Author: PeterBET

Tree Walk – October 2015

Led by Richard Bland

Richard is a wonderfully enthusiastic naturalist who has been fascinated by the history and natural history of The Downs since he came to Bristol fifty years ago. He has a pivotal role in several organisations including a spell as President of the Bristol Naturalists Society. If you came to the BioBlitz in the summer you may have met him either leading some of our school groups on the Friday or enjoyed his all too brief tree walk on the Saturday.

Fortunately, the diversity of our woodland intrigued him and he offered to lead a longer walk on some future occasion. Needless to say, we jumped at his offer and on 4th October about 28 of us gathered at the BET Cabin. Richard is a very engaging speaker, with not only an extensive knowledge of plants, birds and trees, but also a background of economic history. Not only did he tell us about the trees, but their economic importance and some of the social history.

We measured girth to determine the age of the tree (about 2.5cm per year so 2m girth would indicate an age of about 80 years). Apparently old oaks are few and far between because they were traditionally harvested at about 100 years, and their height would have dictated the maximum dimensions of buildings in the pre-industrial ages. We also learned of the relationship between the Knopper Gall Wasp, the Turkey Oak and our native oaks, and how heavy infestations can affect acorn crops. This was brought home to me as I walked back through Backwell Churchyard, past the oak tree, trampling the ridged Knopper Gall acorns underfoot, seeing hardly any that were unaffected.

Richard is a great observer and has walked the same route across the Bristol Downs for 17 years, logging birds and plants, adding to knowledge about changing populations. He pointed out that this year had been a good one for apples but there was very little beech mast, ash fruits or acorns. Some of his observations are noted in the Phenology section of the Bristol Naturalists Society monthly bulletin. Two hours flew by all too quickly and we reluctantly bade farewell, with some areas of the reserves still unvisited!

We are most grateful to Richard for all his contributions to BET activities this year, in leading walks and carrying out copious species recording at the Bioblitz. We hope that he – and you – will continue to visit and enjoy our reserves.

You can find lots more fabulous photos from the walk in this gallery: BET Flickr Album

Carrie Riches

BET on BBC – February 2014

In June 2013, BET was contacted by the makers of the BBC series ‘Escape to the Country’ to ask if we would like to take part in an episode being filmed in North Somerset.  The episode was broadcast in Feb 2014 and included a 4-minute story about BET, which you can watch by following this link. 

BET on BBC – February 2014

In June 2013, BET was contacted by the makers of the BBC series ‘Escape to the Country’ to ask if we would like to take part in an episode being filmed in North Somerset. 

Not being one to pass up a bit of free publicity we readily agreed to the filming which  took place just a few days later at various locations throughout both reserves. The trusty BET volunteers turned out in force on the day and were filmed constructing new trails as well as scything one of our meadows. The filming was pretty intense at times with only a short break for lunch, but we hoped that with the ten hours the film crew were on site, we might get a 5 minute slot on the TV – so as long as we don’t end up on the ‘cutting room floor’!  The film crew were very impressed with BET and its volunteers and sent a kind thank-you note:

‘I just wanted to say a huge thank you for filming with us last week. It was great, we learned loads, the activities were fantastic, having such a raft of committed volunteers was excellent and the views were jaw-dropping!  Our contributors genuinely relaxed and enjoyed their time, so I couldn’t have asked for more. It was a real pleasure to meet you all and to visit such a magical, hidden gem’. 

After quite a wait, the episode was finally aired on the 5th February 2014 and included some lovely sequences of the woods and some entertaining chat. Watch the clip below. This is just the part of the programme showing BET and is for the private use of the Trust. The programme is the Copyright of FreemantleMedia Ltd, who made the programme for the BBC.

 The film crew in action, next to the Jubilee Stone…

Tree Identification Walk – July 2013

At the end of July, BET organised a highly instructive Tree Identifcation Walk through our woodlands with a local tree expert.

A large group of BET members took the opportunity to learn from expert Ian Monger, former Senior Tree Officer for North Somerset Council. Ian showed us how to identify the many species of tree that we have in our woodland reserves, pointing out the subtle differences in leaf shapes between whitebeam and hazel, for example.

During the enjoyable and informative three-hour tour we learned about the stages of tree growth and looked at bark patterns of younger and older trees. We were able to stop and admire some of the oldest trees in our woodlands including common limes, yews and a magnificent 600 year-old ancient oak.

Ian Monger is an Independent consulting arboriculturalist offering a wide range of tree-related services:

http://ianmonger.co.uk/index.html

Archaeology Walk – July 2013

BET hosted a very popular guided walk around our fascinating archaeology sites.

BET held an archaeological walk through our two woods on Saturday, July 20th 2013 as part of the CBA (Council for British Archaeology) Festival Fortnight, one of over 1,200 events around the country.

We headed off up the hill via Church Town to the Jubilee Stone Nature Reserve, stopping to look at the ‘humps and bumps’ which are signs of old lead mining.

We walked up to the Jubilee Stone itself, a granite obelisk built in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and paused in the sunshine to admire views across the valley. Immediately in the field below us were traces of four Bronze Age barrows, from 4,000-2,800 years old, which have almost been ploughed away over the centuries. The largest one was 30 ft in diameter, and we all stood on it whilst it was explained that Reverend George Masters from Flax Bourton dug into the middle of it in 1898, probably looking for treasure, but found nothing of importance. However, recent geophysics revealed that several burials still remain there deep down below, and which of course must remain undisturbed.

After a while, we moved along the bridleway to the Warrener’s Cottage, though nothing much can be seen there either, apart from low wall foundations now hidden under brambles and wild flowers.

Then we visited the limekiln, which was in use from at least 1843-1884, and has been excavated and partially restored by BET.

At the bottom of the hill is a small cave tucked away amongst these trees, which was probably formed by a stream once flowing down over it. Some of our group had never seen it – or knew of its existence, so it was explained that it had been a sacred site to those ancient people, a meeting place for gods of the Earth, Sky and the Underworld, and approximately 18-30 people had been buried there, from 5,000 years ago (Neolithic period) to 2,000 years ago (Roman period).

This, then, was the end of our walk, and everyone seemed to go away satisfied to have learned a little more about BET’s woods and the people who had lived, worked and even been buried there on the hillside at Backwell all those years ago.

Refer to the Archaeology menu for further articles about the above sites.

Autumn Walk – October 2012

On October 28th, 11 intrepid hikers visited seven Wonders of Backwell and Brockley.

The first wonder visited was Backwell’s own prehistoric cave where trustee Jenny Greenslade gave us an impromptu tutorial.

Next the steady climb up to the viewpoint in Badgers Wood for the second wonder of the view over the Bristol Channel. Visibility could have been better but the prospect was still rewarding.

Crossing Backwell Hill Road and rambling along Tinkers Lane we visited Oatfield Pool with its Everglade-like trees, our third wonder. This is limestone country and there shouldn’t really be a pool here at all, but if you study the geological map you will find this part of Backwell Hill is acid and seems to be similar in character to Felton Common. It’s said it was used at one time to wash lead ore perhaps mined from our own Jubilee Stone Wood.

On to the telephone mast and across Hyatts Wood Road to Oatfield Farm, through the barn at Edsons Farm and on to Yorkhouse Cave in Brockley Combe, our fourth and most wonderful wonder with its 39 foot chimney through the solid rock. Here we had lunch in the company of a solitary roosting bat.

Our fifth wonder was the ruined windmill and our sixth the derelict bowling green, both high up on the hill above Brockley Hall thence down to the tunnel under the A370 which links all these wonders with the hall.

A possible eighth wonder, the tunnel under the Chelvey road we decided to leave to another day as the problem with the clocks going back is that it becomes dark earlier than you expect.

Bill Charnock – with thanks to landowner Ken Edis for permission to visit the Yorkhouse Cave and to trustee Carrie Riches for the photographs.