Badock’s Wood

IMPORTANT VISITOR INFO – Take only photos. Leave only footsteps.

To keep the woodland as natural as possible we don’t label individual trees and we ask that visitors do not place their own plaques, labels, flowers, etc in the woodland. Each tree we plant should be seen as part of a natural woodland.

Before visiting this woodland, please read our Frequently Asked Questions page, which gives you helpful tips about your tree and visitor guidance.

Badock's Wood provides a wildlife haven in an urban setting and it's taken care of by the Friends of Badock's Wood.

To the north of the site, in an area of open grassland, is a Bronze Age burial mound (tumulus). The latter has been classified as "Middle Bronze Age, constructed about 1300BC" and is sometimes referred to as the "Southmead Round Barrow".

The site has been in the care of Bristol City Council since 1937, when it was given to the City by a local industrialist, as an area of open space for the enjoyment of local people.

The local industrialist was Sir Stanley Badock, hence the adoption of the name "Badock's Wood" for the site. He died in 1945.

The woodland is probably at least 400 years old in parts, as indicated by the presence of ancient woodland flora. It has a surprisingly good bird life for an urban site.

The River Trym flows through the floor of the valley and meets one of its (unnamed) tributaries in the centre of the wood.

To the north of the wood, there is an area of semi-improved grassland (which includes the tumulus) that was created in the mid-1980s when temporary post-war prefabs were removed.

This large area of green space within the confines of the City is important to, and valued by, local people for many recreational purposes. In recent years various organisations have actively worked together to generally improve this important resource for the benefit of the local community and wildlife.

The Friends of Badock's Wood (FOBW), in conjunction with Bristol City Parks, help by maintaining and improving the different habitats.

This includes improvement to the woodland and stream environment in respect of safety and access and also enabling it to be used for educational activities by the local communities, especially Southmead.

In time, additional facilities such as interpretation boards will be provided. FOBW also plan to raise awareness of the site and, in particular, the 3,500-year old Bronze Age burial mound.

In consultation with English Nature, Badock's Wood was assessed and awarded the status of a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in January 2008. Designation as an LNR recognises the importance of Badock's Wood both for wildlife and people. Although LNRs do not receive any legal protection, by declaring a site as an LNR the Local Authority is making a commitment to manage the land as a Nature Reserve and to protect it from inappropriate uses or development.

Badock's Wood is surrounded to the north and east by Southmead, a designated Neighbourhood Renewal area that is eligible for Neighbourhood Renewal funding.

Photo Gallery

Tree Species at Badock's Wood

Since 2012 EFORESTS has worked with the land owners and local volunteers to plant 279 new native tree species.

The following tree species were planted on the site:

IMPORTANT VISITOR INFO – Take only photos. Leave only footsteps.

To keep the woodland as natural as possible we don’t label individual trees and we ask that visitors do not place their own plaques, labels, flowers, etc in the woodland. Each tree we plant should be seen as part of a natural woodland.

Before visiting this woodland, please read our Frequently Asked Questions page, which gives you helpful tips about your tree and visitor guidance.

EFORESTS have been tree planting in Somerset and many other regions since 2006. You can dedicate a tree to be planted in Somerset or elsewhere in the UK on our Tree Dedication page.