Reserves

Ashton Court Meadow

Grid ref: 545 720 / Area: 2.37 hectares

This reserve is a very special and wild part of the Ashton Court Estate. A meadow teeming with many wildflowers, it is also notable for large numbers of 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 A369 Bristol-Portishead road, after Leigh Woods turn left at traffic lights onto Beggar Bush Lane (B3129). Park after one km in lay-by, enter Ashton Court through gap in wall. Walk across golf course to meadow.

Access
Access for disabled people along edge.

Wildlife and conservation
Part of a large estate close to the centre of the city, a pocket of flower-rich grassland is here for all to enjoy. A wide range of flowering plants grows in this meadow, including wild carrot, yellow-wort and field scabious. Some unusual parasitic plants are also found here, such as common broomrape which feeds off clovers, and yellow-rattle, which feeds partly off grass.

Visit the reserve in May, and parts of the meadow will be full of green-winged orchids. In July, the main attraction is the butterflies. Clouds of marbled whites, meadow browns and many others can be seen skimming over the grass. This is also a good site for the colourful burnet moths which fly during the day.

The meadow is cut for hay in late summer. Scrubby, bushy plants are managed to maintain a balance with the grassland.

Further information
Ashton Court is owned by Bristol City Council and managed by agreement.