I have lived in Morcombelake for nearly seven years. While that is not nearly
long enough for me to be regarded by older villagers as anything other than
a newcomer, it is enough time for transient initial impressions to have
disappeared.
It should not surprise anyone that the A35 dominates how I feel about Morcombelake.
The road has advantages and, of course, disadvantages. But for the A35,
it is likely that we would not have a regular bus service, a shop, a garage,
or the Ship Inn. Perhaps even Moores biscuits would not be here either.
We also do not have to drive along miles of difficult country lanes whenever
we want to travel to or from our village. Those are all important advantages.
The main disadvantage is the noise from traffic, of course. A simple re-surfacing
such as was carried out at Raymond’s Hill would greatly reduce the
noise from the road surface and it may be that will happen shortly.
I greatly enjoy Morcombelake’s easy pedestrian access to the Golden
Cap estate. It is wonderful to wander that area and I never tire of it.
The combination of hills, farms, and coastline is perfection.
Morcombelake lies mainly on the sides of Hardown Hill and its slope influences
many aspects of our lives. The incline affects such fundamental activities
as walking, gardening and even outside house painting, for example. These
are made more difficult but at the same time more interesting than living
on the flat. The necessary deliveries of fuel oil and the emptying of septic
tanks are in general more difficult in Morcombelake than elsewhere.
Most houses in Morcombelake lie on the south side of Hardown Hill, which
means that we enjoy sunny gardens in summer but that we often suffer severe
weather conditions in winter. There is a great feeling of ‘openness’
about living in Morcombelake. Being close to the sea would seem to pose
the threat of salt corrosion, but I am surprised not to have observed any
sign of that.
I find the great variety of style of houses in Morcombelake quite attractive.
Most houses have been designed individually. There is also an ‘eco’
house under construction in the village, which is a particularly interesting
development. This house will have Scandinavian standards of insulation and
will be heated geothermally. There are hardly any ‘second home’
dwellings in Morcombelake.
The summer influx of tourists to the West Country has only a small effect
on life in Morcombelake. There is a big increase in traffic density, of
course, for a couple of months but little of it stops here except to visit
Moores or eat in The Ship. Those houses offering B&B naturally do very
well in the summer. Guests’ inevitable question on arrival is “Anywhere
nearby where we can eat?” The answer tends to be ‘The Ship’
so the B&B business also benefits our only pub.
There is a strong and enjoyable community spirit in Morcombelake and it
is growing. Most village group activities are centred on the James Hargreaves
village hall although some are organised by the Hardown Society. Those responsible
for organising these events always take into account the fact that many
people in Morcombelake are getting on in years and perhaps do not or cannot
drive a car. That fact, coupled with the limited parking available in Morcombelake,
influences the type of activity provided. Hence the village enjoys ‘pop-ins’,
scrabble evenings, art groups, gardening club, lectures, quiz nights and
coach outings, for example. All of these activities require little use of
cars; most villagers simply walk to the hall.
Newcomers to a community such as Morcombelake tend to be relatively young,
have energy and (sometimes) money. It does not follow that such people will
always be welcomed but in my opinion there is an excellent relationship
between newcomers to the village and longer term residents. In some ways
this is the most enjoyable aspect of life in Morcombelake. I am told it
was not always so. Why the present generation of villagers, old and new,
get along so well together is hard to explain. Perhaps it is down to the
fact that many of us newcomers joined in community activities as soon as
we were able and changed village life in a way that older residents find
agreeable. Long may that continue.
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The roar of the A35 road dominates Morcombelake like some prehistoric monster
that comes to life at about six in the morning and calms down at about six
in the evening, but with plenty of noisy action into the night. This road,
from my point of view makes Morcombelake a convenient place to live, as
it gives good accessibility to town and coast. But there is much more.
I suspect that like me, most residents create their own little oasis where
the sights, sounds and smells of nature can be enjoyed. I like to wake early
and listen to the dawn chorus in the spring, hear the cock birds waking
at Fulvens when the wind is in the west, hear the collared doves coo cooing
outside, a sheep bleating, a dog barking and in the depths of winter the
sound of silence after a fall of snow.
Sit in the garden, listen to the humming and buzzing of busy bees and other
insects. On a summer’s day, see the colourful butterflies flitting
amongst the flowers and sunning themselves on the stems, and so much more.
Take an evening stroll along the lanes and enjoy the scent of the honeysuckle
in the overgrown hedges, hear the church bells from Whitchurch on practice
night when the wind is from the northwest. The smell of newly mown grass,
or freshly cut hay, looking to see the first swallow of spring and now,
in mid August on Morcombe Green they arrive in their hundreds lining up
on the wires, swirling and twittering as they prepare to depart. Collectively
this is just one reason for living in Morcombelake, a village of sounds,
sights and smells.
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