Westhay

Westhay is a village in Somerset, England. It is situated in the parish of Meare, 4 miles (6.4 km) north west of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels, in the Mendip district.

Westhay

Northern end of Westhay
Westhay
Location within Somerset
OS grid referenceST435425
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGLASTONBURY
Postcode districtBA6
Dialling code01458
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

The name means 'The west field that is enclosed by hedges' from the Old English west and haga. The 'g' in haga is silent.[1]

Westhay is a marshland village on the River Brue in typical Somerset rhyne country, standing on the site of pre-historic lake dwellings. The site of the lake-village is marked by groups of mounds. Nearby was the Peat Moors Centre which closed down in the autumn of 2009 but has been replaced by the Avalon Marshes Centre where the RSPB, Natural England and the Somerset Wildlife Trust have offices and work bases to manage the local wildlife reserves. It also includes a craft centre and a lunchtime cafe. The prehistoric Sweet Track and Post Track run from the village southwards towards Shapwick.

The village is close to Westhay Moor, Westhay Heath, RSPB Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath, all of which have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Westhay is serviced by one pub, The Bird in Hand..

Peat gatherers at Westhay, somerset levels
Peat stacks and cutting at Westhay, somerset levels
Harvesting the peat at Westhay, somerset levels

Westhay is well known as the site of the Starling Roost featured on many TV wildlife programmes. The roost is in National wildlife reserves such as Westhay Moor, Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath. The area also contains one third of the UK breeding population of Bitterns and the first known UK breeding populations of Great White Egret and Little Bittern.

References
  1. Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimborne, Dorset: Dovecote Press. ISBN 1-874336-03-2.


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