Sept-Dec 2010

This, in turn, necessitated the building of an 11-mile railway, known today as the West Somerset Mineral Railway, from the Brendon Hills to Watchet harbour, from where the ore was shipped to Newport, South Wales. At its peak, more than 200 men were involved in this undertaking.

With Phil Gannon, our guide from the Exmoor National Park, and Martyn Babb, the very knowledgeable owner of our coach, we shall explore the line from one end to the other, examining the history and viewing the structure and remains of the mining, and also learning about the effects on the area and its people.

The coach will stop at various places to take in the views. At one of the stops, there will be the opportunity for a half-mile walk if desired.

Visit to Monkton Combe, near Bath, for Kennet and Avon Canal Boat Trip to Bradford on Avon

Friday 10 September

Our coach will take us to Brassknocker Boat Basin, Monkton Combe, where, after lunch, we will join the canal boat that takes us on a two-hour cruise along the beautiful Kennet and Avon Canal to Bradford on Avon.

Brassknocker Basin has a purpose-built canal-side visitor centre, made of steel, wood and glass. It opened in 1988 and is curved to match the bend of the canal around the hillside.

The centre has a number of small shops providing information about the canal, books and guides and various boat and canal memorabilia. A short walk beside the canal gives views of the Dundas Aqueduct which we will be travelling over on the trip.

We shall have an hour to look round Bradford on Avon before returning on the boat to Brassknocker Basin.

Bradford on Avon has many charming narrow streets and fine examples of architecture from Saxon times right through to the industrial revolution. Many of the large buildings along the river are former woollen mills; most of the houses up on the hill were once spinners' and weavers' cottages.

Visit to Highgrove Gardens, Gloucestershire (id Required)

Friday 17 September

People on this trip must take some form of identification – ideally a passport or photographic driving licence – or, alternatively, two utility bills.

The Prince of Wales has spent 30 years transforming the grounds of Highgrove into gardens which have become world-famous.

His strict adherence to organic and sustainable methods has helped create gardens which are inspired, innovative and environmentally sound, encouraging plants and wildlife to thrive. He has been especially anxious to protect flora and fauna driven into decline by modern farming methods.

The gardens are home to the National Collection of Hostas and part of the National Collection of Beeches. A wide variety of apples is grown; including examples of very rare cooking apples.

Before the visit, there will be time to look round Tetbury and/or go shopping – for example, at 10 Long Street where there is the Highgrove Shop. It occupies the major part of a period building thought previously to have been a brewery. (There is also a shop at Highgrove itself.)

Visit to the Avebury Ring and West Kennet Long Barrow, Wiltshire

Monday 20 September

This is an opportunity to visit Avebury and the West Kennet Long Barrow. Our guide for the day will be Peter Stanier.

The Avebury ring is the oldest known stone ring in the world, even older than Stonehenge, 20 miles to the south. Within the circle of huge stones are two smaller circles. It is thought that the inner circles were created about 2600BC and the outer one some 100 years later.

West Kennet Long Barrow, a prehistoric burial mound near Avebury, was used as a burial ground for more than 1,000 years from about 3700-3500BC to 2200-2000BC. It is possible to enter the barrow and explore five empty stone chambers in which human beings were buried.

Visit to Cothelstone Manor, Bishops Lydeard

Saturday 25 September

Mr and Mrs Nigel Muers-Raby only open Cothelstone Manor to private groups and societies. We will hear about the history of the house and church from the manor's beginnings in 1066 through the turbulence of the English Civil War to its renaissance in the 19th century.

The manor was given to Sir Adam de Coveston by William the Conqueror, and his descendants lived there until the end of the Civil War. In 1791, the estate was purchased by Edward Jeffries who restored the house to it original style. His descendants own the Manor House today.

The tour will include the Manor House, gatehouse, gazebo and grounds and a short walk to the church, situated immediately behind the manor.

Afternoon Quiz

Monday 27 September

Staplegrove Village Hall, Taunton, 2.30pm

We tried to run a quiz evening last March, but were unable to attract enough members. However, we want to give the idea another chance – this time in the afternoon.

Please come along for a bit of fun. Ask some friends to join you to make up teams for four. If you want to come on your own, we will find you a team.

There will be prizes for the winners!

Illustrated Talk: “the Real King John's Lodge”

Saturday 2 October

West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm

John Page is Chairman of the Axbridge and District Museum Trust and Vice-Chairman of the Local History Group of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.

King John's Lodge is an early Tudor timber-framed wool merchant's house at Axbridge, now owned by the National Trust. In the first half of his talk, John Page will discuss the structure of this 15th century building and the reasons for its projecting upper floor.

In the second half, he will focus on the reason why it got its name and, in doing so, will reveal where the real King John's Hunting Lodge was in a neighbouring village.

Visit to Quince Honey Farm and Broomhill Sculpture Gardens, Devon

Friday 8 October

On the way to Broomhill Sculpture Gardens, we will stop for an hour at the ever-popular Quince Honey Farm at South Molton. This will give us an opportunity to buy bee products and visit the excellent exhibition about all aspects of the honey bee.

Commercial honey production is explained, but you can also see how bees have set up hives in such eccentric places as pillar boxes and hollow trees. You can also watch safely as they fly in and out.

We will then go on to Broomhill Sculpture Gardens. These are set in a lovely woodland valley where is displayed the largest collection of contemporary art in the south west. Wander around the pretty gardens and admire, comment or criticise.

In the house is a gallery of paintings and smaller sculptures, many for sale.

Visit to Buckland Abbey, Devon

Tuesday 12 October

Buckland Abbey, which is owned by the National Trust, was the home of the Drake family from 1581 when Sir Francis Drake returned from his exploits and bought it from another naval commander., Sir Richard Grenville.

The Grenvilles had converted the original Cistercian monastery, founded in 1278, into a home after acquiring it from Henry VIII in 1541.

The National Trust, together with Plymouth City Museum, provides a mix of interpretation galleries and furnished rooms. They give visitors the opportunity to get an idea of what life was like as a monk or as someone at the meal table of an Elizabethan feast.

Outside, there are four way-marked walks through part of the 600-acre estate; and a beautiful Elizabethan garden.

Visit to Warminster Maltings and Stourton House Flower Garden, Wiltshire

Tuesday 19 October

We will travel to Warminster where there will be an opportunity to visit Warminster Maltings, leading malt suppliers to the independent brewing sector. Warminster Maltings was redeveloped in 1879 and is still going strong.

All around Warminster, the chalk soils of Wiltshire produce some of the finest barleys in England, and provide the best source of raw material for the maltings.

The finished product is sold to customers throughout the UK and in mainland Europe, Japan and North America. There will be an optional tour of the maltings by the owner, Robin Appel, during which the processes will be explained.

Those who do not wish to go to Warminster Maltings will be taken in the coach to Stourhead for the morning and meet the coach again in the car park later to rejoin the rest of the group for the visit to Stourton House Garden at 2pm.

Stourton House was originally a rectory with derelict gardens when it was bought by Anthony and Elizabeth Bullivant 45 years ago.

The Flower Garden is situated just outside the gates of Stourhead. It contains a wide range of plants. At the time of our visit, there should be hydrangeas and berries and probably some late roses.

Features to notice include the shaped hedge and a variety of trees, some of which should be starting to change colour. Wild flowers are a speciality.

Visit to Wiseman Dairies, Bridgwater

Thursday 28 October

As our 2009 visit to Wiseman Dairies was so over-subscribed, we have arranged another visit. Wiseman Dairies procure, process and distribute more than one in four litres of all the liquid milk consumed in Britain every day.

Their new £80million dairy was opened in 2008, together with a new livestock market replacing those at Taunton and Highbridge.

The dairy is capable of producing eight million litres of milk a week. Its main distribution areas are Wales, the Midlands and south-west of England, and its location in one of the largest milk producing areas in the UK enables it to keep transportation costs to a minimum.

There will be a guided tour, lasting about one-and-a-half hours and covering all aspects of the processing of milk and milk products.

Visit to Northleach and Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire

Thursday 4 November

We shall travel to the village of Northleach for a guided tour of the World of Mechanical Music, an award-winning centre for the repair and restoration of clocks, music boxes and automata.

The museum houses a remarkable variety of self-playing instruments and automata that would have been found in many homes before regular broadcasting started in 1924, all in superb condition and presented as a live entertainment.

This will be followed in the afternoon by a visit to the Cotswold Perfumery Factory for a short tour. This small family business has been creating fine fragrances for more than 40 years. Clients include HM The Queen, Prince Charles, Elton John and Ozzy Osbourne and “the many thousands of people who don't want to wear the same as everyone else walking down the high street”.

Illustrated Talk: “Splendid Isolation – Return to Tristan Da Cunha”

Saturday 6 November

West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm

From his home in South Somerset, Richard Grundy runs the Solomon's Project – a teaching scheme involving the people of the Tristan da Cunha Islands where he was Senior Teacher at St Mary's School for three years.

In this, his second talk to us about the world's most remote community, he takes us on an exploration of the wilder parts of the main island of Tristan da Cunha and describes a longboat trip to Nightingale Island where the islanders harvest sea birds and their eggs for food.

He will show some of his work as a teacher on the island, including setting up a nature reserve to monitor the Atlantic Yellow-Nosed Albatross and rescuing a pupil from the clutches of an octopus while swimming.

Richard Grundy's talk will also include the latest news from this extraordinary place as he continues to run the island's website, www.tristandc.com, and produces the Tristan da Cunha Newsletter.

Visit to Exeter Guildhall

Monday 8 November

Exeter's historic Guildhall, situated in the High Street, is one of the oldest buildings in the country. The earliest reference to the building is in a deed of 1160. Building records exist from 1330 to 1593.

The tour will be conducted by the Senior Mace Sergeant. We shall also see the city's ancient regalia and important silver collection.

Visit to Orchid Paradise, near Newton Abbot, and Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey

Tuesday 16 November

The award-winning Burnham Nurseries, near Newton Abbot, have two warm growing houses filled with a colourful display of lovely or strange orchid blooms from all over the world.

There will be a guided tour of their “Orchid Paradise” display area, with tips about the culture and care of your own plants; and you are welcome to bring any problem plants from home for expert advice.

We will then have a short journey to the Devon Guild of Craftsmen at Bovey Tracey to see their Christmas exhibition in its attractive riverside setting. The exhibition takes in some of the best contemporary craftwork from both regional and nationally acclaimed designer-makers.

A wide range of unique hand-made designs will be on display, including paintings, prints, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and sculpture.

Christmas Lunch at Vivary Park Golf Club Restaurant, Taunton

Wednesday 1 December

This year, the Quantock Centre has a new venue for the annual Christmas lunch – Vivary Park Golf Club Restaurant which is more private and where the food is excellent. The restaurant is situated beside the bridge over the river at Vivary Park, and the entrance is at the back of the building.

There will be a raffle, and donations will be welcomed.

Illustrated Talk: “Mills and Millwrighting”

Saturday 11 December

West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm

A group of Quantock Centre members met Martin Watts, a millwright, at Stembridge Tower Mill last September.

The role of the traditional millwright was to design and build watermills and windmills and set up various machines for processing a wide range of materials, especially grain. The 21st century millwright is more a specialist repairer and conservator of historic buildings and machinery.

Martin Watts will briefly discuss the origins and development of mills, illustrate the different types and show aspects of the background work that needs to be undertaken before repairs and conservation can be carried out.

Most of the examples illustrated will be mills in the Westcountry – from Somerset and Devon in particular.

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Highlights of the programme for Sept-Dec 2010

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