Burrington Combe

Infobox SSSI


name=Burrington Combe
aos=Avon
interest=Biological and Geological
gridref=gbmappingsmall|ST478583
area=convert|139.1|ha|acre|1
notifydate=1952

http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
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Burrington Combe (gbmapping|ST478583) is a carboniferous limestone gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills, in North Somerset, England. "Combe" or "coombe" is a word of Celtic origin found in several forms on all of the British Isles, denoting a steep-sided valley or hollow.

There is a legend that Augustus Montague Toplady was inspired to write the hymn "Rock of Ages" while sheltering under a rock in the combe during a thunderstorm in the late 18th century. The rock was subsequently named after the hymn. It is now generally accepted that the attribution of this location to the writing of "Rock of Ages" only arose well after Toplady's death (The 1850s is suggested by P. Dearmer in Songs of Praise Discussed, 1933) and has no proven factual basis.

The then Vicar at Westbury-On-Trym H. J. Wilkins published a 16 page booklet in 1938 titled "An enquiry concerning Toplady and his Hymn "rock of Ages" and its connection with Burrington Combe Somerset" that found that in relation to the hymn "All available evidence goes to show that it was published in 1776, soon after it was written." Toplady had left the neighborhood of Burrington Combe in 1764.

In George Lawton's 1983 publication "Within the Rock of Ages" the author finds the claim that "Rock of Ages" was written at Burrington Combe to be only a legend, although he does state that "It is extremely doubtful whether at this distance of time, the legend that it was written in a cleft there can be proved or disproved." In George Ella's 2000 study "A Debtor to Mercy Alone" any links between the hymn and Burrington Combe are again said to be no more than legendary, with readers being referred to Lawton's 1983 study.

Caves

The combe contains the entrances to many of the caves of the Mendip Hills, including Aveline's Hole, Sidcot Swallet and Goatchurch Cavern. Recently a through trip has been dug from Rod's Pot to Bath Swallet, which are both on the hills above the majority of Burrington caves.

Archaeology

Archaeological discoveries of early cemeteries demonstrate human occupation of the combe and its caves from the Bronze Age with some evidence of occupation during the Upper Palaeolithic period. [cite web | title=Mendip Hills An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | work=Somerset County Council Archaeological Projects | url=http://www.somerset.gov.uk/media/896B4/MendipAONB.pdf | format= PDF | accessdate=2006-10-28]

pecial Scientific Interest

In recognition of its biological and geological interest, an area of convert|139.1|ha|acre|1 within and around the combe was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1952.

References