We reached the King’s Sedgemoor Drain and promptly turned around for the return journey. The first couple of hundred yards were the same way, but then we deviated through slightly squelchy meadows to find a different route back. It rained quite hard.
We reached an area with an obvious military past. There were several pillboxes and Nissan huts in this part of the world.
This was RAF Weston Zoyland, which operated from the 1920s to the end of the 1960s. Since then it has obviously been allowed to gently decay although maybe some flying might take place for we could see a wind sock – barely fluttering for the air was very still (which meant little chance of the rain blowing away).
Concrete blocks (tank traps?) were definitely losing the battle to stay visible as brambles and ivy took over. But some of the old buildings were faring less well.
A wet, but smiley walker. The coat is a giveaway for wetness. It’s yellow when dry but turns orange when very wet. The old airfield area gave us firm ground to walk on though.
There’s something fascinating about dereliction but it has to be said, that here, on the edge of Westonzoyland, present day people had added extra litter to the scene and their dog walking made the squelchy meadows seem a better place for the feet.
We left the airfield area and found more dereliction. Oh well, the cow looked pretty.
With the weather still poor – or should that be pouring with rain, we picnicked in the car.
I sent a text to the children. Blame Sue! She commented that being at Westonzoyland gave us a Z, a Y and a W and surely we could come up with a sentence with all letters of the alphabet. So our youngsters received this:
‘Just a quick text to bring happy greetings from a very damp Westonzoyland.’
Replies were almost instant. Thanks to both, but I’ll write just one of them here.
‘Proper job. Have you been to see the steam pump?’
Well, no we hadn’t. An exchange of mails led us there. Oh, the perils of the out of date map, for said pump doesn’t get a mention on ours.
But first, on the way, we found a willow place.
I’m tempted to say that the willows were out to dry. Maybe they mature for they certainly weren’t drying.
There’s a close up of rain-drenched withies.
And there, behind them, is Westonzoyland church.
In season, this would have been something of a tourist willow farm. It had attractions.
Yes, willow sculptures, standing maybe twenty or more feet tall. Rather attractive.
But on to the pump. It was not open, of course, so all we could see was a distant view of chimney.
By going for a short walk we got a better view of the engine house – but the wires were unmissable.
I tried a different spot and perhaps did rather better – except for wires – and rain which was almost torrential.
And finally, the ditch it pumps into.
We were moving on so this is time to stop.