Westerland Valley

We went on an expedition today to find the Westerland Valley. It is quite nearby but was unknown to us. We were inspired by the fact we had both just read Miss Benson’s Beetle, a very entertaining novel by Rachel Joyce, about a search for a golden beetle in New Caledonia.
The valley was previously the site of reservoirs and Paignton Waterworks, from 1875. In the 1970s the reservoirs were drained and the site went back to nature. It is a bit like a jungle, but like all urban sites it has some unwanted additions. No golden beetles. The future is bright though, and it is to be the site of a major project, improving flood defences and ensuring its ecological importance.