ALERT – there’s info below about the Bristol ULEZ zone for which fees are payable if your vehicle is non-compliant. The zone is entered if you use the A4 Avon Gorge route.

A reminder that there’s a fied trip on Sunday next w/e [26th Nov] to Chew Valley Lake which many will know – basically a very large reservoir south of Bristol, good for wildfowl.
Unfortunately I am away visiting family in Derbyshire, so Alan Rosney has kindly agreed to be the leader. Please contact Alan alanrosney@gmail.com and not myself.
The arrangement is to meet at the long Heron’s Green layby on the B3114 which runs south from Chew Stoke village at 10:15 to 10:30. Heron’s Green is a viewing point on the west side of the lake.
Click here to see a map. The GR is ST551604.
To use any of the hides a permit is required – it is a complex business trying to get one and last year we didn’t bother as you can purchase them from a ranger if you meet one. In fact last year we didn’t use any of the hides. One which has been good in the past [Stratford] will be no good as the water levels are bound to be far too high. Another we have used in the past we found doesn’t exist any more.
Any further queries please get in touch with Alan.
John Wilson
PS IMPORTANT info re the Bristol ULEZ [Low eimissions] zone. If your vehicle is non-compliant it’s £9 per day for each entry and there’s a hefty fine if it’s not paid promptly [£120 reduced to £60 if paid within a few weeks.] So, best route I use is to join the southbound M5 and come off at Gordano services J.19 [ the first one you neet] and then the simplest route is to follow the A369 Martcombe Road [1st exit at the rbt after you come off the M5] until it reaches the A370. You then go west on the A370 and at the next big roundabout take Colliters Way which is a new link road that takes you down to the A38. This route avoids the OLEZ zone. There’s also a wiggly cross country route from Gordano to Barrow Gurney, but it’s too involved to explain to people. The junction of the A360 with the A370 is complicated. SIgns are for Bristol Airport and A370 but there’s plan below annotated with arrows – you can see how it is easy to take the wrong route. Once on the A370 continue to a main roundabout and take the A4174 1st exit ~ Colliters Way – which leads down to the A38.