Mid-September 2021 marked the start of our eleventh year of volunteering on Poets’ Walk. The following entries illustrate our work month by month in reverse chronological order.
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) and tenth year (September 2020 – 21)
April 2023
Tidying features of the coastal path. Weeding beside the refurbished steps above Marine Lake and brushing dried mud from the step risers to expose the lines of poetry
Hack’s Way is cleared of a hazard, the brash removed and nettles pulled.
The refurbished steps above the Marine Lake are tidied and swept as well as the nearby paths and small flight of steps near the Salthouse Pub.
Controlling the spread of wild radish on Church Hill by forking and grubbing
March 2023
February 2023
The Poets’ Walk path to Church Hill, past St Andrew’s Church, is tidied.
More brambles are cleared from Wain’s Hill above the coast path to improve the view. The last (north) section of the rampart slope is cleared of brambles.
The paths, steps and seats above Marine Lake are regularly weeded, tidied and swept.
Brambles are cut back to reveal more of the Iron Age rampart on Wain’s Hill. Marginal brambles are cleared above the coastal path to improve the view.
January 2023
The steps and path leading from the circular stone seat above Marine Lake to the Lookout are weeded, tidied and swept.
Brambles are cleared from a Church Hill woodland glade to enable other species to flourish, and regrown non-native holm oak cut out.
Overgrown ivy is trimmed to head height to improve access along Hack’s Way.
December 2022
Clearing autumn leaves and mud from the main paths. On Church Hill, more brambles and other invasive species were cut back in a woodland glade.
November 2022
Tidying the coast path and trimming back ivy on the rock face. Clearing brambles and other invasive species from a Church Hill woodland glade and clearing the path of leaves.
October 2022
Autum work on Poets’ Work: path clearing, mown grass raking and bramble trimming
The Friends of Poets’ Walk rake off the arisings after this Church Hill slope is mown by the Clevedon Woodcutters as part of good grassland management.
Bramble shoots and young sycamore bordering the 1923 path are cut out while a nearby steep slope is brush-cut and raked to promote species-rich grassland.
The coastal path, seats and rockface are regularly tidied to maintain good access.
Cutting back scrub at the viewpoint above the Church Hill zigzag steps. Some small sycamores nearby are also cut out to allow other species to flourish.
September 2022
Wain’s Hill woodland edge is further tidied of cut grass, nettles, brambles & tree shoots after the Woodcutters have raked recently mown grass into the wood for habitat piles.
Pulling nettles on Wain’s Hill. The Poets’ Walk path above Marine Lake tidied & swept
After an hour’s work, here we are celebrating 11 years of volunteering on Poets’ Walk.
Clearing off dried vegetation in a Church Hill glade to promote fresh growth next year
August 2022
Church Hill – pulling invasive creeping thistles & nettles in grassland. Raking up after mowing of grassland by Clevedon Woodcutters above the zigzag steps.
Maintaining the coastal path & seats in good order: weeding, trimming back, sweeping
Wain’s Hill Battery site is mown to encourage low-growing grasses & other plants, leaving a patch of flowering yarrow. The arisings are raked off and the site weeded & tidied.
Cutting back encroaching vegetation around the Church Hill steps & seat that overlook the churchyard, and along the adjoining path.
July 2022
Tidying the Church Hill quarry glade and the informal track to the hilltop. Another section of the coastal path is weeded and tidied.
The wild damson arch on Church Hill is trimmed to improve headroom. An old path to Salthouse Woods is cleared of encroaching vegetation.
Forking out potentially toxic ragwort on both hills. Tidying the path above Marine Lake
The coast path section around the recently refurbished badger bridge is thoroughy tidied
Selective weeding on the green gate bank; trimming back brambles and overhanging sycamore branches along a Church Hill path to Salthouse Woods
June 2022
Access from Church Hill to the quarry glade restored and wild radish grubbed out
Church Hill – Clearing back vegetation along the 1923 path. Wild radish grubbed out.
The formal paths are regularly cleared of encroaching vegetation and mud.
Selective seasonal ‘weeding’ in Church Hill quarry glade to reduce competition with other species and to improve access to the limestone rockface
May 2022
The Battery site is part mown to enhance access. Informal paths to the site are improved by pulling nettles, goosegrass and cow parsley after flowering.
Weeding & sweeping the steps to Poets’ Walk & all paths to Marine Lake; tidying the path from Salthouse carpark; clearing nettles, brambles & sycamore shoots along the 1923 path
Nettle and scrub clearing at the Wain’s Hill Battery site
April 2022
Pulling & forking out nettles on the green gate bank beside St Andrew’s Church; controlling brambles in grassland by the 1923 path over Church Hill
Encroaching vegetation and mud is cleared back along the coastal path on Church Hill. Ivy is trimmed along the coast path fence on Wain’s Hill.
The 1923 path over Church Hill is mown. Hack’s Way is mown and cleared of invasive species.
March and April 2022
Native species are encouraged in a Church Hill glade by selectively removing non-native & invasive species including purple toadflax, honesty, goosegrass, nettles and brambles.
March 2022
Wain’s Hill – weeding the coastal path & bank, and cutting & grubbing brambles
Church Hill – old blackthorn and elder trees, damaged by recent gales, have blocked the informal trail above the quarry and are cut back. Invasive ivy is cleared to expose more of the quarry rock face to encourage the establishment of other species.
February 2022
South side of Church Hill – cutting & grubbing brambles and pruning buddleia in a glade. Weeding, trimming and sweeping along the path leading from Salthouse carpark.
January 2022
Clearing along the coast path on Wain’s Hill and cutting back invasive ivy on the rock face
Controlling light scrub in a Church Hill glade and encroaching brambles on the hilltop
Tha first working party of the new year on Church Hill – cutting brambles, moving a fallen hawthorn branch, pruning the wild damson arch and path tidying, grubbing wild radish and litter picking
December 2021
Cutting out some massive bramble shoots that are invading grassland on Wain’s Hill. Raking down cut grass on the rampart slope into woodland below and making habitat piles.
November 2021
Grass on Wain’s Hill ramparts, cut in autumn by a contractor, has to be raked down into the woodland. Tidying of formal paths and seats continues throughout the year.
Trimming back vegetation and nettle pulling in Church Hill quarry glade to expose the rock face and to promote the establishment of valuable, less vigorous grassland species
Raking up after the autumn brush-cut on the less tractor-accessible areas of Church Hill
Clearing away encroaching vegetation and soil and tidying the seats along the coastal path
October 2021
Scything and raking a grass bank and clearing along the 1923 path on Church Hill. Cutting back brambles encroaching into grassland on Church Hill hilltop.
The bank along the coastal path on Wain’s Hill is cleared of invasive ivy and brambles while accumulated mud and vegetation is removed from the edges of the path.
Wain’s Hill battery site is tidied and weeded and the grass mown. Vegetation is cleared back from the parapet wall in preparation for rebuilding after an act of vandalism.
September 2021
Wain’s Hill battery site – cutting back buddleia from the retaining wall, pulling nettles and forking out greater plantain and tufts of cocksfoot grass from the grassy parade ground
The coastal path is enhanced by regularly clearing back overgrown vegetation, trimming back ivy from the rock face and keeping the seats clear of weeds and mud.
Clearing the 1923 woodland path on Church Hill of encroaching vegetation
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