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coast paths and hilltops |
There's something wonderful about
looking out over the silvery Severn Estuary on a clear
winter morning, watching the wintering flocks of redshank,
dunlin and shelduck. Avon Wildlife Trust's nature reserve
at Walborough near Weston-super-Mare is a perfect place
for a stroll, with the option of extending your walk
by including Uphill Local Nature Reserve.
The route
The main entrance is found off
Uphill Way, from where you follow the surfaced path
through the boatyard. Pass an old lime-kiln through
a kissing gate, beside the old Uphill quarry where
kestrels and little owls nest. Continue along this
path past the kissing gate which leads to the sea wall.
The low-lying field here is being restored to saltmarsh
through the Trust's management of the nature reserve,
through a process called 'managed retreat' by which
the sea is allowed again to inundate the area. The
salt marsh has a number of nationally scarce plants
including sea barley, slender hare's-ear and sea clover.
Patches of sea-lavender add a splash of colour in the
late summer. Continue straight on through the next
gate and on up towards Walborough Hill. Across the
hill here in spring cowslips and green winged orchids
are abundant, followed by swathes of autumn ladies
tress in late summer. You could at this point make
a detour up the hill to visit the Norman church of
St Nicholas at the top, overlooking Weston Bay, Brean
Down and the mouth of the River Axe. In Roman times
this was a flourishing port, probably for the export
of lead from the Mendip Hills.
Once on Walborough nature
reserve you follow the path along the edge of the grassland,
which gives elevated views across the Axe Estuary and
Bleadon Levels where good numbers of wildfowl and waders
can be seen in autumn and winter, including redshank,
dunlin, black-tailed godwit and shelduck. Large flocks
of linnet and starling can also be seen as the saltmarsh
is covered by the rising tide. These flocks in turn
attract birds of prey; look out for merlin, peregrine
and sparrowhawk .
Follow the path round to join a lower
path where you turn sharp right, following the path
back down along the sea wall, with the estuary to your
left, and back through the boatyard to the beginning
of the walk. quarry, returning to the beginning of
the walk.
Uphill
Village Society has produced a series of walks that
can be downloaded from www.uphillvillage.org.uk if
you would like to extend your walk across the neighbouring
Uphill Local nature reserve
Further information
See the reserve
page for more information
on this reserve.
You can also do a longer walk between
Walborough and Purn Hill nature reserve - download PDF
Access
A surfaced path allows access to parts
of the site for those who are less mobile. There is open
access to the grassland areas but please keep off the
salt marsh to avoid disturbance to birds.
| Bike |
View a location map of the
reserve on the National
Cycle Network website. |
| Public transport |
Go to www.traveline.org.uk |
| Car |
Take the A370 and travel south from Weston-super-Mare. At the Hospital roundabout take the exit onto Grange Road signposted for the hospital. Continue past the hospital entrance. Drive for 500m and then turn left onto Uphill Way. Continue until you see signs for Uphill boatyard and turn left into it. Some parking is available in an area immediately on the left. Walk past the boatyard either along the track or along the sea wall to reach the reserve.
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