Backwell Environment Trust

...15 years of conservation, protection, improvement...

Members explored the Felton Hill grasslands - July 2019

On the 7th July, sixteen BET members and friends headed to Felton Common for a guided tour - plus tea and cakes!Felton 2 700

The walk was led by warden and local resident Debbie Johnson, supported by BET member and Felton Commoner Pete Longden.  The common covers approxiately 100 acres and is mainly unimproved mixed acidic and calcareous grassland. It has a fascinating history, with two scheduled ancient monuments and signs of mining.

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The Common lies on the other side of the A38 from Bristol Airport, so our walk and talk were interrupted at intervals by passing planes, seemingly just overhead. Despite the occasional noise we were able to learn about the management plan for the Common and the challenges of keeping down the bracken and encroaching scrub, now that grazing has ceased. Our route took us past the Bronze Age barrow, the rare double conjoined Neolithic barrows and the ancient 'Suck Stone'.

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At the end of the walk, Debbie very kindly invited us to her house, just south of the common, for copious tea and home-made cakes!  Suitably refreshed, we headed back under the flightpath, having enjoyed a great afternoon. We hope to make a return visit in the spring when the common will be covered in bluebells.

Peter Speight

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