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The Uphill Hill Local Nature Reserve is situated
on the outskirts of Weston-super-Mare overlooking the River Axe
estuary in North Somerset.
Situated on the edge of Uphill village it is a
Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) noted for its beautiful
display of spring flowers including orchids, cowslips and a
number of nationally rare species.
It is popular with walkers and dog walkers and has a cycle and
surfaced disabled access trail providing wheelchair access to the
reserve.
The cycle path winds over the hill and links to bridleways
taking you through the neighbouring
Avon Wildlife Trust
land and past the ponds and bird hides owned by
Wessex Water.
There is a small car park adjacent to the Uphill boatyard off
Uphill Way which marks the start of the 30-mile West Mendip Way
which follows the Mendip Hills to Wells and extends to Frome along
the East Mendip Way.
Other local landmarks include the partly-ruined 11th Century
Church of St Nicholas, which crowns the hill and still holds
services in August each year, and the nearby tower.
The tower is built on the site of an old windmill and offers
extensive views across the Bristol Channel to Wales and of Weston
Bay below.
Limestone quarrying used to take place at the site until the
1940s and a finely preserved lime kiln can be seen at the main site
entrance.
Further into the site there is a ruined powder house tucked away
in the scrub which was used for storing gunpowder in the past.
Visitors and dog walkers should note that cattle graze the hill
between April and November and the hill is classified as open
access land under the
Countryside
and Rights of Way Act 2000.
As a result dogs should be kept on leads between 1 March and 31
July and at any time whilst livestock are on the hill.
During January 2007 the continuing management plan for the
site for the next five years was put out to public
consultation.
A list of proposals were drawn up and included in our draft
Uphill Hill Management Plan which the public was invited to comment
upon.
All the comments received have now been included in our final
Uphill Hill Management Plan which is due to be adopted by
The Executive later in 2007.
Wardens also play an important role as guardians of the
hill.
If you are local, walk the hill on a regular basis and
interested in acting as our eyes and ears please contact
Esme Gilling on 01934 427 663 for an informal
chat. |