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Goblin Combe

Goblin Combe
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Goblin combe.jpg
Goblin Combe is located in Somerset
Goblin Combe
Location within Somerset
Area of Search Avon
Grid reference ST473652
Coordinates 51°22′59″N 2°45′32″W / 51.383°N 2.759°W / 51.383; -2.759Coordinates: 51°22′59″N 2°45′32″W / 51.383°N 2.759°W / 51.383; -2.759
Interest Biological
Area 51.87 hectares (0.5187 km2; 0.2003 sq mi)
Notification 1999 (1999)
Natural England website

Goblin Combe is a valley in North Somerset which stretches from Redhill, near Bristol International Airport on the A38 through to Cleeve on the A370. The combe is located at (grid reference ST473652), and is a 52 hectares (128 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) originally notified in 1999, with 9 hectares (22 acres) being managed as a nature reserve by the Avon Wildlife Trust. "Combe" is the same as the Welsh word "cwm" which means valley.

Above the valley is Cleeve Toot an Iron Age hillfort. It is a roughly oval settlement which is approximately 125 metres (410 ft) in length by 90 metres (300 ft) in breadth. Approximately 150 metres (490 ft) to the north is another, smaller settlement. They are thought to have been a satellite community of nearby Cadbury Hill Pits have been found at the site indicating the presence of round houses. There is a single stone rampart with a broad shallow outer ditch. There is also a prehistoric or Roman field system.

Goblin Combe has a folk tale involving primroses:

“There was a parcel of children and they was a-picking primroses, see, and one poor little dear her wandered away on her lone self right down into Goblin Combe. She were only a little trot, see, and didn't know no better. Well, when she do find she's a lost she cries, and the tears do run down her dear little face, and dap on her pinafore like summer rain, and she do throw her self against a rock. Then the rock opens and there's the fairies all come to comfort her tears. They do give her a gold ball and they lead the dear little soul safe home – on account she was carrying primroses, see. Well, twas the wonder of the village and the conjuror he gets the notion he'd aget his fists on more than one gold ball when next the fairies opened the hill. So he do pick a bunch of primroses and he go on up Goblin Combe, and he was glad enough to get in to the rock after all he see and hear on the way up. Well, twasn't the right day, nor the right number of primroses, and he wasn't no dear little soul – so they took him!“


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Wikipedia

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