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15. Folly Farm
Grid ref: 610 603 / Area: 101 hectares
Wildflower meadows and woodland
surround the Folly
Farm Centre at the heart of Folly
Farm, a 250-acre nature reserve between Bath and Bristol
which offers spectacular views over Chew Valley Lake
and the Mendips.
How to get there
Click
here for an online location
map (Google Maps website). 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.
If you are driving
:
Travelling southwards from Bristol on the A37 travel
through Pensford. At the Chelwood roundabout turn right
onto the A368 towards Bishop Sutton. After about 2
miles go past the turning to Chew Magna and take the
next small turning on your left very shortly after,
just before reaching Stowey.
Or travel by bus from Bristol to Bishop Sutton (nos
673, 674, 675) or to Clutton no 376.
Wildlife and conservation
The meadows are of a type
now rare in Britain. Unspoilt by pesticides and fertilisers,
in summer they are brimming with flowers such as betony,
ox-eye daisy and heath spotted orchid. In late summer,
they are covered with drifts of black knapweed and
devil's-bit scabious.
Many butterflies can be seen throughout the summer,
including ringlet, small tortoiseshell, gatekeeper
and marbled white. The rare marsh fritillary has also
been found there, flying in early summer.
Of the two woodlands, Dowlings Wood is largely ancient,
being an old hazel coppice. The woodland floor is extremely
rich in springtime flowers, such as primrose, bluebell
and early purple orchid.
Amongst the many birds that can be seen are nuthatch,
buzzard and great spotted woodpecker. Tawny owls also
nest and roost on the farm.
Most of the fields are grazed by sheep. The SSSI is
lightly grazed in the autumn by cattle to favour marsh
fritillaries and other wildlife. The woods are selectively
thinned and coppiced.
Further information
Dogs on leads are welcome on all our reserves EXCEPT Folly Farm which is a working farm.
The Folly Farm Centre is a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Trust and will gift aid surplus
profits to the Trust.
The wildflower meadows
and Dowlings Wood are an SSSI.
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