New Monthly Diary 2024

including 2025

In mid-September 2024 we celebrated the start of our 14th year of volunteering as the Friends of Poets’ Walk. This page will take us up to September 2025.

See also our second year (September 2012 – August 2013), third year (September 2013 – August 2014), fourth year (September 2014 – August 2015), fifth year (September 2015 – August 2016), sixth year (September 2016 – 2017), seventh year (September 2017 – 2018), eighth year (September 2018 – 2019), ninth year (September 2019– 20), tenth year (September 2020 – 21), eleventh & twelfth years (September 2021 – 2023), and thirteenth year (September 2023 – 2024)

December 2025

On Church Hill buddleia is pruned and 6 young buckthorn planted, while another section of the coast path is cleared of wet and slippery leaves and mud.

Weeding, tidying and scrub control at Wain’s Hill battery site. Meanwhile, more path sweeping and tidying above Marine Lake

November 2025

The ‘poetry’ steps & all paths near Marine Lake are weeded and cleared of leaves & mud.

Controlling the spread of wild radish on Church Hill by grubbing out first-year plants

The species-rich bank & the coast path leading to Wain’s Hill is tidied, weeded & swept.

Cutting back marginal brambles above the coast path on Wain’s Hill

Cutting out brambles & feral raspberry in a wooded area on the front slope of Church Hill

October 2025

Nettles, wild lettuce and young brambles are cleared from the glade on Church Hill to reduce competition with other native species. A young Rowan is planted out.

Trimming, sweeping and bench tidying on the coast path below the cemetery fence

Weeding out nettles on the green gate bank by the church and brambles along the path

Rock face tidied and coast path swept. More brambles cut back on Wain’s Hill.

Cutting back new growth of bramble at the north-east end of Wain’s Hill rampart slope

September 2025

Sweeping leaves and clearing the edges of the coast path to Wain’s Hill

Clevedon Woodcutters for Wildlife assist Friends of Poets’ Walk raking off arisings after mowing by contractor Green Mantle. Habitat piles are created in nearby woodland.

Clearing of old vegetation is completed in this Church Hill glade, assisting the establishment next spring of a wide range of native grasses and other species.

Tidying a Church Hill glade by removing brambles and nettles, trimming & scything

August 2025

The coast path and bank near the badger bridge are given a thorough tidy up.

Vegetation, especially wild clematis, trimmed back along the zigzag steps on Church Hill

Church Hill – encroaching scrub is cut back near the iron cross view point and a nearby steep bank scythed to promote good grassland.

Trimming back vegetation along Hack’s Way to improve access for walkers

The coast path above the ‘Sugar Lookout’ is weeded and swept.

July 2025

The Woodcutters fund and replace wooden slats on two rock-face benches on the coast path and trim the hedge opposite to improve the view.

Nettles on the green gate bank beside St Andrew’s Church are forked or pulled out, and the grass given a light clip to encourage better diversity of vegetation.

The formal path beside the Salthouse Flats is given a thorough weeding and sweeping

A little selective clearing at the view point on Church Hill keeps the area & view accessible

Trimming, edge clearing and sweeping continues along the paths above Marine Lake

Sections of the 1923 path, partly blocked by overgrown vegetation, are reopened.

The ragwort population on Poets’ Walk is minimal this year thanks to its clearance by our volunteers over many years. Now we find that St Andrew’s cemetery needs our attention!

Encroaching vegetation on the woodland path near Wain’s Hill battery is cleared back

June 2025

The path above Marine Lake is given a thorough tidying, and swept.

Tidying the battery site on Wain’s Hill by weeding, litter-picking, sweeping & part mowing

Selective weeding in a recently cleared bramble patch to promote species diversity

Woodcutters have funded and undertaken the restoration of an old bench on Poets’ Walk

May 2025

Clearing back rank nettles along the path behind the town cemetery allotments

The central strip of Hack’s Way mown to improve access. Nettles etc. cleared from both sides, leaving other vegetation along the wall for biodiversity and as a refuge for wildlife

Clearing away vegetation and accumulated mud along the formal path above Marine Lake

Bramble and invasive wild radish control continues on Church Hill

Clearing the coast path on Church Hill and preparing an old rockface bench for new slats

Selective weeding out of some over-exuberant species including nettles, brambles and goosegrass to promote good growth of other native species in the Church Hill glade. Nearby, an old bench site is cleared in preparation for installment of new slats.

April 2025

Clearing brambles & nettles in Church Hill quarry glade and along the informal trail above

The path and steps between Salthouse Pub and the lookout thoroughly weeded and swept

Clearing a patch of bramble beside the wall restores a pleasant view towards Wain’s Hill. Seasonal scrub control starts in Church Hill quarry glade. The green gate bank is mowed.

Another section of the coast path and a bench in the rock face thoroughly tidied

Church Hill – trimming back bramble at the edge of scrub & reducing a patch of invasive wild raspberry from the woodland edge. Dock plants in the grassland grubbed out.

March 2025

Weeding, tidying and sweeping the coastal path

Church Hill – controlling wild raspberry and bramble encroaching into grassland from some valuable scrubland habitat

Church Hill – controlling brambles in a woodland glade and on a nearby grassland slope

Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa), which can grow to over 6 feet, is invading a glade on Church Hill and is dug out. Nearby, holm oak saplings are removed, and some buddleia pruned.

Clearing back ivy from the rock face to promote other species and tidying the coast path

February 2025

Removing young brambles from valuable grassland on a Church Hill slope and clearing back mud & vegetation from the path edge. Cutting back brambles along the same path.

Clearing brambles from a second, smaller apple tree and an elder on a Wain’s Hill slope

Freeing an old apple tree on Wain’s Hill of brambles (last done in 2019)

Tidying and sweeping the broad steps to Poets’ Walk and the path to Marine Lake

Tidying the path & bank and the nearby steps & seat at the path junction

Clearing a bank of encroaching brambles from the seaward side of Wain’s Hill

January 2025

Tidying and weeding at the badger bridge and along the coastal path

Church Hill – cutting back bramble shoots and grubbing out invasive wild radish

Tidying the coastal path and rockface below St Andrew’s cemetery

Clearing the last bramble patch & cutting back buddleia on a restored grassland slope

December 2024

Clearing fallen trees, branches and brash on Wain’s Hill following very high winds

Weeding and sweeping the edges of the coastal path

Forking out nettles along Hack’s Way and removing an invasive sedge to maintain access

November 2024

The final sweep-up at Marine Lake before ‘Light up the Lake’ on Saturday 7th December

Church Hill view point – cutting back tree shoots and other vegetation to restore the view to the Pier, and clearing scrub from grassland at the top of the zigzag steps

Wain’s Hill – scrub-clearing round the ‘pill box’ and cutting marginal brambles

A big autumn clear-up on the steps and along the paths above Marine Lake

Clearing autumn leaves and mud from the path to Wain’s Hill

Tidying the path edges and seats along the coastal path

October 2024

Wain’s Hill – raking down arisings from the late summer cut of the ramparts into the woodland to make habitat piles. Cutting out sycamore shoots and encroaching brambles.