January

With the start of the New Year, the valley has turned into a squelchy, sticky sea of mud. After the thaw, intense rainfall has saturated the ground and overwhelmed all the drainage.  In the water meadow in the centre of the valley there are great sheets of standing water, three or four inches deep. The tiny trickle of a stream that runs thorugh the middle has turned into a raging torrent, six feet wide and three feet deep in places.

It really is mud, glorious mud and you might as well regard it as glorious or it becomes miserable  Walking through it is treacherous and very hard work as you slip and slide everywhere, much more so than in the snow and ice.  The other day I fell over three times during my morning walk and returned home caked in mud from head to toe.

The dogs become a weapon of mass destruction in this weather. Let them in the house without hosing them down and the carpet and furniture is trashed immediately.  There are mud splashes up the walls and when eventually it all dries, you need an industrial strength vacuum cleaner to clean it up. I only made that mistake once!

Just before Christmas a series of planning notices appeared in the valley announcing applications for a music and drinks licence.  These are made in the name of North Down Farm, the 200 acre parcel of land at the western end of the valley that recently changed hands.

The new owner is Peter Broatch of Eweleaze Farm. His land now stretches from the beach at Redcliffe Point, across the valley just to the west of the White Horse, up and over the hill and down to North Down Barn.  It must be one of the most picturesque holdings in the country, extending to more than 500 acres.

Perhaps it was the mud that started the rumour that the planning applications were about some sort of Glastonbury-style event coming to the valley.  That’s not the case, although I’m sure we could give Somerset a run for its money as to where is most sticky or glutinous. Peter is to introduce camping to the valley in July on the same sort of basis as he presently runs camping on Eweleaze Farm every August.

That means family-oriented holidays on two of the fields in the centre of the valley, just north of the water meadow as shown in the photograph.

Camping Fields

A lot of work has already been done improving the track that runs down from the main road near White Horse Garage.  I anticipate that there is more to be done.  It will be necessary to provide water, waste disposal and toilet facilities. The same methods will be used as on Eweleaze.  These are unobtrusive, environmentally friendly and the fields are quickly restored after the month’s holidaying is over.

I do hope that there won’t be too much objection or complaint about these plans. If there’s one thing that makes me ashamed to be British it’s the disease of nimbyism.  We need to realise that there would be nothing to stop Peter opening a massive pig farm or intensive poultry operation if he wanted to.  It’s his land.

My view is that this is a good use of the countryside.  I understand that in the longer term all the land is to be organic grazing. A month’s camping like this makes good business sense and is respectful of the valley.  I believe it deserves our support. As one of my neighbours said just the other day, everyone is entitled to enjoy the countryside, not just those of us who are lucky enough to live here.

There will be camp fires with an on site firefighting appliance in case of emergency.  There  will be guitar playing and singing but no amplified music.  From what I’ve seen of the way it works over on Eweleaze, it should all be great fun.