12th February: Along Callow Drove.
I had planned to walk on Axbridge Hill, but on arrival at Shute Shelve car park, an abandonment of cars left by a group of “ramblers” meant there was no safe place to park, so a change of venue was required.
Parked at the Shipham end of Winscombe Drove and followed the track westward to the junction with Callow Drove. Followed the track, up on to the hill, a bit mucky to start but it soon opens out to a section of walled drove.
The gatepost is conglomerate (Triassic), and the wall constructed from limestone (Carboniferous). It is possible, the conglomerate originates from Draycott.
Several of the trees along the drove have been ‘ring barked’. The height to which this occurs can be gauged by the livestock fence to the left of the image.
This boundary marker is located near the eastern end of the drove where the path splits around Callow Rocks Quarry.
There are fine views from the drove, from the eastern end looking through Longbottom towards Blackdown on the horizon.
