Kelston Roundhill and Roundhill Barn

Jon Hamp writes:

HAH HAH!

the bridges say,
You do not walk in Wales today….

But I have walked and I have seen,
your rain, your light , your grey, your green.

A gentle ‘SO?’
these Cotswolds say….
we hold close counsel here today.

and hide our jewels in folds and pleats,
where green cloaks; beech and alder meet.

So, let your mountains hold their height,

We sleep in folds and pleats tonight.

The Kelston Laureate Jon Hamp sends us these words:

Through

The gate latch
falling lifts the head.
Antlers reach to touch the veil
resting soft against it.

The key is entered, upside down.
Lock turns, and time
breathes outward, through
to somewhere else.

And gently, dust and antlers
sift downward through the mesh.

This Sat 21 May Three Cane Whale are back at Roundhill Barn for an intimate concert. The trio play delicate, original instrumental folk tunes, and deploy rich array of original instruments many of which would be unfamiliar.

Tickets £15 available here. Cash bar with excellent food available on the night.

https://komediabath.ticketsolve.com/shows/873625175

This was nice to see after our December bluebell planting efforts.

We’re very much hoping these are Hyacinthoides non-scripta and not the other ones; we love Jamon iberica but Hyacinthoides hispanica not so much…

Here’s the key to distinguish them…

We were pleased to welcome our new neighbours the Middle Ground Growers from the other side of the hill for an equinox celebration of their new venture and successful fundraise.

Their Weston Spring project is a new market garden growing local organic fruit and veg, with local delivery by e-bike. In an age of mini-courgettes flown in from Kenya and asparagus from Peru they’re taking the World Heritage City to the old ways in an outstanding, natural and beautiful way. Let’s not forget this is how Bath’s earlier Roman and Georgian residents would have fed themselves.

Starting a new venture is always risky, and earning a living from local farmland is hard work. Their worthwhile project is something we’re happy to support.

Spring and beautiful weather has seen increased visits to Kelston Clump. The Roundhill Barn is again available for short-term hire: see dedicated web site here. Apologies if the lettings team has been hard to contact for some weeks: we had admin and staff issues (all now happily resolved).

This weekend two lucky 16-year-olds had a memorable birthday weekend of sunlight and moonlight with dozens of friends. Adult supervision was kept at a safe distance with the elegant solution of a 1967 Airstream Trail Wind from Nick at Glamstreams: all mod cons in a classic aero-engineering aesthetic.

Dick Bateman, learned retired geography teacher and keen walker who knows Kelston Roundhill as well as anyone, has responded to Ben’s pictures below with some of his own.

Maybe its time we revived our photo competition (first prize was a Bath Soft Cheese, consolation prize hard cheese, and past winner in most categories typically the one and only Matt Prosser).

The photographer Ben Walmsley contacts us with some photos and questions:

I am a photographer currently putting together a series of images of Kelston Roundhill for a book. I was wondering if you had any information about the history, I have found that there is something about how it was very important to the town of Kelston a long time ago, but is there anything more you can tell me, or be able to point me in the right direction of where I could find out such information

Where do we start? Maybe with the Kelston History Group, and perhaps the detailed description of Dick Bateman’s 7000 years of enterprise walk from Saltford to Kelston, part of the RGS’ Discovering Britain series.

Thanks for the images Ben. Do share more as we go through the seasons, and best of luck with the book!

Boxing Day we planted a mass of English bluebell bulbs in Kelston clump. It always feels like an ideal location for bluebells, but we’ve never seen any flowering in there until spring 2021, and even then it was just a few of the invasive sort.

So we accepted with pleasure a generous Christmas gift from our new neighbour Hamish from the Middle Ground Growers of a bucket of English bluebell bulbs. He said it was 200 bulbs; we reckon we planted about 500 and had a good quantity left over for another round. We dug hem in around the base of trees, and sprinkled some chili flakes and cinnamon to deter pests.

Come and check in April. We’re hoping to see some first flashes of blue. But maybe you’ll just find a bunch of well-fed squirrels…

• Middle Ground Growers are running a Crowdfunder for one more week: you can support it here.

Winters lighthouse keeper

There should be a lighthouse here.
Here, high upon this hill
It’s arm would hold us steady
and guard the western wall.

& it’s great light sweeps the stars from white horse manes,
esplayed on Eastern hills

and turns to fracture
snow on beacons
West,  beyond the deeper waters.

Solstice City Blue

A cold pearl in the oyster
the grey shell in the pearl –
So, let the city’s nighttime flag
dissemble and unfurl.

Slowly, silent through the dark;
move shimmering Emerald planes.
Diamond cars hiss softly
-dream,
of sleeping sapphire trains.

Jewels of winter colour, scatter –
strewn across the charcoal sheet
out to where the hope of Spring –
our broken blues and yellows meet

And all these toys beneath us
(Once on front room carpets)
lay Winter at our feet.