Goblin Combe

Infobox SSSI


name=Goblin Combe
aos=Avon
interest=Biological
gridref=ST473652
area=51.87 hectare
notifydate=1999

http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
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Goblin Combe is a valley in North Somerset which stretches from Redhill, near Bristol International Airport on the A38 through to Cleeve on the A370. The combe is located at (gbmapping|ST473652), and is a convert|52|ha|acre|0 biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) originally notified in 1999, with convert|9|ha|acre|0 being managed as a nature reserve by the Avon Wildlife Trust. "Combe" is the same as the Welsh word "cwm" which means valley

Folk tale

Goblin Combe has a folk tale involving primroses: [cite web | title=Goblin Combe | work=The Antiquarian | url=http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/2091 | accessdate=2006-12-31] [Folktales of England” by Briggs and Tongue, 1965.]

“There was a parcel of children and they was a-picking primroses, see, and one poor little dear her wandered away on her lone self right down into Goblin Combe. She were only a little trot, see, and didn't know no better. Well, when she do find she's a lost she cries, and the tears do run down her dear little face, and dap on her pinafore like summer rain, and she do throw her self against a rock. Then the rock opens and there's the fairies all come to comfort her tears. They do give her a gold ball and they lead the dear little soul safe home - on account she was carrying primroses, see.

Well, twas the wonder of the village and the conjuror he gets the notion he'd aget his fists on more than one gold ball when next the fairies opened the hill. So he do pick a bunch of primroses and he go on up Goblin Combe, and he was glad enough to get in to the rock after all he see and hear on the way up. Well, twasn't the right day, nor the right number of primroses, and he wasn't no dear little soul - so they took him!“

Flora and Fauna

A populations of the nationally scarce plant Stinking Hellebore ("Helleborus foetidus") grows on scree slopes in the combe, near Cleeve Toot; it is native at this site. [Myles, Sarah (2000) The Flora of the Bristol Region ISBN 1-874357-18-8 page 64] Limestone Fern ("Gymnocarpum robertianum"), another nationally scarce plant, is also found here on limestone scree. [Myles, Sarah (2000) The Flora of the Bristol Region ISBN 1-874357-18-8 page 59] Other flowers include the Autumn Gentian, Autumn Ladies'-tresses and Yellow-wort. The site also supports a varied collection of butterflies, with over 30 species recorded. These include Grizzled and Dingy Skippers, Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak. [cite web|url=http://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/level1/reserves/goblin_combe.htm|title=Goblin Combe|work=Reserves|publisher=Avon Wildlife Trust|accessdate=2008-06-04]

Goblin Combe Environment Centre

Goblin Combe Environment Centre is a registered charity which provides educational training and residential facilities for visiting groups. It is located within a large expanse of woodland ridges at the start of Goblin Combe. The centre's aim is to provide a wide range of environmental education to all ages and all sectors of the community. It uses the woods to provide a teaching space in a 'classroom without walls', and a dynamic learning environment for natural history.

ource

* [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/2000328.pdf English Nature citation sheet for the site] (accessed on 16 July 2006)

References

External links

* [http://www.goblincombe.com Goblin Combe Environment Centre]