Join our fight to save the wardens

A fight to keep trained and dedicated beauty spot wardens has come out of the Cheddar Valley.

Explosives engineer Nigel Taylor, who lives between Draycott and Cheddar, was furious when he heard that the two Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB) wardens could be forced out of their jobs.

Mr Taylor, who also serves as a Cheddar Parish councillor, was appalled to hear a shake-up of the Mendip Hills AONB Service – funded by Natural England, Somerset County Council, and others – could leave the service with a number of officers but no hands-on staff to install gates and stiles, mend fences, do dry stonewalling or negotiate with landowners.

The warden posts have been such a success, senior warden Les Davies was recognised with an MBE for his contribution to the environment and deputy Tina Bath was named best lady hedgelayer in this year's national championships.

However, a service review could see the former take early retirement and leave the latter redundant.

"Recently the AONB sought approval for a 10-year plan and at no point did it propose axing these wardens," said Mr Taylor. "I think it's disingenuous.

"The AONB employs something like seven posts with names such as development officer and people and place officer, but the wardens do the work on the ground.

"They have actively cut back on facilities for the wardens. They used to have a vehicle each to carry chainsaws and tools. Then they had one between them.

"My family has had a small holding on the Mendips, I have walked over them and caved under them and been very grateful to Les and Tina."

The engineer believes volunteers would be relied on to maintain the hills and that several had spoken to him about giving up their duties over the treatment of the two wardens.

Requests for petitions to Save Our Wardens Service (SOWS) have flooded in and been set up in the Hunter's Lodge and New Inn in Priddy and camping shop Gorge Outdoors in Cheddar Gorge. A website titled www.sows-on-mendip.com has been set up.

The Cheddar Valley Gazette is also backing the campaign.

Register your objection in the comment boxes below - but leave your name and address so they can be added to the petition.