Any Westbury Society News
Mendip Hills National Landscape (formerly AONB) have launched a consultation about plans to develop the car park and surrounding area at Deer Leap. The consultation is open until the end of September. The proposed changes include some remodelling of the area around the car park to improve access and to help reduce anti-social behaviour. You can review the plans and respond to the consultation here.
If you came to the Alfred in Somerset lecture last year,
you’ll know that Chris Eldridge is an excellent speaker.
The Auxiliary Units were specially trained, highly-secret quasi-military units created by the British government during the Second World War with the aim of using irregular warfare in response to a possible invasion of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany.
Westbury resident John Sealy was a member of the local unit, and the Sealy family has kindly given access to newspaper cuttings and documents telling the fascinating story of this little-known part of our village’s history.
To learn more about this secret army, and read the other articles, go to the Westbury Society page where you’ll find downloadable copies on the right-hand side.
Cow Parsley
The link below takes you to a version of the PEW article with colour photographs instead of black & white.
Colour photographs for the article on p23 of June 2021 PEW
Plus two bonus photos:
Those keen on wildlife will be interested to see this report on breeding birds along the Strawberry Line. It suggests that the concentration of breeding birds along the line is greater than in much of the farmland the route passes through – another reason to support the development of off-road paths.
Below are links to the data for the months March to June inclusive. July and August will be added as we get there. The data for March to May have been posted earlier but you would have to chase about to make comparisons between months. There is a separate file of Photo-voltaic generation totals for each month since 2010 which is a proxy for amount of sunshine. An attempt is made to suggest which of the years has been sunniest and in which months.
2020.4.5 March max min rain and sunshine data 2006 to 2020
2020.4.30 April max min rain and sunshine data 2006 to 2020
2020.6.1 May max min rain and sunshine data 2006 to 2020
Whatever the season, a country walk is a great way to get out and about.
Head for the Westbury-sub-Mendip Community Shop and pick up one of the Westbury Walks leaflets – they’re only 50p. All of the walks start and end at The Cross, so you can get started as soon as you leave the shop.
Each of the 20 walks is described in detail, with clear directions, maps and useful information plus an indication of how long each walk takes. They vary in length, some only a mile or two, others much longer, as you will see from the list below.
If you want to take supplies with you, the shop sells a variety of sandwiches, pies and drinks. Or you could go to The Westbury Inn for a post-walk cider.
| WESTBURY WALKS | Distance in miles | |
| 1 | Millway, Broadway Hill | 3 |
| 2 | Strawberry Special | 7.8 |
| 3 | Ebbor Gorge, Wookey Hole, Wattles Hill, Easton | 7.6 |
| 4 | Priddy Veal Lane | 5.6 |
| 5 | Westbury-sub-Mendip Village | 4 |
| 6 | Priddy | 6 |
| 7 | Rodney Stoke & Draycott Loop | 5.8 |
| 8 | Hollybrook | 2 |
| 9 | Priddy Nine Barrows | 9 |
| 10 | Easton Levels | 3.5 |
| 11 | Ebbor Gorge, Rookham, Milton Hill, Wookey Hole, Easton | 9.6 |
| 12 | Lodge Hill | 2.3 |
| 13 | Coxton End Lane | 5.4 |
| 14 | Rodney Stoke & Stoke Woods | 6.3 |
| 15 | Ramspits | 3.6 |
| 16 | Ebbor Wood | 5.7 |
| 17 | Wells & back | 11.3 |
| 18 | Barrow Wood Land & the River Axe | 6.6 |
| 19 | Broadmead Quarry | 2.7 |
| 20 | Wedmore & back | 11.2 |
