| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
  Location within Somerset | |
| Location | Avon |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | ST325662 |
| Coordinates | 51°23′27″N2°58′17″W / 51.39081°N 2.97150°W /51.39081; -2.97150 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 84.1 hectares (208 acres) |
| Notification | 1952 (1952) |
| Natural England website | |
Sand Point inSomerset, England, is the peninsula stretching out fromMiddle Hope, an 84.1-hectare (208-acre)biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It lies to the north of the village ofKewstoke, and the stretch of coastline calledSand Bay north of the town ofWeston-super-Mare. On a clear day it commands views overFlat Holm, of theBristol Channel,South Wales,Clevedon, theSecond Severn Crossing and theSevern Bridge.
Some sources treat Sand Point as the lower limit of theSevern Estuary and its boundary with the Bristol Channel, although definitions of these areas vary and are often ambiguous.[1] The Living Levels Partnership use a definition that draws a line between Sand Point andLavernock Point in SouthWales.[2]
Middle Hope is a sequence ofcarboniferouslimestone with unusual geological features including aPleistocene-aged fossil cliff and as a result has been designated as aregionally important geological site. The underlying geology and soil types support scarce plants such as thesmallflower buttercup,honewort,Cheddar pink andSomerset hair grass. Human use of the sites is shown by abowl barrow anddisc barrow from lateNeolithic orBronze Age and the site of a likelymotte-and-bailey castle.Woodspring Priory, a formerAugustinianpriory which was founded in the early 13th century, sits just inland of the rocky promontory. The priory and surrounding land is owned by theNational Trust and is a popular place for walking.
At Middle Hope a sequence ofcarboniferouslimestone is exposed, which includes thickvolcanictuffs andlavas, demonstratingTournaisian carbonate sections.[3] The site contains aPleistocene-aged fossil cliff and shore platform.[4][5][6] These features have led to the designation of Middle Hope as aregionally important geological site (RIGS).[7]
The raised beach of wave-cut platforms has been created by changes in sea level of theBristol Channel since theQuaternary period.[8][9][10] The arrangement of volcanic and sedimentary rocks, including theBlack Rock Limestone, illustrates the events of 350 million years ago.[11][12] Thestrata have been tilted and compressed during thevariscan orogeny.[7]
Among scarce plants found on Sand Point aresmallflower buttercup,[13] andhonewort.[14] The range of soils at the site support various flora and fauna. The calcareous grassland is dominated byFestuca species andDactylis glomerata, while the scrub towards the west of the site is dominated byhawthorn(Crataegus monogyna) andblackthorn(Prunus spinosa), while that to the east consists ofcommon gorse(Ulex europaeus) andbramble(Rubus fruticosus agg).[4] Less common plants include thecheddar pink(Dianthus gratianopolitanus) andSomerset hair grass(Koeleria vallesiana).[15]
Evidence of early human occupation is provided by abowl barrow anddisc barrow from the lateNeolithic orBronze Age that have been identified on the higher ground. The bowl barrow is 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter and approximately 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) high. Slightly west of the bowl barrow is a disc barrow surrounded by a bank and ditch which enclose an area about 8 metres (26 ft) across. These are situated at the highest point where theOrdnance Survey have constructed atriangulation station.[16]
Amotte-and-bailey castle may have been constructed after theNorman Conquest.[17] The site is known as Castle Mound or Castle Batch and can be seen as a 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high mound which is approximately 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and marked by a ditch on the landward eastern edge.[18] The mound was damaged by the construction of a building duringWorld War II. The medieval date for the construction is in doubt with some sources suggesting that the mound may have been a watchtower constructed in the 16th century.[19][20][21] The walls of the sheep fold were built by prisoners from theNapoleonic Wars.[20] Hope Cove on the northern coast had a reputation for smuggling as it was "well away from the men ofHM Customs and Excise".[22]
Woodspring Priory was anAugustinianpriory.[23] It was founded by William de Courtney, in the early 13th century, and dedicated toThomas Becket.[24] The small community built a church and monastic lodgings during the next hundred years. They wereVictorine Canons who were influenced by theCistercians emphasis on manual labour and self-sufficiency. As a result, the clerks who had taken holy orders worked on the farm, as well as providing clergy for surrounding churches.[25] Despite endowments of land the priory was not wealthy until the 15th century when further building work, including the current priory church, infirmary and barn was undertaken. It wasdissolved in 1536 and then owned by local noblemen and leased to local farmers.[26] In 1969 the priory was taken over by theLandmark Trust who spent 20 years on restoration work, and since the 1990s have rented out the farmhouse as holiday accommodation.[27] The surviving buildings include the priory church, which was a 15th-century replacement for the earlier 13th century structure, infirmary, barn and 16th century prior's lodging which was converted into a farmhouse. The whole site was arranged around a centralcloister from which only the east wall and west wall of thechapter house remain, thesacristy, refectory, chapter house, lady chapel and parlour having been demolished.[28][29][30]
Because of the biological and geological interest the site was designated as aSite of Special Scientific Interest in 1952.[4] In 1968 the priory and adjoining land of Middle Hope was purchased by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty as part ofProject Neptune.[31][32]
During World War II weapons were tested at Sand Point,[21] in association with the base atBirnbeck Pier which was commissioned as "HMSBirnbeck" by theAdmiralty as part of theDepartment of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD) for research into new weapons.[33] To support this buildings were constructed at St Thomas Head, east of Middle Hope. Some of these have since been removed and the site is now used byQinetiQ as an explosives and shock test facility.[34]
There is no defined boundary between the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel. The Welsh 'Mor Hafren' or 'The Severn Sea' includes the relatively enclosed waters to the line of the proposed barrage extending from Brean Down via Steep Holm and Flat Holm to Lavernock Point.
