MORE than 80 people gathered for an evening celebrating the unique landscape, wildlife, and natural heritage of Porlock Marsh in a sell-out event organised by Porlock Information Centre.

The evening offered a fascinating journey through the history and natural environment of one of West Somerset’s most iconic landscapes.

Local expert Nigel Hester took the audience through the history and geology of Porlock Marsh, as well as exploring its rich and diverse flora and fauna.

Mr Hester, who worked for nearly 40 years for the National Trust before retiring in 2018, offered a deeper understanding of how the marsh has evolved and why it is such an important and special part of the local landscape.

An evening in the village hall learning about Porlock's salt marsh proved to be a sell-out event.
An evening in the village hall learning about Porlock's salt marsh proved to be a sell-out event. (Contributed)

Photographer Shaun Davey, who specialises in landscape photography, landscape astrophotography, drone photography, and videography, then turned the focus to capturing the beauty of Porlock Marsh through the camera lens.

Mr Davey, whose work is regularly used by Exmoor National Park Authority, shared some practical tips and inspiration on how to photograph the marsh, including making the most of its changing light, landscape, wildlife, and distinctive character.

Adding to the atmosphere, guests were treated to a selection of savoury light bites prepared by The Porlock Vale Chef, making it a relaxed and sociable evening as well as an informative one.

The event also featured a display of Porlock Marsh exhibits loaned by Dovery Manor Museum, which has an exhibition about the salt marsh running until the end of October, including information on the catastrophic storm of 30 years ago which breached the Porlock Bay shingle ridge and created today’s dynamic saltwater marsh.

The exhibits provided an opportunity for guests to explore the history of the marsh in more detail and added another dimension to the evening.

With more than 80 people attending, the event was a tremendous success and demonstrated the strong local interest in Porlock Marsh and the natural environment.

Deborah Stanyon, of Porlock Information Centre, which organised the event, said: “We were absolutely delighted with the response to the evening.

“To have more than 80 people attend a sell-out event was fantastic.

“Nigel and Shaun gave us two very different but complementary perspectives on Porlock Marsh, and it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the evening and learning more about this very special part of our local landscape.”

Mrs Stanyon said she would like to extend sincere thanks to Mr Hester and Mr Davey for sharing their knowledge and expertise, to The Porlock Vale Chef for the wonderful savoury light bites, to Dovery Manor Museum for generously loaning the Porlock Marsh exhibits for the evening, and to the Top Ship for providing the licensed bar.

She said the success of the event highlighted the appetite for the informative, engaging, and sociable community events, and Porlock Information Centre looked forward to bringing more talks and activities to the local community in the coming months.

Details of future events can be found via the Porlock village website.