Above: Giant Polypore © Andrew Harrison
Leader: Tom Rogers
Thirteen members joined the leader in the rain at Kilmersdon Village Hall car park for an approx 4 mile walk starting in Kilmersdon and taking in parts of ‘The Colliers Way’ cycle track & fields close to Babbington House. As we started to walk the rain stopped and we made our way along the main street towards the church. We then turned into Ames Lane which took us pass the foot of ‘Jack & Jill’ hill from which the nursery rhyme gets its name. Progress was then made by climbing up onto ‘The Colliers Way’ which is the old Bristol to Frome railway line. At an overbridge there was an information sign confirming a Bat roost. Along the track some members admired the yellow flowers of Common Toadflax. Scentless Mayweed as well as related Pineappleweed which smells of pineapples was also observed. As we walked along the track a Red Kite was seen overhead and a Great Spotted Woodpecker seen flying away. We noticed different labelled apple trees growing alongside the path. These apple trees are planted at intervals to highlight disappearing orchards in Somerset of which ‘Tower of Glamis’ and ‘Lord Lambourne’ are some examples.
Pineappleweed © Andrew Harrison
Giant Polypore © Andrew Harrison
Fairy Inkcap © Andrew Harrison
After Hatchet Hill Bridge the track enters a steep cutting with Hart’s-tongue fern festooning the rock faces. At Mells Road Station a short break was taken where Helena notices several wild flowers. Species seen were Hoary Mustard a first for the Colliers Way. Also identified was three members of the pea family, noting that although they are different sizes, the flowers of Tall Melilot, Bird’s-foot trefoil and Lesser Trefoil all resemble tiny yellow Sweet Peas. We then left the Colliers Way and made our way via a Farmer’s permissive entrance track to the Radstock to Mells road along which we walked in driving rain. The rain stopped as we turn into the Beech lined drive to Grade II Babbington House which is a luxury country hotel. Along the driveway we were distracted by two different bracket fungi on beech: one was a Ganoderma, either a Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe) or Artist’s Bracket ( Ganoderma applanatum), the other a Giant Polypore (Meripilus giganteus). At the end of the drive we turned right by a Chapel, dating back to 1750. The footpath now traversed behind the chapel along the edge of lawns where huts for a Clay Pigeon shoot have been built. The path led down pass a lake to a kissing gate ahead of a field where on the other side stood two stone pillars showing that this was one of the original drives to the house. We then walked down through the wood which was carpeted with Laural shrubs observing Fairy Inkcap (Coprinellus disseminates) fungus. At the bottom of the wood we crossed a footbridge and entered a field meadow which contained Red Clover a member of the Sweet Pea family which like Lesser Trefoil it has lots of small flowers arranged together in a flowerhead to attract pollinators. Then two further fields were crossed to a kissing gate which led onto the entrance road to the village. As we walked around a bend in the road on our left was a thatched cottage on which the thatched figures of Jack and Jill carrying a pale of water stood out. Finally we returned to the car park. Several members then crossed the road to The Jolliffe public house for lunch. Thanks to Helena Crouch for the botany detail in this report. Photographs taken by Andrew Harrison.[TR]
Jack and Jill © Andrew Harrison
Bottom of Jack and Jill © Andrew Harrison
Birds:
Blackbird Lesser Black Backed Gull
Buzzard Pheasant
Carrion Crow Raven
Chiffchaff (h) Red Kite
Dunnock Robin
Great Spotted Woodpecker Swallow
Great Tit (h) Wood Pigeon
House Martin Wren (h)
Jackdaw
Flowers:
Bird’s-foot trefoil Meadow Cranesbill
Common Toadflax Pineappleweed
Fleabane Red Bartsia
Hoary Mustard Red Clover
Lesser Trefoil Tall Melilot
Mayweed
Fungus:
Southern or Artist’s Bracket
Giant Polypore
Fairy Ink Caps
Other:
Hart’s-tongue fern
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