Mud can be a problem in February so this walk kept mainly to pavements and paths as we explored the fascinating industrial history of Nailsea.

We started at Backwell Lake which was created in 1975 as a balancing pond to reduce the problem of flooding after modern Nailsea was built in the early 1970s. It is managed now by Wessex water and was apparently bought from the local council for £1.

We quickly entered Nailsea and explored lanes and roads before arriving at Kingshill which became important in the 15C when coal was mined. Near to the modern shopping centre are the relics of the glassmaking industry when it was one of the most important centres in the country for this industry. There are interesting information boards about this area near Tesco.
The glass produced was green glass, used for windows and bottles. A collection of decorative glass items, made by the workers outside of working hours, can be seen at Clevedon Court.

We were fortunate that the weather was good for a winter walk, with even a few glimpses of sun. Once back in the car park our apps recorded we had walked between 4.5-4.9 miles, we agreed to take the higher figure!

Numbers: 10 plus a very well behaved dog. 

Report by Carol Wood
Photos by Jeff Eastmond