A new community group in Bath is inviting local people to help shape the future of Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve [1]. The 16-acre reserve in the Charlcombe Valley encompasses meadows, streams and woodland, and is already popular with local walkers and families.
The Friends of the Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve are asking those who love the area to suggest ways that it could be better managed for both nature and the local community. Set up in March 2024, the group is working in partnership with the landowners, Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Consisting of two fields, Upper West and East Field (historically known as Great Park and Mudcombe), the site had been grazed by a local farmer until the late 2000s. Recently, however, it had largely been unmanaged yet has the potential to offer huge benefits to both biodiversity and the local community.
Local citizen scientists have already been helping to record the different species in the two fields using the iNaturalist app. Improved access has meant that more people can wander through the fields spotting butterflies and dragonflies in the meadows and getting close to the magical kingdom of fungi in the wooded area.
In this time of climate and ecological crises, this is an important opportunity for this patch of north-east Bath, allowing local people to reconnect with nature as well as nurturing biodiversity.
The Friends group will be asking local people for their views and ideas, to share their connections with Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve, and what the area means to them. Participants are encouraged to propose ideas for improving the site for nature – for example, by planting a traditional orchard or building a pond to help the local population of amphibians.
Collecting suggestions for activities that could be run on the nature reserve – from wellbeing walks to birdwatching, citizen science and forest schools [2] – will also be an important part of the plan.
Mike Collins, Chair of the Friends of Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve, said: “The natural world has changed so much within our lifetimes. The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet. Each year, the State of Nature report, compiled by organisations including the National Trust and RSPB, shows that many species we once took for granted are in trouble.
“Sometimes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of what is happening. That’s why a handful of nature-loving local residents have come together to set up a community group to manage this new nature reserve and help deliver positive changes for wildlife.
“As we put together a long term plan for the site, in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council, we want local people to have the opportunity to share their ideas for this special place and help write the next chapter in its story.”
The Friends group will be using the ideas that they collect from the community to help shape a 10-year plan for the site.
Funding from Bathscape has already enabled the Friends group to improve access to the site, carry out ecological surveys of the site and run volunteering opportunities to improve the habitats.
Cotswold Voluntary Wardens have spent more than 200 hours on the Reserve, working to clear paths, add steps to open up access to woodland areas, install a new kissing gate and fencing, and clear fence lines.
The first of three ecological surveys was carried out in August; two more will be undertaken in summer 2025. These will help provide baseline data for the wildlife found on the site.
Over the winter, the Friends group will offer volunteering opportunities across five days, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). Places can be booked directly with the local TCV team [3]. Work carried out by volunteers will focus on scrub clearance in the East Field to help with grassland restoration and planned planting to create areas of mixed scrub.
To enable local people to have their say, an online survey will be open until 31 December at: https://tinyurl.com/nn8dmaab
You can keep up to date with the story of Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/charlcombenature) or via instagram (www.instagram.com/charlcombecommunitynr/).
[1] The main access point for Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve is via a kissing gate on Charlcombe Way. It’s a five-minute walk from Richmond Heights Bus Stop where the number 6 bus stops.
[2] Events and activities already offered by the Friends include:
* Reserve Open Day including walks introducing the Reserve’s history and habitats during the Festival of Nature in June 2024.
* Bioblitz event with the Bath Natural History Society in August 2024.
* ‘Tales from Charlcombe’ during the Bathscape Walking Festival, exploring the natural and human history of the Valley, in September 2024.
* Volunteering sessions, clearing creeping thistle, collecting rubbish and managing hedgerows.
[3] The dates for future volunteering opportunities are:
10 December 2024
8 January 2025
22 January 2025
28 January 2025
12 February 2025
If you are interested in volunteering and would like to book a place or have any questions, please email Claire Dinsdale at The Conservation Volunteers: c.dinsdale@tcv.org.uk
