Category Archives: Volunteer work

Working Party update: Pushing back the tide above Shirehampton Park

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Encroachment  of scrub and bramble over much of the estate has been long identified as one of  the biggest threats to the historic designed parkland. Whilst KWAG has sought  to help in small areas, it remains the Council’s duty to deal with the issue at  such a wide scale. Our July Working Party was one small element in addressing  the issue.

Our work focused on the far east end of the meadow overlooking Shirehampton Park. Here, just on the west side of the Iron Bridge, two Public Rights of Way (PROW) join. The one coming directly uphill from Shirehampton Roads being the focus of our attentions.

The view downhill towards Shirehampton Road before and after volunteer work last month

Our work focused on the far east end of the meadow overlooking Shirehampton Park. Here, just on the west side of the Iron Bridge, two Public Rights of Way (PROW) join. The one coming directly uphill from Shirehampton Roads being the focus of our attentions.

What’s called the “definitive map” that shows PROW indicates that this should travel in a direct line between the bottom of the bank to the steps behind the Echo, but successive years of sloppy mowing had allowed scrub to grow, progressively pushing the PROW off its legal alignment and threatening the open grassland. Worse, the path itself was threatened with being blocked by the growth.

The view in the opposite direction looking along the Public Right of Way heading towards the Echo.

Work focussed on removing this scrub, mostly elm regrowth, Old Man’s Beard, and sloe, and pushing the edges back to their historic extent. The turnout on the day was perfect to tackle the relatively modest area, and we exceeded expectations in how much we’d achieve.

Across the slope, with Shirehampton Road to the left. The treeline has been pushed back to its 2012 extent.

A huge thank you to everyone who made it on a scorching hot day. The group managed to get the work done quickly enough to avoid the worst of the heat, and we were able to retire for a well earned early lunch.

The results speak for themselves. Although the track still meanders around the distorted route, it’s clear and the way opened out to allow the important meadowland more space to regenerate.

Another view looking downslope illustrating how close the path was to becoming blocked

Working Party update: Hot and bothered in Penpole Wood

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The summer always see our working parties operate with diminished numbers; holidays, sport, and hot weather have all taken their part this season. Nevertheless, a small band set to work on cherry laurel regrowth that’s been gradually making its way back into the area since 2016; yes, it really has been a decade since we removed the forest of invasive species form the natural woodland.

Before and after views looking in the direction of the avenue into Penpole Wood from the edge of the main path through the same.

Surprisingly, ten years’ growth was not as bad as might be imagined. Effective treatment of the laurel stumps by the Council back then appears to have held them back. Despite that, there remained challenges.

The growing cherry laurel had offered the perfect climbing frame for brambles, and pulling these from the bushes was a challenge in its own right. Still in bird nesting season, we didn’t tackle any that were dense enough to support nests.

The panorama from the main path through the woods looking south. Laurels here were nowhere near the size of those felled a decade ago, but threatened to get out of hand once more.

The final effect was not as transformative as the original felling, but has retarded the cherry laurel again, perhaps for another decade. The area is, again, more open for native species to flourish, a number of specimens of the one-tree-per child planting scheme still growing strong.

The view westwards through the area, in the direction of Penpole Point

Wildflowers return on Napier Miles Road

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We’d rather assumed that the wildflower seed we’d sown along Napier Miles Road had been suffocated by the blue-flowered Green Alkanet that had taken immediate advantage of the freshly-tilled soil. However, plenty of perennials have persevered and have started putting on a show this year. We’re really pleased with this and we’ll endeavour to keep it maintained, hoping that eventually the Green Alkanet will become less dominant.

Working Party update: Another pass through the View Garden

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It was a bit of a surprise that it’s been two years already since we cleared through the old View Garden on the north side of Napier Miles Road. Since then things have changed remarkably from the barren space left beneath the cherry laurels we felled. There’s definitely been a lot of new green growth coming up in the area despite some of that growth being resurgent cherry laurel.

May’s working party sought to keep on top of that regrowth and ensure the area doesn’t succumb again to this invasive species.

Before and after work at the View Garden looking west towards Kings Weston House across Kings Weston lane.

Wildlife pond update

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If you pass up to Vanbrugh’s Echo from the house, you’ll notice the wildlife ponds that have been gradually restored over the last few months. A project supported by KWAG and the Nature Nurture team in Bristol City Council, it’s been a progressing since the end of last year when volunteers worked to empty the last of the mud and logs from it.

The ponds near the Echo in 2014, choked, stagnant, and poisoned by cherry laurel and before KWAG’s first restoration.

This  was not the first time the ponds have been salvaged. Back in 2014 KWAG  volunteers removed all of the cherry laurel in this section of the wood and  followed-up by emptying the ponds. Unfortunately, they gradually accumulated  branches and the frequency of dogs enjoying the waters meant that it was unable  to thrive.

As  part of the latest restoration overhanging branches have been cut back to allow  more light to penetrate the woodland here. The council volunteers erected a  fence around the ponds and followed up with the placement of a number of native  pond plants just last month.

The results speak for themselves and we hope that this will become an important element of the historic landscape as wildlife habitat.

Seen from a similar angle today, the nature ponds are now looking fantastic after their recent revival.

Working Party update: Jubilee Clearing progress

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Looking in the direction of Kings Weston house across the lost clearing.

Last month we continued work on the restoration of Jubilee Clearing as a more diverse habitat and as the historic site of the arboretum and the later Scouts camping ground. The invasive snowberry was cleared in March leaving a blighted forest floor. Anywhere overshadowed by the snowberry has suffered from suffocation, only ivy and moss have been able to grow and further retarding any natives that might grow.

With the area exposed to the sun the drier conditions will no longer be supportive for moss, and the ivy continued to suffocate any other growth. Volunteers worked to clear back the whole area to encourage greater diversity of species.

The clearing from the north, looking in the direction of Penpole Lane

Raking-off the worst of the material, the way was prepared for the re-seeding of the area with a native woodland-edge glass and flowers. Whilst these are a new introduction, the area has been so long covered that a viable seed-bank in the soil is unlikely.

Raking-off the worst of the material, the way was prepared for the re-seeding of the area with a native woodland-edge glass and flowers. Whilst these are a new introduction, the area has been so long covered that a viable seed-bank in the soil is unlikely.

The clearing from the south-east, looking in the direction of Avonmouth

Working Party update: Jubilee Clearing cleared!  

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Jubilee Clearing has long been a memorable spot for local people from Shirehampton and Sea Mills. After the death of the last squire, Philip Napier Miles, large parts of Penpole Wood and fields beyond were sold to Bristol District Scouts. Between 1937 and 1947 the clearing became the favoured campsite of the district’s scouts.

The view on entering the clearing from Penpole Lane on the south edge.

Since the compulsory purchase of the Scout’s land by the Council, little has been done to protect the character of the woodland clearing – until now. The Snowberry that’s invaded the area is not native, and had obscured the open character of the area. With the recommendation of the wildlife and woodland officers, the restoration of the clearing for both heritage and ecology is a project we’ve been keen to engage with.

A good band of volunteers set out to clear the invasive shrub from the area in mid-March. Knowing that bird nesting season was upon us, we were exceptionally careful in approaching the task, though, with the Snowberry yet to leaf, there was little cover to attract birds.

The view east across the historic clearing. Some of the original imported evergreen specimin trees can be seen on the far edge. 

The removal has been surprisingly effective. The transformation now hits you immediately you enter the area, views through and across it restoring the sense of openness. We recognise that the snowberry is a tenacious plant, and will need repeated cutting, but this is a major step in restoring the character. The ground-cover beneath it is largely moss or ivy, the only species able to grow below the dense coverage. This month we hope to try and improve the biodiversity further by preparing the way for seeding of suitable shade-loving grasses and wildflowers.

Looking across Jubilee Clearing from the south, before and after work. 

Working Party update: Bramble rooting on the lime avenue 

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In retrospect, perhaps February’s working party was a bit of a challenging job. We hoped to root out a large patch of brambles, the first along the ancient avenue of lime trees leading towards the house. Through a combination of limited resources and tools that were less than ideal, we struggled to meet the target we’d set for ourselves. The poor ground conditions, clinging wet mud, and rain hardly helped matters.

Animated image showing the scene before and after work. The drive down the lime avenue is on the left.  

We did manage to complete a significant part of the work on the day, but had to admit defeat when the rain began in earnest later on. Fortunately, a few volunteers were able to donate more of their time a couple of weeks later to complete the job.    

Now the two recently replanted trees on the avenue are better revealed, and there’s a definite improvement in the open character between the main drive and the open lawns leading to the house. It’s our hope that, having taken the brambles out by the root, we’ll have a much better chance of them not returning with such vigour this year.

Before and after work on the brambles looking from the lawn back towards the drive and the Circle beyond it. 

Whilst this will stem the encroachment of only a small part of the avenue, we’ll be unable to continue this work during bird nesting season. This will also give us time to rethink how we approach the job.

Animated image showing the work on the lime avenue looking towards Kings Weston house on the right. 

Working Party update: A decade’s growth restrained  

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It was invigorating to see so many new volunteers join us in January to re-cut cherry laurel regrowth close to The Circle. It was 2016 when we last went through the compartment to fell the forest of laurel that had grown to choke out natural species. Gratifyingly, it’s been slow to try making a comeback, mainly due to the Council following through with poisoning at the time.

Above: Looking into the woods westward from The Circle 

However, the laurel remains a persistent weed and has begun to get going again, so last month’s work helps to knock it back again.

The area sits at the northern, back, side of The Circle, a patch lined on the south with the Avenue to Penpole and the north by the main path to the Point. Most of the work could be done with loppers, but there were a few extra bits that needed the saw taken to them again.

Looking back to The Circle in the direction of the car park from the main path through the woods.

We also took the opportunity to get back on top of some natural spacing, clearing competing saplings around trees that stand a better chance of maturing. This should keep the avenue to Penpole clear and in good shape for a little longer.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped out, and we hope to see you all this month.   

A broad panorama from The Circle looking west towards Penpole

Nature pond progresses  

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At the end of January, Bristol City Council park rangers held true to their promise to provide a fence around the recently cleared ponds close to the Echo. This is to ensure the progress made in emptying it of mud and logs is not undone as it was after we last cleared it.

Unfortunately, silt, sticks and logs thrown in for fun, and dogs regularly enjoying a dip prevented earlier work from flourishing. This, and the regular autumn dump of leaves and a large dead tree finally finished any aspiration to revive it.
 
Now,  a fence with timber posts and large gauge mesh fence should help protect the wildlife and give the ponds a chance to thrive. They’ve now filled-up with water very nicely after the recent wet weather, and are brim-full, ready to start receiving some native pond plants the Council will be providing soon.
 
We look forward to Spring when the project should be finished, and we hope wildlife will begin to make its return.