Gordano Valley
Encyclopedia
Gordano is an area of North Somerset
, in England. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve
.
The name Gordano comes from Old English and is descriptive of the triangular shape of the whole valley from Clevedon to Portishead, being the ablative singular of the Latinised
form of Gorden meaning muddy valley.
The valley runs roughly north-east to south-west, between Carboniferous limestone
ridges extending along the coastline between Clevedon
and Portishead
, and another ridge extending between Clevedon
and Easton in Gordano
. The area includes the villages of Clapton in Gordano
, Weston in Gordano
, Easton in Gordano
, Walton in Gordano
, Portbury
and Sheepway. The M5 motorway
runs along the south side of the valley, splitting briefly into two levels - the south-west-bound level running above the north-east-bound carriageway. The Gordano motorway service station
is at the eastern end of the valley, near the Royal Portbury Dock
and the Avonmouth Bridge
. There is no river Gordano - much of the valley is reclaimed land barely above sea level, and it is drained by ditches (known in the area as "rhyne
s"). The rhynes previously managed by the now amalgamated Gordano Valley Internal Drainage Board
are now the responsibility of the North Somerset Internal Drainage Board.
An area comprising a total of 161.68 hectares (399.5 acre) has been designated as a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, for ornithological, entomological and stratigraphic interest, notification originally having taken place in 1971. Several sites in the valley are managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust
as nature reserves. These include; Weston Big Wood
, Clapton Moor, Weston Moor and Walton Common
.
The unimproved wet-meadow communities largely consist of variants of the nationally rare Blunt-flowered Rush–Marsh Thistle (Juncus subnodulosus–Cirsium palustre
), Soft/Sharp Flowered Rush–Marsh Bedstraw (Juncus effusus/acutiflorus–Galium palustre), Purple Moorgrass–Meadow Thistle (Molinia caerulea–Cirsium dissectum) and Crested Dog’s-tail–Common Knapweed )Cynosurus cristatus–Centaurea nigra) community types In total over 130 species of flowering plant have been recorded including 3 species of orchids, 21 grasses and 14 sedges. The extensive system of rhynes and field ditches contains a rich flora which includes three nationally scarce species: Water Parsnip
(Sium latafolium), Whorled Water Milfoil
(Myriophyllum verticillatum) and Fen Pondweed (Potamogeton coloratus). The site is now connected to the Severn Estuary
by the Portbury Ashlands
nature reserve.
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, in England. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
.
The name Gordano comes from Old English and is descriptive of the triangular shape of the whole valley from Clevedon to Portishead, being the ablative singular of the Latinised
Latinisation (literature)
Latinisation is the practice of rendering a non-Latin name in a Latin style. It is commonly met with for historical personal names, with toponyms, or for the standard binomial nomenclature of the life sciences. It goes further than Romanisation, which is the writing of a word in the Latin alphabet...
form of Gorden meaning muddy valley.
The valley runs roughly north-east to south-west, between Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian epoch of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
ridges extending along the coastline between Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
and Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
, and another ridge extending between Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
and Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano sometimes shortened to "E-I-G" is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is within the District of North Somerset and in 2001 the population was 4,719....
. The area includes the villages of Clapton in Gordano
Clapton in Gordano
Clapton in Gordano is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated within the Unitary authority of North Somerset on the southern side of the Gordano Valley, immediately adjacent to the M5 motorway...
, Weston in Gordano
Weston in Gordano
Weston in Gordano is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated in the middle of the Gordano valley on the north side, and in the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, on the road between Clevedon and Portishead...
, Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano
Easton in Gordano sometimes shortened to "E-I-G" is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is within the District of North Somerset and in 2001 the population was 4,719....
, Walton in Gordano
Walton in Gordano
Walton in Gordano is a village and civil parish in North Somerset, England. It is situated in a small valley at the side of the south-western end of the Gordano Valley, about a mile from Clevedon...
, Portbury
Portbury
Portbury is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset.The parish includes the hamlet of Sheepway which is situated on the moorland at the northern edge of the Gordano valley, between the Gordano services on the M5 motorway and Portishead, near...
and Sheepway. The M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
runs along the south side of the valley, splitting briefly into two levels - the south-west-bound level running above the north-east-bound carriageway. The Gordano motorway service station
Gordano services
Gordano services is a motorway service station located at junction 19 of the M5 motorway south of Bristol, England. It is owned by Welcome Break. It offers KFC and Burger King food outlets, a general shop, a cafe, toilets and shower facilities....
is at the eastern end of the valley, near the Royal Portbury Dock
Royal Portbury Dock
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
and the Avonmouth Bridge
Avonmouth Bridge
The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is long, and the bridge is long, with an air draught above mean high water level of . It also contains a separate footpath and cycleway.The bridge was built...
. There is no river Gordano - much of the valley is reclaimed land barely above sea level, and it is drained by ditches (known in the area as "rhyne
Rhyne
A rhyne , rhine/rhyne , or reen is a drainage ditch, or canal, used to turn areas of wetland at around sea level into useful pasture....
s"). The rhynes previously managed by the now amalgamated Gordano Valley Internal Drainage Board
Internal Drainage Board
An internal drainage board is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts...
are now the responsibility of the North Somerset Internal Drainage Board.
An area comprising a total of 161.68 hectares (399.5 acre) has been designated as a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, for ornithological, entomological and stratigraphic interest, notification originally having taken place in 1971. Several sites in the valley are managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust
Avon Wildlife Trust
The Avon Wildlife Trust aims to protect and promote wildlife in the area of the former county of Avon — now Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, in England...
as nature reserves. These include; Weston Big Wood
Weston Big Wood
Weston Big Wood is a 37.48 hectare woodland west of the town of Portishead, North Somerset, England. It is a nature reserve and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1971...
, Clapton Moor, Weston Moor and Walton Common
Walton Common
Walton Common is a 25.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Walton in Gordano, North Somerset, notified in 1991....
.
The unimproved wet-meadow communities largely consist of variants of the nationally rare Blunt-flowered Rush–Marsh Thistle (Juncus subnodulosus–Cirsium palustre
Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadow
The Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadow is a plant association characteristically found on damp ground in portions of western Europe...
), Soft/Sharp Flowered Rush–Marsh Bedstraw (Juncus effusus/acutiflorus–Galium palustre), Purple Moorgrass–Meadow Thistle (Molinia caerulea–Cirsium dissectum) and Crested Dog’s-tail–Common Knapweed )Cynosurus cristatus–Centaurea nigra) community types In total over 130 species of flowering plant have been recorded including 3 species of orchids, 21 grasses and 14 sedges. The extensive system of rhynes and field ditches contains a rich flora which includes three nationally scarce species: Water Parsnip
Sium latifolium
The Sium latifolium or Greater Water parsnip or sometimes simply Water parsnip is a plant species of the genus Sium....
(Sium latafolium), Whorled Water Milfoil
Whorled water milfoil
The whorled water milfoil, Myriophyllum verticillatum is an invasive aquatic plant.With the increase in water sports, the spread of many water milfoils has increased over the years...
(Myriophyllum verticillatum) and Fen Pondweed (Potamogeton coloratus). The site is now connected to the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
by the Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands which is now known as Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve is a nature reserve between Portishead and the Royal Portbury Dock in Somerset, England. It was formed from the redevelopment of the area of Portishead formerly occupied by two power stations...
nature reserve.