13 members met up in Keynsham for this walk (11 of whom had booked on the website, which was most helpful for reservations at tearoom and pub later). We made our way to the Stables Tea Room at New Manor Farm near Chew Valley Lake for tea/coffee/cake and a chat, noting the weather was thankfully a bit cooler. Driving on to Blagdon, we passed the mill pond in Compton Martin which, fed from a spring on Mendip above, is the source of the river Yeo which feeds into the Blagdon reservoir.
We stopped briefly when we reached the dam to learn a bit about the construction of the reservoir, which took 4 years to fill when completed in 1905. The dam was built by hand, 650 metres long and extending down 50 metres. The preserved pumping station had an engine house and 4 massive beam engines (beam 34 ft long and weighing 17 tons). The Wrington Vale Light Railway was a 6.5 mile branch from Congresbury, built to carry construction materials and then opened for passenger and freight traffic until closure in 1950. We took in the site of the old Blagdon railway station, now preserved as a private house.
Crossing the dam, we started walking alongside the shore of the lake, enjoying beautiful views. The water level had dropped dramatically since the pre-walk only 4 weeks ago and was lower than I had ever seen before. Crossing several bridges across little creeks (very dry now) and making our way through a wood, we emerged onto an open space leading down to the edge of the lake for a group photo. Note: in normal times, we could have been paddling at this spot!
We retraced our steps back to the dam, where 10 of us continued to the New Inn for a welcome drink and lunch, as the sun was now getting quite hot. We enjoyed a good meal and a lot of lively conversation. From the pub garden, we enjoyed a glorious view across the Yeo Valley and the lake.
An enjoyable, largely shaded walk with stunning views and very welcome after the recent heatwaves.
