VILLAGE LIFE

In our special series Catherine Courtenay takes a look at village life in Somerset

- Catherine Courtenay

Kilve

When the time came for the coronavirus restrictions to start being lifted, visitors flocked to Kilve Beach. The car park that services the beach was full, a sight that would usually be reserved for hot summer weekends became a regular mid-week happening.

It’s easy to see why people wanted to come to Kilve. It’s on the northern edge of the Quantocks, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and famed for its shale and blue lias rock. It’s great for rock pooling and fossil hunting, with exposed rocks containing ammonites and reptile remains.

The poet William Wordsworth described the beach as ‘delightful’ and it also attracted the attention of Dr. Forbes Leslie, who in 1924 wanted to set up an oil works at Kilve and build a railway line to Bridgwater. The shale was rich in oil he said. Fortunately, all that remains of his venture is a red brick building close to the car park.

It’s not just fossils, Kilve has plenty of history to delve into. Kilve Pill, where a stream meets the sea, was once a little port, shops bringing fuel for the nearby limekiln. Legend says it was also a site for smuggling activities.

There is the pretty, white walled Church of St Mary, which dates back to the 14th century and there are the remains of a chantry chapel, which was founded in 1329. Although now a ruin, it makes for a picturesque setting for a cream tea at the Chantry Tea Gardens.