Reserves

Kingsweston Down

Grid ref: 551 778 / Area: 25 hectares

Kingsweston Down is a surprisingly tranquil and peaceful reserve on the edge of the city of Bristol. A ridge of grassland sheltered by trees, in summer it is alive with wildflowers and butterflies.

How to get there
We encourage visitors to use environmentally friendly forms of transport wherever possible. Most of our reserves are easily accessible by bicycle, with many close to the National Cycle Network. Click here to view a location map of the reserve on the National Cycle Network website.

Alternatively, from the A4162 road, at Combe Dingle turn into The Dingle. Park in Grove Road. Can also be reached on foot from Blaise Castle Estate.

Access
Paths are steep and uneven in places and often muddy and slippery in wet weather.

Wildlife and conservation
A long ribbon of limestone grassland, sheltered by woods on either side, it is very peaceful and can be a suntrap. The Down is surprisingly rich in plants: in summer, it is awash with wildflowers, including rockrose, harebell, lady's bedstraw and restharrow. This variety of flowers has resulted in a large number of butterflies - in total, 28 species have been recorded. Marbled whites are one of the most common butterflies on Kingsweston Down. Common blue and brown argus can also be seen flitting over the grassland, but look out also for purple hairstreaks and holly blues along the woodland edge.

Each year, alternate halves of the Down are cut for hay in late summer. Since this practice was introduced by the Trust, the numbers of butterflies have increased.

Other points of interest
At the north-east end of the site, the ramparts of an Iron Age camp can be traced. The site is a limestone ridge formed by erosion by the Rivers Severn and Avon. Flat land on either side of the ridge forms a river terrace and shows the level at which the rivers used to flow.

Further information
Kingsweston Down is owned by Bristol City Council www.bristol-city.gov.uk and managed in partnership with them.