What Price a View?

Like a gigantic carrion crow, a raven drifts by low over the sea below as I walk against the stiff wind on the cliff path above Mewslade Bay.   Few walkers take these remote paths on west Gower in December, but on warmer sunny days like this, it feels more like early spring than winter.  With the Devon coast and Lundy Island in the distance, the view south and west is spectacular, just open sea; but for how much longer?  Plans to build what would be the largest wind farm in the UK off the north coast of Lundy would spoil the view from both Lundy and Gower.  At about 92 square miles, the wind farm would cover an area of sea about the size of Gower, dwarfing the lovely island. With perhaps 240 generators, each over 200 meters tall, and toped with a red flashing light day and night, there would be no escaping the blight on the seascape, and I ponder how to put a value on beauty and a view.

I walk on hoping that common sense will prevail.  From the top of Lewis Castle, Fall Bay is pristine.  The tide is out and no footsteps have made an indent in the golden sand, as the pounding surf echoes against the cliff face.  Away from the cliff and over a difficult style, I walk towards Middleton along the edge of fallow fields bordered by wind-bent hedgerows.   I disturb small flocks of chaffinches feeding on the stubble. There are no bramblings amongst them, but I do find a couple of tree sparrows, which are in danger of disappearing altogether from Gower.  Only at Middleton do I realise I’ve met nobody on my walk.

Retuning home, I’m greeted with a message that the company behind the wind farm project has thrown in the towel, and the views from our wonderful cliffs are safe for now.