plantations. However, don't let this put you off, even these changes have brought some benefit to the diversity of bird life to be experienced. So, aside from its aesthetic appeal, Central Mendip has quite a lot to offer the visiting birder - especially when combined with a visit to the Bristol Reservoirs nearby.
ACCESS
The two trunk roads that bound the area have already been identified and these are linked on the north side of the hills by the A368 and by the A371 to the south. There are a number of roads that cross the Mendip plateau that can be accessed from Green Ore in the east, Burrington Combe to the north and Cheddar to the south. It is fun to explore the minor roads but surprisingly easy to lose your bearings! A warning though; if you leave your car to go birding on foot, don't leave valuables on show, preferably don't leave valuables in the car at all. The area is still close enough to Bristol to suffer youths roaming the car parks and breaking into cars to feed their drug habit.
SPECIES TO BE SEEN
As you'd expect on limestone, there is not much water to be found on Mendip save for the few dew ponds built to provide for grazing animals and remnant ponds associated with lead mining at Priddy and Charterhouse. So, water birds are not among the target species as a rule. Reasonable numbers of raptors are present hereabouts, including sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel, peregrine and the occasional passage hen harrier and merlin. Pheasant is the main game bird, though some partridge are released and quail occur around Priddy and Tyning's Farm in good years. As with waterfowl, there is little habitat suitable to attract passage waders, and it is likely that lapwing have ceased to breed in the area. Lapwing and golden plover visit King Down Farm, Yoxter during November and into December unless driven off the top by hard weather. Snipe, jack snipe and woodcock are found in suitable places on the hills during the winter, but again don't, as a rule, stay to breed.Gull flocks work the fields of the plateau during the short autumn and winter days before moving to Cheddar Reservoir or Chew Valley Lake to roost in the evenings. It is always worth checking through them for rarities. Doves and pigeons are present but the increasingly rare turtle dove is only likely to be seen on passage these days - if you're lucky! Owls are well represented with all except short-eared breeding. Nightjar has started to breed in suitable habitat in increasing numbers during the last decade. Wryneck is occasional on passage and woodpeckers are frequent - with the exception of lesser-spotted that appears to have all but disappeared.Tree and meadow pipits are both easy enough to find in the summer on Black Down and grey wagtail can be found along the streams on the south side of the hill. Meadow Pipit © Nigel Milbourne 2004 The only place I know for dipper is the stream running beside Wookey Hole Caves car park. One of the specialities of Velvet Bottom at Charterhouse is the small population of redstart, though they are thinly spread across the rest of Mendip and Nether Wood is worthy of an early morning visit when the spotted flycatchers have arrived. However, if it is a dawn chorus that you'd like, get up bright and early and visit Ebbor Gorge NNR for a truly memorable experience.Stonechats are still local breeders, but whinchat and wheatear are far less common, except on passage. Thrushes are well represented especially in the winter when fieldfare and redwing boost numbers out in the fields, but ring ouzel only occurs during passage. Grasshopper warbler numbers vary from year to year, but may usually be heard somewhere on the hill on summer evenings. Dartford warbler colonised Mendip in the mid-nineties and reed warbler breeds around Priddy Pools at some 300metres above sea level, among the highest in the land.There are many passerine species to be seen in the area including most of those associated with upland and woodland habitats, but don't expect to find tree sparrow, pied flycatcher or willow tit. Siskin, crossbill and brambling occur in the woods and fields in irruption years. Yellowhammer hangs on as a breeding bird around Cheddar, where it wasn't so long ago that cirl bunting sang too. If you visit Black Down don't be surprised to find reed bunting in the heather and gorse - a surprise to many a visitor!
TIMING
The area is worthy of a visit at any time of year, though summer is always likely to be more comfortable on the hilltop than mid-winter when it can get a bit raw as the wind whips in off the Bristol Channel. My favourite time to visit is early on a spring morning when migrants are passing through and local breeding birds are singing and displaying. Likewise, a stroll at dusk in early summer is also a lovely time to listen to the songsters gradually go silent one by one, and to be able to quietly reflect on the events of the day.
OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST
The Mendip Hills has much of interest to offer all naturalists, caver's, archaeologists and those who like to be outdoors. Caving is centred on Priddy and Cheddar and the landscape features dating from Bronze Age round barrows to Victorian lead-mining are worthy of exploration. If you plan a visit to the area, by all means contact me by email for information, or, visit the Mendip Wardens Office at Charterhouse (ST502557) where you are guaranteed a warm welcome from Les Davis, Tina Bath or one of the many volunteer wardens. The staff runs a wide and varied programme of events all over the Mendip Hills. If you do visit, take home only memories and remember, be prepared for all eventualities, the weather can change in an instant.
WEB SITES
The useful Mendip Hills AONB Service web site can be viewed by clicking here.
The Mendip Society web site can be viewed by clicking here.
Nigel Milbourne