Porlock Weir

[puddleshark]

Late afternoon, on a very grey day, I walked the short stretch of coast path from the village of Porlock to Porlock Weir.



The first stretch of path runs along the edge of Porlock Marshes: a flat lonely landscape of dun grasses, grey sea, grey sky, and curlews calling.


A landscape in transition. It was once a freshwater marsh lying behind a shingle bank, but in 1996 a storm breached the shingle bank, and the sea inundated the marshes. With rising sea levels, it was decided not to repair the breach, and to let nature take its course, and it is now changing to saltwater marsh.


For a short stretch the path follows the shingle bank of Porlock Beach. Luckily, the shingle here is mostly flat - not like the round ankle-turning shingle of Chesil Beach - so although the path is hard-going, it's not impossible to walk on.


Porlock Weir.




The Harbour Master's.


Crossing the lock gates.










I had arrived in Porlock Weir at 4pm, and everything was closed.




The Ship Inn.




Gibraltar Cottage. 17th century, with later alterations.

On the way back to Porlock, I tried to follow the Coleridge Way foothpath, which runs through the woods on the hills above Porlock Weir, but where the path divided in two, the direction of the waymarker was ambiguous, so I ended up on a dark narrow bridleway through the holly and rhododendron and laurel, grown up from the gardens of the Victorian and Edwardian villas further down the hill. It was end of a very long day, and there had been no tea in Porlock Weir, so I was extremely tired by this point. So tired that where the path was carpeted in the spiky cases of Sweet Chestnuts, I thought "That looks like a comfortable place to lie down...."




A glimpse of West Porlock, and Porlock Marsh.




I find the Coleridge Way again.

Comments

[heleninwales]

You must have been tired if you were considering sitting down on a path strewn with sweet chestnut cases.

It looks like a fascinating area and one I've never visited.

[house_wren]

That was a refreshing walk. I spent part of my life by the sea; when I see your pictures I get a rush of memories, even though it's a different continent entirely.
Thanks, as usual!

[puddleshark]

I was very tired. It was my third walk of the day, trying to fit in as many places as possible during my short stay in Porlock. 😊

[puddleshark]

You're welcome!

The North Somerset coast and the Bristol Channel have a very different feel to the coastline at home. It was an interesting walk.

[changeling72]

From what I remember, I rather liked Porlock. I will have to take DM down that way at some point.