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19. Lawrence Weston Moor
Grid ref: 544 791 / Area: 11.9 hectares
This urban oasis is sandwiched between the M5 motorway
and housing estates of Lawrence Weston. An extensive
network of wet meadows and reedbeds, it is extremely
rich in wildlife.
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 Long Cross in Lawrence Weston,
turn into Lawrence Weston Road next to St Bede's School.
Park just before the motorway bridge and take the track
alongside the allotments. Buses to Long Cross.
Access
Fields are often very wet and there are no formal
paths.
Wildlife and conservation
The drier fields are hay
meadows where plants such as meadowsweet and pepper
saxifrage are common, and they are one of the few local
places where common meadow rue can still be seen. The
wetter meadows have more damp loving plants, including
ragged robin, marsh marigold and creeping forget-me-not.
Marsh arrowgrass is another rarity found here. Large
areas of the reserve are covered with reeds and rushes.
These fields are important for birds such as reed
buntings and snipe. Reed and sedge warblers are also
known to breed here.
The old pollarded willows which complement the wetland
scene provide roosts for little owls and kestrels which
can be seen hunting over the fields.
The rhynes are an important feature of the reserve
and are rich in water plants. They also provide homes
for frogs and many insects, such as dragonflies.
The drier fields are cut for hay in late summer, and
the wetter ones grazed by cattle. The rhynes are cleared
to prevent them from silting up. Many of the trees
have been planted to screen off the motorway.
Further information
Lawrence Weston Moor is leased from Bristol City Council
and managed in partnership with them. It is a Local
Nature Reserve.
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