Greenspace Improvement
Health and Wellbeing, Nature Recovery, Climate Resilience
St Barnabas Field: Meadow, Woodland & Access
The Eunomia natural capital accounting valuation tool estimates that this project will provide £888,200 of environmental and social benefits over a 15-year period. A cost benefit return of almost 8:1 - Click the link below to view the valuation details.
St Barnabas Field: Meadow, Woodland & Access
St Barnabas Field is a much-loved green space with grassland, woodland, scrub, a pond, and a watercourse. It offers tranquillity and far-reaching views, but its habitats for nature and visitor facilities need improvement.
Project Summary
- 8,000 m² of enhanced meadow habitat.
- 9,000 m² of improved woodland.
- 200m of accessible paths.
- 3 feature entrances combining heritage and biodiversity.
Help us restore St Barnabas Field into a thriving, inclusive, and wildlife-rich space for generations to come.
Grassland Restoration
The grassland is currently semi-improved but species-poor, dominated by ryegrass. While more diverse than typical parkland, it lacks the richness needed to support wildlife.
This project will:
- Remove ryegrass and reseed with meadow grasses, wildflowers, and Yellow Rattle.
- Push back encroaching scrub and young trees.
- Mow the meadow in ways that replicate traditional hay-cut management.
These changes will create flower-rich meadows, boosting biodiversity, and helping to reverse the loss of wildflower habitats—98% of which have disappeared nationally.
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Nestled between an industrial estate and a residential community, St Barnabas Field helps buffer both from weather and climate impacts. With its direct connection to the historic Dramway and the Bristol and Bath Railway Path it also helps to connect surrounding habitats enabling wildlife to more freely move throughout the wider area.
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View of the field from the Northern entrance looking South.
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Views to the South and lower section of the field.
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Volunteers from the community and St Barnabas church planting wildflower plug plants, making a start on restoring the meadow.
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Historic pond, a watering hole for horses pulling carts along the 'Dramway', seen shortly after work to remove years of built up silt and to cut back encroaching trees. Completed 2025 as part of the Common Connections project.
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Work to improve the entrance between the field and the Bristol and Bath Railway Path. A short stretch of all weather surface replacing ankle deep mud and broken gates replaced as part of the Common Connections project.
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Bug Hotel - A welcoming new entrance feature, popular with people and nature, recently installed at the Northern entrance point. Similar features are to be included at other entrance points.
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The Bristol and Bath Railway Path runs alongside St Barnabas Field's Western boundary. The path is busy and much loved for its value as a recreational and traffic free commuting route. After dark, it also provides nature with vital connection to a range of different habitat opportunities. The project will improve connections between St Barnabas Field and this pathway, benefiting people and nature.
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The historic 'Dramway' runs alongside St Barnabas Field's Eastern boundary, providing a safe connecting route for nature and an interesting, traffic free route for people to explore. The project will improve connections with this pathway.
Woodland Enhancement
The woodland contains mature oak, ash, beech, elm, and hornbeam, but lack of management limits diversity.
Our plan:
- Gentle clearance and coppicing of hazel to let light reach the forest floor.
- Encourage dormant species like wood avens, red campion, garlic mustard, and ferns to flourish.
This will transform the woodland into a vibrant, multi-layered habitat supporting a much wider range of plants and wildlife.
Improved Access
Nature should be for everyone. This project will provide better access for all:
- Upgrade 200m of footpaths for wheelchair-friendly access.
- Improve bridges, ramps, and tight corners.
- Create three welcoming entrances with drystone walls and integrated bee and bug hotels—celebrating heritage while providing homes for insects, amphibians, and small mammals.
Visitors will enjoy easier access and connections to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, making St Barnabas Field a gateway to nature.
Our thanks to Siston Parish Council for their help in the development of this project.