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Stolford

Find the stumps on the beach of the ancient Stolford forest, where the last mud horse rider rode out and what the Somerset words ‘giltin-cup' (pronounced gu'l-tin-ca'yp) and ‘shramed' (pronounced ‘shr-ayy-md') refer to.

Welcome to the Stolford Hidden History Storywalk. This trail is designed to be like a skimming stone of interesting facts, myth, history and tales linked to this location. The Storywalks are designed to be read aloud to family and friends and to embellish your experience of this place.

Route – from the car park at Stolford this trail journeys west along the England Coast Path and completes at the foot of Hinkley B power station.

If you want to delve deeper then please visit the tourist information centres and libraries at Watchet and Bridgwater.

Length - out and back distance 2 miles / 3.4 km allow two hours.
Access - level hard pavement throughout, suitable for wheels.
Directions – This trail begins at the Stolford Seafront car park. TA5 1TW What3words address ///overt.chum.rates 51.207161, -3.0993670
 
Chapter one

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘giltin-cup' (pronounced gu'l-tin-ca'yp) refers simply to buttercups, a small golden flower often found in rarely ploughed fields where productive dairy herds graze. At one time it was thought that the gold of the flower enriched the colour and taste of the butter itself but actually cattle avoid fresh buttercups since they are poisonous to eat.
Chapter two

Stolford

Published over 100 years ago The Somerset Coast was an armchair traveller's guide designed to take you on a sightseeing journey passing through hamlets and villages along the coast. It is interesting to note how accurate the description is even after a century of industrial changes.

From this point a succession of winding lanes leads down to the curving shore of Bridgwater Bay at Stolford. Here meadows, a farmstead with well-filled rickyards, and a compound heavily walled and buttressed against flooding from salt marshes, border upon a raised beach of large blue-grey stones, which replaces the mud that gathers round the Parrett estuary. Here at low spring tides traces may yet be found of the submarine forest off-shore. A sample of the foreshore taken at Stolford usually suffices explorers and fully satisfies their curiosity; for the clattering loose stones of the heaped-up beach form an extremely tiring exercise ground.

(The Somerset Coast – Harper 1909)
Chapter three

The Earl of Northumberland

The map pictured is an extract from a survey of Week Fitzpaine, a Quantock manor owned by Henry Percy the 9th Earl of Northumberland (1564–1632) and now held in the Somerset Heritage Centre. It depicts the lands here at Stolford from a perspective of yield and productivity. The fields and enclosures are all referenced with size and expected yield so taxes can be levied appropriately.

Hinkley Point, now the location of the power stations and the end of our walk, is easily found on the map as the promontory beneath the compass and to the right of the sea-beast.
Directions - Walk up the ramp and turn left, the next chapter will reveal just a few paces along the path. Note - refresh this page whenever the distance counter gets a little sleepy or use the 'help' button on the bar below. As you journey perhaps consider what the old Somerset dialect word ‘culch’ (pronounced kuul'ch) might refer to.
 
Chapter four

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘culch' (pronounced kuul'ch) refers to crushed up oyster or whelk shells. It was a common belief that shells must be crushed after use to stop witches using them as boats and causing havoc with the weather. In Ireland it was imperative to break the bottom of a boiled egg after eating, as you could not only find yourself cursed, but also the very chickens which laid the egg. This extract of a poem by Elizabeth Fleming, called Eggshells, was published in 1934 even though folklore references can be found as early as the 16th century.
Chapter five

Eggshells

Oh, never leave your egg-shells unbroken in the cup;
Think of us poor sailor-men and always smash them up,
For witches come and find them and sail away to sea,
And make a lot of misery for mariners like me.

They take them to the sea-shore and set them on the tide –
A broom-stick for a paddle is all they have to guide
And off they go to China or round the ports of Spain,
To try and keep our sailing ships from coming home again.

They call up all the tempests from Davy Jones's store,
And blow us into waters where we haven't been before;
And when the masts are falling in splinters on the wrecks,
The witches climb the rigging and dance upon the decks.

So never leave your egg-shells unbroken in the cup;
Think of us poor sailor-men and always smash them up;
For witches come and find them and sail away to sea,
And make a lot of misery for mariners like me.
Chapter six

Mud Horses

Stolford is famous for the mud horse fishermen who were able to service their nets at the low tide by skimming across the mud on a sledge. The 1909 Somerset Coast book remarks:

Mud boots clothe their feet. Then they bring down their wooden “horse” and, leaning against the upright breast-high framework, give a vigorous push, and so go slithering along the buttery surface of the flats; the nearest approach to that fabulous body of cavalry, the “Horse Marines” anyone is ever likely to see.

There was an old fellow of Steart
Who went catching eels in the dirt
When they asked “any luck?”
“Up to eyes in the muck!”
Said that rueful old fellow of Steart


(The Somerset Coast – Harper 1909)

Mud horse fishermen were once a common sight all the way up to Bristol on both sides of the estuary, and today the tradition is still kept alive here in Stolford by Adrian Sellick. He journeys daily about a mile out into the estuary catching cod, whiting, Dover sole and shrimp.

The traps are designed to funnel the outgoing tide through conical nets which are held down with stones. Smaller sea creatures slip through the holes and escape on the receding tide but larger creatures are trapped ready for the mud horse fisherman to come and collect.

Fresh produce can be purchased from their fish-shack here in Stolford, look out for the mud horse on your right as you leave the village.
Directions - Continue along the path until you are parallel with the old cottages to your left, but as you journey perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘meecher’ (pronounced meech'ur) might refer to.
 
Chapter seven

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘meecher' (pronounced meech'ur) refers to a lurking thief or someone who is skulking about and up to no good.
Chapter eight

Chapel Cottages

The cottages here, hiding behind the shingle bar, can be seen clearly on the map above from the Earl of Northumberland. Stolford is referenced here as ‘Salte Comon', Stolford being a derivation of the words salt and ford.

Salt, historically, is a very valuable commodity. Wars have been fought over it and the availability of a good source often changed the fortunes of the community. The ability to distil salt water into usable preserving salt was devised by the Romans. They built evaporation lagoons, installed windmills as pumping stations and perfected the science behind the process, as it is not as simple as just boiling salt water. With salt, foods could be kept for longer periods before spoiling, enabling trade with more distant communities and the ability to feed armies.

Chapel cottages also appear on tithing maps in 1332, with respect to sheaves of hay and then again in the 1400s. A chapel of ease is also recorded here in 1577, the footprint of which, along with the materials, is very likely still to be in the walls of these cottages today.
Chapter nine

Moths and Myths

In Somerset the first white moth of the year was thought to be the lost soul of an orphaned child and if not killed immediately then you would risk being haunted by the child all year long. More generally though, moths are seen as lucky, especially the hummingbird hawk moth, as a swarm was seen flying across the English Channel on D-Day, the day of the Normandy landings during the Second World War.

Pictured is the Eurasian hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) feeding on purple lilacs in Somerset. This moth is one of the largest moths in the UK and when in flight its wings move so fast they appear to be transparent. Its long tongue or proboscis is ideally suited to unravel and drink up the nectar from long-stemmed flowers like lilacs and buddleia bushes.

The adults over-winter in nooks and crannies and rocky fissures, emerging on warmer days to feed. They have been recorded returning to the same plant at the same time of day, so if you spot one then you should watch out for its return tomorrow at the same time.
Directions – Continue along the path to the gate but as you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘pompster’ (pronounced poa'mm-stur) might refer to. Note – refresh this page whenever the distance counter gets a little sleepy or use the 'help' button on the bar below.
 
Chapter ten

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘pompster' (pronounced poa'mm-stur) refers to a person who tampers with a wound or disease without any proper knowledge or skill in medicine!
Chapter eleven

Witches and Alchemists

Just across the peninsula between here and Combwich you will find Dame Withycombe cottages where the infamous Combwich witch resided. Little is known about her, beyond the legend she killed all three of her husbands by pouring molten lead into their ears!

No records exist of the Combwich witch but there are records of Thomas Charnock who was an alchemist during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the mid 1500s. Born on the Isle of Thanet, Kent, he spent most of his life in Combwich searching for the elixir of eternal life. So confident was he in his task that he even suggested the queen behead him if he were not successful!

His uncle, also Thomas Charnock, was confessor to Henry VII and the younger Thomas became interested in alchemy as a teenager when he inherited his uncle's library. Thomas, whilst on the brink of discovery, was summoned to serve in the war with France in 1557. He was so enraged and exasperated by this, along with the concern that his research would fall into the wrong hands, that he destroyed his laboratory and notes with an axe. After the war he settled in Combwich, as he desired a quiet place to build a new laboratory and continue his experiments.

At one point it was said he kept a single fire constantly burning for three years for his experiments and had to barricade himself inside his home to stop the local Combwich villagers lynching him. They were convinced that Thomas was in collusion with the devil, a rumour which Thomas did nothing to dispel.

He died in 1581 just two years after he proclaimed that he had indeed discovered the philosopher's stone, which is the key to immortality!

Thomas is buried in Otterhampton Church a couple of miles from here.
Directions – Continue through the gate and then along the trail. The next stop will be at the concrete culvert where the brook passes under the road. This is a little past the finger post but as you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘dewbit’ (pronounced duu-bet) might refer to.
 
Chapter twelve

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘dewbit' (pronounced duu-bet) refers to an early morning breakfast, taken at first light or when the dew is still fresh on the grass.
Chapter thirteen

The Long View

The image above was painted around 1823/4 and depicts the submarine forest here at Stolford which we talk about in more detail later on in this Storywalk. Notice the amount of tree stumps illustrated in the picture from almost 200 years ago.

This part of the coast has an amphibious feel to it, part fresh water, part sea, part land. About 9,000 years ago the sea was relatively higher along the Lower Severn Valley which resulted in much natural flooding. These floods deposited silt which naturally aggregated to become the land mass you are currently standing on today.

When the Romans arrived in Britain (AD 43) they added sea defences and drained some of the marshes to make them suitable for grazing. They stopped the flood waters and therefore the silt deposits, and since the land of the South West Peninsula is slowly sinking, every year it becomes more vulnerable to floods once again.

In real terms this land is now about a meter lower in relation to the sea than when the Romans first came. Even more alarming is that the land actually slopes downward towards the east, making the Somerset Levels lower still.

Although promises have been made and governments have guaranteed the lands will remain drained (David Cameron, 2014) this is not realistic with climate change and rising sea levels. Even King Canute could not hold back the sea indefinitely.
Chapter fourteen

Fungi and the Gallitrap

Fungi are truly incredible organisms. Above ground we often see their fruiting bodies, mushrooms and toadstools, sprouting suddenly from the end of a log or pushing up through the grasses in meadows and pastures. You might even spot some in the fields around here at the right time of the year. They release their spores using many ingenious mechanisms. Some mushrooms for instance, will inflate to pressures similar to car tyres, which when ripe are able to eject their spores high into the air and spread their seed on the wind in a single explosion.

Beneath the ground is where the real action occurs. Extensive interconnecting threads of fungal ‘hyphae' weave through the soil and break down everything from animal matter, to plant remains, to wood. There is even research going on (including as part of a new business venture further along the coast at Watchet) cultivating fungi that can ‘eat' plastic.

Fungus species are diverse and often symbiotic with plants, trading nutrients such as nitrogen for sugars and carbon. Without a rich fungal community (mixed with other decomposers like bacteria) our soils can quickly become impoverished and if we lose our soils then the very food we eat will be under threat. Fungi have been found everywhere even thriving in extreme environments such as deep ocean vents, the rims of volcanoes and even the vacuum of space on the outside of the International Space Station

The old Somerset word gallitrap, pronounced garr-lay-traar-pt, is a fairy ring or circle of mushrooms. If you find yourself inside a gallitrap on the summer solstice you may witness fairy people sharing a feast, but under no circumstances must you touch any of the foods yourself!
Directions – Continue halfway along this ‘straight’ for the next chapter to reveal but as you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘shramed’ or ‘scramed’ (pronounced scr'aam-d) might refer to. Note – refresh this page whenever the distance counter gets a little sleepy or use the 'help' button on the bar below.
 
Chapter fifteen

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘shramed' or ‘scramed' (pronounced scr'aam-d) refers to the loss of use of a limb or hands through the cold.
Chapter sixteen

Lichen

Pictured is the maritime sunburst lichen (Xanthoria parietina). It is common all along the Somerset coast either growing on cliff faces or on boulders above the high tide mark – such as those lining the path you have been walking along. It is also found inland on trees, walls and gravestones.

Lichens are not actually a single organism but are another example of symbiosis. The body of the lichen is a fungus made up of tightly packed hyphae and built into these tissues are tiny single-celled algae. In return for being protected, the algae photosynthesize to make sugars which are food for the fungus. Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution and a diverse lichen community is often a sign of good air quality. The sunburst lichen is most common on the tops of boulders, rocky outcrops or roofs. This is because it grows best on surfaces rich in nitrogen compounds, and in particular those found in bird droppings. So the seagulls you may see flying past or perching along the sea defences are helping this species thrive.

You may also spot other species of lichens in colours ranging from bright orange, through yellows and greens to white and grey. Some lichens are even found on the shore itself and can survive being submerged by the waves – these often form black patches or bands on the rocks which look almost like spilt oil – hence their name – black-tar lichen (Verrucaria maura).
Chapter seventeen

Boring Piddocks

If you venture down onto the rocky ledges below the path at low tide you may find slabs of rock riddled with holes. These are made by a bivalve called a boring piddock (Pholas dactylus) which is a strange clam-like shellfish that burrows into soft rocks such as limestone. They begin this process after settling as larvae and slowly enlarge and deepen the burrow as they grow. As such, they are essentially locked-in and will live there for the rest of their lives. From the protection of their burrows they extend their siphon outwards to filter feed on organic matter from the water column. Their long oval shells are distinctively wing shaped, giving piddocks their other common name of angel wings.

The piddock also glows in the dark! Through bioluminescence, it glows blue-green around the edges. Amazingly, the protein that creates this glow has been extracted and used to help identify when people are getting ill – it gives off light when it encounters chemicals produced by white blood cells to fight infections. This can help doctors prescribe treatments faster and fight infections before they even really take hold!

Pliny the Elder described their glittering juice as a marvel we should wonder at, while writing about how Romans delighted in the way piddocks shone in the mouth whilst being eaten. Discarded piddock shells, amongst other edible shellfish, have been discovered during an excavation of the Roman villa near Holcombe on the edge of the Quantock hills.

In Pliny's words “…it is the nature of these fish to shine in darkness….”

Piddocks are just one of many bioluminescent marine organisms. At certain times of the year the sea at night can appear to shimmer as tiny phytoplankton let off an eerie glow. This can be a hard spot in the murky Bristol Channel waters, but the single-celled algae that cause the effect are most definitely present and can sometimes be very common. In June 2020 a large algae bloom occurred in the Bristol Channel which was visible from space. There is also a small red seaweed called Irish moss or carrageen (Chondrus crispus) which is common in rock pools on Stolford beach. If you catch it in the right light it has a blue glow around the edge of its fronds.
Directions – Continue along the path to the finger post and the trail dips to the right but as you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘gruff-hole’ and ‘gruffler’ (pronounced gr’uff-luur) might refer to.
 
Chapter eighteen

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘gruff-hole' is a trench or cut in the ground and a ‘gruffler' (pronounced gr'uff-luur) is the person who digs it.
Chapter nineteen

Alder Oak Ash

If you venture down onto the beach and explore to the east of the stream outlet, you will see an extensive platform of many darkened stumps, mixed in with layers of clay and mud. Upon closer inspection you will notice that these are the remains of an ancient forest which thrived here just after the last Ice Age, some 3,500 to 7,000 years ago, when the sea levels were much lower. As the melting ice refilled the Bristol Channel the forest was drowned.

The forest was predominantly oak although alder, birch and pine have also been found.

Oak, the unofficial tree of England, is steeped in folklore. Known as the lightning tree it is common for steeplejacks to carry an acorn in their pockets whilst working up chimneys. To protect the home, it was also common for a decorative finial to be made from oak which had already been struck by lightning. The next time you spot an oak-shaped banister, it is likely that this was installed as the lightning protector.

How wet will this summer be? This common phrase, which watches the leaves come out from oak and ash trees to predict how much rain we will be getting, should help you decide.

If the Oak is out before the Ash
We shall only have a splash
If Ash is out before the Oak
We shall surely have a soak
Chapter twenty

Tacky Shade Collector

These lampshades (pictured) have been swinging in the landscape across the Hinkley headland for over fifty years and are swapped out every couple of months to be replaced with fresh ones. They are not just for decoration but are actually monitoring air quality and particulates in the environment around the nuclear power stations.

Particles collected by the shades are regularly analysed. In 1986 the shades started recording high levels of radioactive particles. This initially triggered concerns of a leak at the Hinkley Power Stations. However, reports quickly came in with similar results from monitoring stations across Europe. The particulates they captured were not naturally occurring and could only have been made inside a nuclear reactor. By tracking back weather patterns and the signature of the triggered alarms it soon became clear the radioactive plume was coming from the destroyed Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in the Soviet Union.

It is hard to ignore the predominance of the Hinkley Power Plants as you walk along this path. There are three nuclear power stations here. Hinkley ‘A' which went live in 1965 and is now decommissioned. Hinkley ‘B', which is the main building you can see in front of you, went online in 1976. Defuelling will begin at Hinkley ‘B' by 2022 to start the long decommissioning process.
Chapter twenty-one

The First Fuel Delivery

The photograph above shows the first delivery of magnox fuel to Hinkley ‘A' in 1960/1. Inside the wooden cases are 3ft magnesium aluminium alloy clad uranium fuel rods. The two reactors needed around 72,000 fuel elements to become operational, which were regularly refreshed throughout the life of the plant.

The UK is now investing in new nuclear stations with the first here at Hinkley ‘C' (at the far end of the site) currently being built. It is one of the largest construction sites in Europe and is due to begin generating electricity by the mid to late 2020s – sixty years after Hinkley ‘A' first started.
Chapter twenty-two

The Buttercup

The pastures around here are often strewn with buttercups since the ground can often be quite wet and marshy. The most common local species is the ‘creeping' buttercup (Ranunculus repens) which is well adapted to water-logged soil.

The folklore associated with the creeping buttercup or ‘giltin-cup' (pronounced gu'l-tin-ca'yp) is plentiful, with much of it linked to the scent or smell of the flower which is said to induce madness. The ‘crazies', ‘crazy-more' and ‘creeping-crazey' are all common names across the country. Children were discouraged from collecting them since bringing a posy into the house would naturally lead to lunacy!

In the playground it was common to pick a buttercup and hold it beneath a friend's chin and ask ‘do you like butter?' If the gold reflected well then the answer was naturally ‘yes'. The next question would be ‘do you like cream?' and a second buttercup flower is then held under the chin. Again if gold was reflected then the answer would be ‘yes'. If the answer to the first two questions was ‘yes', then finally a third buttercup flower would be held under the chin with the third rhyming question ‘do you want a ducking in the old mill stream!'

If there are buttercups in the grass here then you should test the rhyme out.
Directions – The next chapter will reveal roughly halfway between here and the foot of the power station. Note – refresh this page whenever the distance counter gets a little sleepy or use the 'help' button on the bar below. As you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect word ‘rhine’ (pronounced hruy'nee) might refer to.
 
Chapter twenty-three

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘rhine' (pronounced hruy'nee) is the local word for a Somerset (and Welsh) ditch. They are very specific to low-lying wetland habitats which are today becoming more appreciated for their ecological diversity. Rhines would have once been expansive across the low-lying lands east of Stolford and over toward the Steart Peninsula as well as throughout the nearby Somerset Levels. Many have now been drained for pastureland.

However over the last forty years or so rhines and other features of Somerset's low-lying central belt have been increasingly managed as seasonal wetlands by organisations such as Somerset Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.

One of the most impressive examples of coastal wetland management, including an ambitious coastal realignment project, is under way at the Wildlife Fowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Steart Marshes. If you look out onto the mudflats here at Stolford many of the important wader and wildfowl species which live on the marshes come out at low tide to feed on the soft sediments. One bird you might spot more and more on the shore here is the little egret (a small white heron with black legs and bright yellow feet).

This is a continental species that has become increasingly common since the 1990s, probably due to climate change. It is now resident throughout the south of the UK and can be spotted here happily mixing with longer term visitors and residents such as curlew, dunlin, brent geese and shelduck.

The amazing birdlife on the mud and the marshes is all due to the rich silts and sediments of Bridgwater Bay and has led to the whole area being designated a National Nature Reserve. Other national and international conservation designations are also in place making this part of the Bristol Channel one of the most highly protected stretches of coast in the UK.
Chapter twenty-four

Tellin of Age

If you stroll along the strandline or wander over the sandy parts of the beach you may find lots of discarded delicate shells of the ‘tellin'. These little clams are very common along the Somerset coast and sometimes called Neptune's toenails. There are two species, the Baltic tellin (Limecola balthica) (pictured) and the smaller and more delicate thin tellin (Macomangulus tenuis).

They live burrowed in the sand lower down the shore and sub-tidally and are food to a wide range of crustaceans, fish and wading birds. Huge densities of up to 3000 per square metre can often be found. They are filter feeders, extracting organic matter from the water using their long siphons which extend to the surface. These bivalves have very visible growth rings similar to tree rings, counting them will give you an idea of their age.
Chapter twenty-five

Hares

Hares are secretive animals but are showing a resurgence in population in recent years. Larger than the rabbit, hares live in thickets or grass tunnels but not in burrows. Often the tips of their ears are black and they are generally more timid than rabbits.

It is said that witches love to shapeshift into hares and a local story tells of one who fell in love with the gamekeeper living at Heath Poult Cross in the hills behind Dunster. Together they ran the hunt across the moors and down to the sea at Blue Anchor. First she would lay the scent for the hounds to track, often doubling back to run the hounds in circles. She would then shapeshift back into human form at the last moment, leaving the dogs in a tizzy not knowing what to do. It was said that the ruse was quite lucrative for them.

The Somerset dialect word ‘mesh' is specific to hares, with their long-stretch-creep as they tunnel through grass.
Directions – Continue along the concrete pavement to the swinging lamp shades but as you walk perhaps discuss what the old Somerset dialect words ‘nestle tripe’ (pronounced ne-ay-stul tray’pe) and ‘keffel’ (pronounced cair-fuult) might refer to.
 
Chapter twenty-six

Dialect

The old Somerset dialect word ‘nestle tripe' (pronounced ne-ay-stul tray'pe) refers to the weakest and most sickly animal in a litter and the word ‘keffel' (pronounced cair-fuult) refers to an old worn out horse, past its prime and use.
Chapter twenty-seven

Wick Barrow

At the southern entrance to Hinkley A and B you will find Wick Barrow, a Neolithic burial mound. Excavated in 1907 by Harold St George Gray the structure is estimated at six thousand years old. Initially Harold thought the mound was of Saxon or Viking construction which would make it around 1,200 years old, but what they discovered was much, much earlier.

Three bodies were unearthed in the 1907 dig along with beakers and flint tools. The skeletons were found to be in a crouched position with their legs tied behind their backs, a common practice at this time. All three bodies appear to have been interned at a similar time about 4,400 years ago, although the mound was already quite old at the time. Harold was also aware of stories of another body having been removed previously, but there are no records of this.

Today the beakers are on display in Taunton Museum and the bodies are in controlled storage in the South West Heritage Centre in acid-free boxes and sharing the same shelf as other excavated bodies from the region.
Chapter twenty-eight

Pixie Mound

According to legend a ploughman working nearby, heard the voice of a small child crying in the bushes on the mound but it was actually the voice of a pixie! The pixie was complaining that it had broken its peel, which is a type of flat wooden shovel used for putting loaves into baking ovens. When the ploughman went to look, he found a tiny peel with its handle broken. Still thinking that it was a child who would eventually return for their toy, he mended the peel and left it where he found it.

When his work was over, he checked the mound to see the peel was gone, but in its place he found a beautiful cake, hot from the pixie's oven. It is said that the ploughman and his family had good luck for the rest of their lives, a reward for doing a pixie a good turn.
Chapter twenty-nine

The End

This brings us to the end of this Storywalk although there are many others along the Somerset Coastline to enjoy. Why not post a picture on social media of your family or group enjoying the trail and tag us with @storywalks @ecpsomerset or #ecpStorywalks.

These trails have been researched and written by C. Jelley with additional content and input from Dr M. Ward and Dr H. Blackman. They have been made possible by grant funding from the England Coast Path scheme, managed by Somerset County Council and the Rights of Way team.
Chapter thirty

Directions

To return to the start just retrace your steps, or for a short diversion follow one of the finger posts inland and then circle back into Stolford.

For Storywalk app service issues and enquiries – Storywalks contact

For Somerset public rights of way issues – Somerset County Council
Chapter thirty-one

Acknowledgements

Images – in order of display

1 - Stolford – illustration – The Somerset Coast – Harper 1909

2 - Extract from Week Fitzpaine – Somerset Heritage Centre – DD/X/WI/34

3 - Witches on the Ocean – Woodcut 1720 – Wellcome Collection – https://catalogue.wellcomelibrary.org/record=b1201938

4 - The Mud Horse Fisherman – illustration – The Somerset Coast – Harper 1909

5 - Extract from Week Fitzpaine – Somerset Heritage Centre – DD/X/WI/34

6 - Hummingbird hawk moth – photograph – C. Jelley

7 - The Alchemist Laboratory – Cornelis Pietersz Bega 1663 – J. Paul Getty Museum

8 - Submarine forest of Stolford on the Severn near Bridgwater' - Henry Thomas De la Beche (1796-1855) - watercolour on paper - The Geological Society

9 - Mushrooms in Somerset – photograph – C. Jelley

10 - Lichen in Somerset – photograph – C. Jelley

11 - Piddock shells – photograph - Nigel Phillips - Somerset Wildlife Trust

12 - Stolford Submarine Forest – photograph – C. Jelley

13 - Tacky Shade Collector – Hinkley – photograph – C. Jelley

14 - First Fuel Delivery to Hinkley A - Photograph - I. Pring

15 - Tellin – photograph – C. Jelley

16 - Wick Barrow – Photograph - SANHS - Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
Directions - To return to Stolford just retrace your steps along the beach road.