e agree whole heartedly with Terence Andrew’s recent letter entitled ‘Creek walks cheerful again’.
How wonderful it is to see the head of Batson Creek with the beautifully kept green behind it as it should be – since the cutting down of the reeds. This invasive growth of vegetation is not natural to the area and has only appeared over the past few years. It has progressively obstructed the lovely view from the memorial green looking down the creek.
This great improvement is all due to great effort from nearby residents.
It is high time the council took on the long-term solution of digging out the roots of the unwanted reeds.
Cameron and Ros Kennedy Higher Batson,?Salcombe
l Terence Andrew is spot on. The giant reeds that spread over the head of Batson Creek were invasive and spoilt the view down the creek.
We have photographs of the area from 1949 which show the progression of these ‘foreigners’ which have all but replaced the original shorter reeds in recent years.
It is only the continued pressure, over years, by a group of locals that has persuaded the powers-that-be to allow them to cut the offenders. We understand this is a trial and there is no guarantee that cutting or removal will be allowed in future. The community will try to make cutting a regular event, to restore Batson to its former glory.
Michael Andrews and family
Batson, Salcombe
l What a joy to again be able to enjoy an estuary view from Lower Batson.
A rampant reed bed has, till the recent cutting, prevented residents and visitors delighting in the water, birds and reflections from the village green and memorial benches.
It would be an appropriate time now to dig out the raised root growth and associated mud bed, as did the council’s chairman a quarter of a century ago, thereby allowing the tide to again reach the sea wall.
Michael Westby
Lower Batson, Salcombe
l I thank whoever was responsible for restoring the beautiful view from the benches at Batson Creek.
We used to visit Batson to sit on these benches and enjoy the scenery looking up the creek and this gave us great pleasure. But over the years the reeds had grown so tall that the view was obstructed.
On a recent visit we discovered the reeds had gone and we were able to sit once more and breathe in the view.
Philip Williams
Waynflete Street, London
l As regular visitors to Salcombe, enjoying the lovely walks and views, can we offer a big thank you to whichever organisation decided to cut down those awful reeds at the end of Batson Creek.
They had been growing taller every year and eventually blocked out one of the best views in Salcombe – the view of the creek from the benches on the village green.
We have savoured that view for many years, enjoying the interaction of water, trees and sky, but it had all been obliterated by those reeds. No longer.
Hopefully all visitors and locals alike can now enjoy the benefits of a clear creek view.
David and Elaine Collins
Lawnswood, Stourbridge
l Hooray! At last the hauntingly beautiful view from the end of Batson Creek has been restored. It now looks like it used to. I can sit on the benches on the green and watch all that is going on in the creek. Perfect!
Thank you to the people who made this possible.
Anne Calder
Batson, Salcombe