Knowing where you are
These striking new signs will be appearing across our land soon. Placed at entry points and boundary lines, it will be clear that you are entering land owned by Friends of the Quantocks. We hope it will help raise our …
Quantocks News
Somerset Geology Group
Friends of the Quantocks were approached by Garry Dawson back in the autumn when we celebrated taking ownership of Bicknoller Quarry. Garry and his fellow volunteers at the Somerset Geology Group (SGG) have offered to help develop interpretation material for …
Bicknoller Quarry Geology
In May, committee member Vernon Hughes met with Garry Dawson of the Somerset Geology Group at Bicknoller Quarry. The aim was to work out how Friends of the Quantocks can best show off the geology of our recently acquired quarry. …
Planning in a Protected Landscape
We have already told you about the enhanced protection given to Protected Landscapes such as the Quantock Hills by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA). Last December teams from the National Landscapes and Exmoor National Park issued a briefing …
New FiPL application window is OPEN
With spring firmly on the horizon, it feels like a time for new beginnings. On that note, the Quantock Hills National Landscape Team is delighted to share the news that DEFRA has extended the Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) scheme …
Launched today! The Nature of the Quantocks
A new book about the wildlife and landscapes of this special place goes on sale today We’re incredibly excited to launch a brand new publication, written by local expert Nigel Phillips, who has pulled together a complete guide to the …
Planting with Optimism and Friendship!
Josh Wedderkopp, teacher at Crowcombe Primary School, on the Friends of the Quantocks Elm & Hairstreak School visit and tree planting on 14th February 2025 When to plant a tree? One of my favourite proverbs is that “The best time …
Where Geology meets Ecology
An insight into the work of Watchet-based Geckoella: a specialist consultancy for Ecology, Geology and Heritage building stones analysis When they aren’t out surveying and collecting ecological and geological data and specimens, Geckoella can usually be found in their workshop …
A Book, a Quarry and a Trendle Gin Gimlet
As Storm Bert battered the Quantocks (and most of the rest of the UK), we hunkered down in Bicknoller village hall with a gin cocktail and celebrated 75 years of Friends of the Quantocks. The event was two-fold – to …
The Quietness of Feeling
~ Tim Whittingham Benjamin Haughton was a late Victorian painter of rural scenes, especially trees and woodlands. He painted with remarkable skill, portraying misty woodlands and sunlight reflected on water or filtered through foliage, his favoured subjects being always the …