Exploring Hinkley Point Nature Trail: A Walk You Can't Do Any More

What you see below is a kind of historic document because you will never be able to do this walk again. Not now the vast new nuclear complex at Hinkley Point is being massively enlarged. But I wrote this article nearly a quarter of a century ago when there was indeed a visitor trail leading right through and around the Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station…

First there was the shrike and then there was a shriek. The former, a rare, fast-flying, grey bird, came shooting past chasing a meadow pipit in twists and turns reminiscent of a scene from The Battle of Britain.

The subsequent shriek was a cry of delight and it emanated from the nature trail warden who leapt across his office to grab the binoculars. And then, in less than a twinkling of a twitcher's eye, the birds were gone, like two atoms colliding in a reactor.

You might think the simile rather strange, but let me assure you that it is apt enough - given that we were watching this brief ornithological drama occur inside one of the biggest nuclear sites in Europe.

Bird Watching and Fossil Hunting at Hinkley Point's Nature Trail

I'd better explain that we were in the Visitor Centre at Hinkley Point on the West Somerset coast because the place has its very own Hike and the recent nuclear accident in Japan had reminded me that I was long overdue a visit. Sure, I knew it would be the shortest of the walks in this series, and probably the strangest; and yes, strolling close to three massive confined and controlled nuclear explosions really did put my built in What-the-Hell-Happens-If?-metre on red-alert.

Nuclear power stacks from the Hinkley Trail

But you'll be glad to hear I survived without a single crackle being registered on the Geiger-counter and can now happily recommend Hinkley Point's Nature Trail to anyone who fancies a walk with a difference. That's because the people at the power station, and particularly nature warden John Burrell, have put a lot of time and effort into developing and protecting the natural environment around the site, and the results are nothing less than impressive.

Explore the impressive Hinkley Point Nature Trail on the West Somerset coast, a walk with a difference inside one of the biggest nuclear sites in Europe. Discover rare species of trees, flowers, and ferns, butterflies, and unusual birds, such as the shrike. Follow the well-laid footpaths that are suitable for wheelchairs, through woodlands rich in orchids and bluebells, to the Bronze Age barrow and wildlife pond.

Hinkley under different ownership back in the day

A Guide to Hinkley Point's 320 Species of Trees, Flowers, and Ferns

No fewer than 320 types of trees, flowers and ferns live here - including such rarities as bee orchids, pale flax and slender tare. Butterflies love the place to the extent that 29 species are regular visitors with the marbled white being so much in evidence that the powers-that-be have used it as the Trail's logo.

Then there are those birds. It probably was a shrike, but even if it wasn't, John says that he had definite sightings of one at exactly this time last year. And he should know: rarely have I been in the company of someone who is so in tune with his environment. Unusual feathered tourists, rare but unprepossessing grasses, unique varieties of wild rose, or 80 million-year-old fossils on the beach - - you name it, John has got its number.

The good news is that he gives guided walks around the place which offer a far more comprehensive experience than the one you enjoy as an ordinary visitor 'doing' the Trail. The bad news is that these events only happen every now and again and you must ring the phone number in the Fact File to find out more.

This image was taken from the Quantocks shortly after they began building Hinkley C

What you have to do upon entering this enormous 300 acre nuclear complex is register with staff at the Visitor Centre. They count the number in your group and give you a card which must return when you leave, and a Nature Trail leaflet, which you can keep.

The Bronze Age Barrow and Wildlife Pond at Hinkley Point's Nature Trail

The latter will show you how to begin the walk by entering Branland Copse where there is a well laid footpath that leads to Hinkley's main access road which must be crossed to gain access to the greater part of the Trail. By-the-way, so good are these paths that most of them are suitable for wheel-chairs.

Now the Trail wends and weaves its way through a larger section of wood which is said to be rich in orchids and bluebells at certain times of the year, and which is also remarkable as a venue for that famous midnight singer - the nightingale - whenever the old crooner is in town.

Suddenly the track is confronted by a high fence and through the wire you can see a huge area of cables and pylons where recently generated electricity crackles and hums. It's enough to make your hair stand on end, but there isn't time for that as you must turn the corner to climb the miniature hill which is rich in wild herbs and apparently provides a wonderful habitat for mammals, birds, wildflowers and insects.

In other words a wonderful habitat for just about everything save for fish. And me. I didn't want to hang about under the ominously named Monitoring Mast, although the place offers a great view of the three massive stacks in which atoms are colliding and being smashed in what is really no more than Armageddon with the lid on.

The old water cooling intake

"I'm out of here," I turned to say to my mate Bins. But where was he? Well, we saw him a minute or two later along the next part of the trail, down on his hands and knees as if worshipping the three monoliths of Man's victory over Matter. He wasn't of course, he was merely picking horse-mushrooms. The biggest I've ever seen. Great big fat things that glowed in the dark later that night....

No they didn't. I only said that because nuclear power stations can bring out a certain black humour in the best of us - a humour which I shall return to in a minute, but first let me tell you about Pixies Mound, where legend has it a local farmer once watched the little people threshing his corn through the night making a neighbouring barn ring with their work and laughter.

In fact it's a Bronze Age barrow and nearby you'll find one of the Trail's many interpretation boards telling you all about how the place was once dug up by archaeologists and what they found inside.

After studying this and looking around the nearby wildlife pond and bird hide, we made our way back past the Visitor Centre and on to the weird and wonderful beach where vast limestone pavements seem to lead out to sea as if built by some ancient, forgotten people on their way, perhaps, to Atlantis.

Uncovering the Weird and Wonderful Beach of Hinkley Point's Nature Trail

They are, of course, simply fossilised areas of mud in which who knows what squelched about the place, wellington-bootless, all those millions of years ago. "Here's a fossilised oyster bed," exclaimed our guide - and within a fascinating quarter-of-an-hour we'd found evidence of all sorts of life entombed forever in the mud turned to stone.

Beach at Hinkley Point

Which somehow reminded me of my dad's humorous reminiscence of Hinkley Point. As a journalist he was one of the only people ever to have been into the very heart of the nuclear reactor and, squeezing his way into the steel and concrete core just as the contractors were finishing its construction, he noticed that some wag had scrawled on the floor: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

As it happens I'd say just the opposite to anyone considering the excellent Hinkley Point Nature Trail.

But… All that was a long tie ago. Right now Hinkley Point is one of Europe’s biggest building sites and walkers would not be welcome anywhere near the place.

The world’s lat mud-horse fisherman near Hinkley bring home one of the final catches - Brendan Sellick (right) has now sadly passed away and Adrian (left) has given up the fishing.