Bossington
SITE TYPE | COASTAL | LOCATION | 51.2258 / =3.573 | |
SITE ACCESS | OPEN | GRID REF. | SS901485 | |
PILOT RATING | CP | TAKE OFF | ||
WIND DIRECTION | W - NNW | PARKING | ||
BEST | NW | HEIGHT | 730 FEET (222m) | |
XC POTENTIAL | UNLIKELY | TOP - BOTTOM | 730 FEET (220m) |
Site Rules
-
Ensure PGs & HGs communicate on take off
Hazards​
-
Rotor if the wind goes off to the North
-
PGs beware of HGs launching from the cairn
-
Gorse in amongst the heather
-
Wave is sometimes encountered on this site
About​
Bossington is a picturesque site overlooking Porlock Bay just to the West of Minehead. Suitable for all levels of pilot, the site offers easy soaring for both PGs and HGs
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Coastal soaring is often considered to be safer than inland, thermic flying however the club sees more accidents on the coast than inland each year. Robin Wallace (Wessex HGPG) has produced an excellent guide to the dangers and pitfalls of coastal flying which should be essential reading for all pilots:-
Access & Parking
From the East, take the A39 to Minehead and go straight across the first roundabout. Fork right at the second roundabout and turn right at the T junction onto High Street.
Turn left off High Street and left again sign posted "North Hill" and keep following the signs to North Hill. Drive along the top of the hill for about 3 miles until the road ends at a car park :-
The path contours round the valley to a large cairn on the horizon. From the cairn walk west to the obvious cleared/grass areas in the gorse/heather:-
​
Guidlines
Launch from midway down the grassy area where there is enough wind to build a wall. Further forward and you may encounter a small area of rotor which will make launching difficult. With the wing above your head walk forward down the path until you are lifted. Running or jumping may dump you in the gorse that is below the launch area.
Be aware of deep holes and cracks on the take off area when moving around and rigging.
There is a footpath back to launch at the Northern end of the beach
W3W - ///fortified.reject.spinners
Ensure gliders are bunched and not blocking the launch areas especially if there is a chance of pilots being dragged.
If PG and HG are launching please communicate to ensure that there are no issues on take off.
Bottom Landing
Visible from take-off, the bottom landing field is next to the beach with a square "pill box" building on the seaward side. Make sure you leave the hill with sufficient height to clear the river and reach the landing field.
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
​
Beware of landing on the beach, it slopes steeply and the stones are much larger than they look from take-off.
To retrieve from the bottom landing drive back to Minehead and take the A39 West towards Porlock. In Allerford turn right, sign posted Bossington. Drive into Bossington and you will need to park, probably in the NT car park, as the track to the beach now has bollards and is not accessible by vehicles.
Top Landing
PGs can top land on take-off, and in the grassy areas behind as long as there is no conflict with crowding or gliders trying to launch.
There are also numerous gaps in the heather/gorse to slope land if required.
Further back there is a grassy area North East of the cairn which can also be used by HGs. Do not go back beyond the fork in the path and keep plenty of speed on through the dead air. Ask local HG pilots for advice.
On days with reasonable height gains it is possible to fly back to an area North East of the car park, following the high ground all the way back is the safest option. Leaving with a minimum of 500ft above the hill is recommended to ensure you arrive with sufficient height to turn into wind. This landing area can be very rough all the way to the ground so be prepared to pilot the wing all the way to the ground.
XC Potential
Occasional small XCs have been made, particularly on HGs.
On an exceptional day it might be possible to pick up a thermal in the Porlock Valley and work inland but keen XC pilots are likely to be at another site.
Airspace
None immediately relevant​
All pilots using Devon & Somerset Condors HGPG sites must be current BHPA flying members, hold a minimum rating of CP Hill and obtain a site brief from a pilot who regularly flies the site.
The information contained in this document is provided purely as guidance. It is not intended to be an exhaustive guide to the hazards that may be encountered and it is the responsibility of individual pilots to carry out their own assessment of the site and weather conditions before making a decision to fly.
Neither the Devon & Somerset Condors Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, authors of this guide, editors of this guide, any official or member of the club in any way accept liability for any accident, injury, or loss, to any person, resulting from free flying activities or the use of this guide.