Brockley Combe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brockley Combe
Brockley Combe Road
Map
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Brockley Combe is a beautiful, wooded valley located near the village of Brockley in North Somerset, England. A "combe" is a special word for a small, deep valley. This combe cuts into the western edge of the Lulsgate Plateau. This plateau is made of a type of rock called Carboniferous Limestone, and it's like a northern part of the bigger Mendip Hills.

Bristol Airport is located right at the top of Brockley Combe. A small road runs through the entire length of the valley. This road connects to the A370 road at the lower end, close to Brockley village.

What's in a Name?

The name "Brockley Combe" is very interesting. It combines two old words from Brythonic languages. "Combe" means a small, deep, dry valley that was easy to defend. "Brock" is an old word for a badger. So, it's like "Badger Valley"! You might see "combe" spelled as Coombe or Coomb in other parts of the United Kingdom, but they all mean the same thing.

In 1868, a book called the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland described Brockley Combe. It called the valley a "deep narrow glen, of singular beauty." It mentioned that the valley had steep rocks, some as tall as 300 feet. The rocks were covered with many beautiful trees and different kinds of mosses and plants. The book also noted that lead ore and special rock formations called basalt could be found there.

Poetry and Inspiration

Brockley Combe has even inspired poets! Two famous British poets wrote poems with the same name, Brockley Coomb. One was by the British Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His poem was written in May 1795 while he was climbing the left side of the combe. The other poem was by British poet Arthur Hugh Clough. John Marius Wilson, another writer, said that Brockley Combe was one of Coleridge's favorite places to visit.

To the south of Brockley Combe, there is another quiet valley called Goblin Combe. It's another beautiful natural spot nearby.

Brockley Hall and Its History

Forestry, which is the management of forests, happens in the woodlands around Brockley Combe. Down from the A370 road, you'll find a grand old house called Brockley Hall. It's a Georgian manor house, built in the Georgian style.

For a long time, the Piggott-Smyths family lived in Brockley Hall. During World War II, American soldiers stayed there. They even carved their names into the trees nearby and on the large stone gate posts! After the war, people who didn't own the house lived there for a while. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the hall was rented out as separate apartments. New houses were also built in its large grounds. About 35 years ago, the hall was bought and fixed up. It was then sold as four separate apartments, which are now very valuable.

In the woods near Brockley Hall, you can still find the remains of an old bowling green. This was a flat area used for playing bowls in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Large, old yew trees surround it. One of these yew trees was even painted by an artist named Samuel Hieronymus Grimm in 1773.