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Royate Hill
Reserve entrance
for orchids and ox-eye daisy

Two disused railway embankments are linked by a seven span brick viaduct to make a city centre nature reserve, which lies at the heart of the local community.

What to look out for

The railway embankment creates a varied local topography with long and short, steep and gentle slopes. The habitats on the site range from limestone flora on the embankment top, to flower rich grassland, developing woodland and scrub on the embankment sides. Species such as ox-eyed daisy, mouse eared chickweed and bee orchid have been recorded at the site.

Hedgerows, a stream and an old orchard are also present within the reserve boundary.

The embankments were constructed in the early 1870's to form part of the Clifton Extension Railway. They span 450 metres in a shallow curve from Edward Street in the north west, to Clay Bottom to the east, crossing Royate Hill and the Coombe Brook at their centre.

Further information

The site was compulsorily purchased by the former Avon County Council in 1996, following a five-year high profile campaign by local people to save it from development.

Access

Fairly steep steps lead up to an embankment footpath.

 

  Getting there by
Bike View a location map of the reserve on the National Cycle Network website.
Public transport Go to www.traveline.org.uk
Car

The entrance to the reserve is on Edward Street, next to Greenbank Cemetery in Eastville, Bristol.

 
Further information
Reserves in this area
Maps
reserve map
reserve map
Reserve map National Cycle Network
Location details
 Grid ref
 ST 616 749
 Area  2.0 hectares