Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve is just south of Yate, near Bristol, in the West of England.
Please click on the menu items above to find out about the Reserve, or read the latest diary entries from our blog wapley.blogspot.com
NEWS UPDATES
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our volunteers and visitors!
The robin is a very appropriate bird to feature on Wapley’s social media. They live in the woodland and hedges throughout the year, and one particular robin often sings to visitors approaching the reserve via the bridge over the railway.
Temporary Closure of Circular Pathway at Wapley Bushes (Wapley Woods)
Dodington Parish Council has taken advice from health and safety consultants to close temporarily the circular permitted access pathway through Wapley Bushes (Wapley Woods), following storm damage by the recent Storm Claudia. A number of trees have fallen onto the pathway, prompting Dodington Parish Council to call in an arborist to conduct a detailed survey of the remaining trees directly adjacent to the circular path. The report highlighted 19 specimens needing urgent works, of which 10 were classed as ‘critical’. Due to the high risk presented by these trees, they have taken a sad decision that temporary closure of the permitted access pathway is necessary, until the trees can be made safe.
They are working actively to appoint a tree surgeon to carry out the necessary works to the critical trees, so that the pathway can be reopened as soon as possible. They know that the community loves and values the woodland, but they have a legal responsibility to make sure that visitors can enjoy it safely. All of the other footpaths around the site remain open, it is just the circular permitted access path in the Ancient Woodland that is closed. They will keep the closure as minimal as possible and will provide updates as things move forward.
Wapley Bushes awards for 2025
We are pleased to tell you that we won three major awards in 2025. Two of them were South West in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards, both at the highest “Level 5 – Outstanding”.
We retained our Green Flag Community Award, but we have moved up into the highest marking band.
Big thanks are due to all our volunteers and to Dodington Parish Council for all their help.
Volunteers needed to help our local environment!
Would you like to help nature conservation in our area? Wapley Bushes Conservation Group needs more volunteers for our practical sessions and for background activities.
You can find out more by coming to one of our workdays, emailing Paul Hulbert on paul.hulbert@gmail.com. or coming to our next committee meeting at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 14 January, in the Foxall-Powell Room at Dodington Parish Hall, Finch Road, Chipping Sodbury BS37 6JZ.
The Conservation Group helps to look after several Nature Reserves in the area and also works with local youth organisations.
Please come and join us – we’re an active, friendly group that really makes a difference to our local environment.
DORMOUSE SURVEY UNDER WAY
You may see some dormouse nesting tubes in trees and hedges around the Wapley property for the next few weeks. A professional ecologist is carrying out a survey to see whether hazel dormice have moved into our area (previous surveys have had negative results)
The population of hazel dormice in the UK has dropped by 75% in less than 30 years. The species is currently classed as vulnerable, but there are thoughts that the status might be upgraded to endangered. We’ll let you know the outcome of the survey.
EXCELLENT RESULTS FROM BAT SURVEYS
During the autumn we did two bat surveys at Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, the Orchard and the Common. We found four species each time:
- Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
- Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus)
- Noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula)
- Serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus)
NATURE RESERVE VOLUNTEER WORK MORNINGS
LATE WINTER WORK MORNINGS
Our events are all free to attend and they do not require advance booking. We take sensible Covid precautions like not sharing gloves on work days so you are very welcome to bring your own gloves if you have them, but if not then we provide gloves that you can keep and use for the next workday.
You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Please wear stout footwear. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Our next work mornings will be tree planting sessions in February and March – more details will be posted here in due course.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Would you like to be kept informed of work mornings and other activities? You can use our Contact Us page to ask for your email address to be added to our local list, so that you find out about environment events at Wapley and other local wildlife sites.
You can find out about our activities on the Wapley Bushes Events Page.
Please watch this page for future events.
WAPLEY BUSHES LOCAL NATURE RESERVE – A WARM WELCOME
This area of woodlands and meadows is a haven for wildlife. Please enjoy the views and the peace and quiet. Visitors of all ages are welcome to explore the Reserve – look for secret places like the Lower Pond hidden in a copse, and the Dragon Tree on the Lower Path in the Ancient Woodland.
The Reserve is owned by Dodington Parish Council and managed in partnership with Wapley Bushes Conservation Group. The Reserve was set up in 1992.
Wapley Bushes Conservation Group holds regular workdays and always welcomes new volunteers – there is something for everyone, and it’s a very friendly group. The Conservation Group is affiliated to Avon Wildlife Trust, and can tell you about other local nature areas and volunteering opportunities.
Enjoy your visit and please come back soon.
Ash Dieback Disease tree surgery
Major tree surgery works were carried out over the last two winters to deal with Ash Dieback Disease. The contractors returned to the Centenary Wood area in autumn 2021 to remove the stumps and get rid of the deepest ruts. By the end of winter 2021 – 2022 we had planted more than 130 new trees, and about 240 in winter 2022 – 2023. Please check out our Ash Dieback Disease page.
Telephone contacts
Wapley Bushes Conservation Group
01454 315851 or 01454 313055
Dodington Parish Council
01454 866546