General information

Hengrove Way, Hengrove, Bristol BS14

Introduction

Hengrove Park is a 76 hectare former airfield in south Bristol, located on the urban edge of the city on the ring road, four miles from the city centre. Today few remnants of the airport remain and the site is used mainly as an informal open space, recreation ground and sports facility by local communities from the various post war employment and residential suburban developments and neighbourhoods which fringe the site. The potential of the site has been recognised by the Adopted Bristol Local Plan and redevelopment projects are under way.

Access

Access is via Hengrove Way, the Leisure Park, Bamfield, and pedestrian routes at the rear of St Giles Estate and Whitchurch Sports Centre. The surface of this large site is flat but somewhat uneven.

Plan your journey to Hengrove Park with Regional Map, Journey Planner and City Map Viewer

View a GIS map of Hengrove Park.

Events

Hengrove Park has been used for several years as a venue for events of all sizes. Bristol's parks host hundreds of events each year from keynote festivals and performances in the city's magnificent green spaces through sporting events and charity fundraisers, to smaller scale community events in local parks. Most of these events take place from April to September. To view a comprehensive listing visit What's On If you'd like to promote an event in the city's parks and green spaces, please click here for more information.

Management and maintenance

If you have any comments, queries or concerns about the management and maintenance of this site, please contact Bristol Parks on the contact details below and we will ensure your information is promptly actioned.

Plants and wildlife

At the west end of the park there is an unusual bowl-shaped area rich in wildlife. This site contains species-rich grassland on the banks, with marshy areas in the base, and trees and hedgerows linking the bowl to the road. Here you can find lots of the wildflowers which used to be found in meadows, providing not just colourful displays in the summer but also the food source and shelter for an unexpectedly high number of animal species. For example, 204 different invertebrate species were recorded from this area in one recent survey by BRERC, 19 of which were nationally endangered. Larger mammals and birds love this area too: if you are lucky, you may spot skylark, bullfinch or even a cuckoo here - not bad for a city site! Follow the link for more information on wildlife in Bristol.

Play facilities and activities

Hengrove Play Park is the biggest free play park in the south of England. This state-of-the-art adventure play park was opened in 2002 and is one of the most exciting play parks built in the UK in recent years.

Hengrove Play Park has recently been singled out for praise by the Bristol Civic Society for its contribution to city life and won an environmental award for attracting 65,000 visitors during the summer of 2003.

Follow this link to find out more about Play in Bristol and in the city's parks and green spaces.

Recreation

The site is home to a range of existing uses including an Athletics Track, Rugby Club and a time trial cycle track. St Bernadette's Rugby Club also plays in the park. Many of the facilities suffer from vandalism and informal recreational use can be hazardous due to the persistent unauthorised riding of motorbikes across the site. Follow the link for details of parks and green spaces in Bristol with sports facilities and how to book.

Contact us

You can call Bristol Parks on 0117 922 3719 or email: bristolparks@bristol.gov.uk  Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm (4.30pm Friday). Alternatively you can text us on 0771 039 6713 to report flytipping, graffiti, or make any other comments about Bristol's parks and green spaces. Please provide as much information and specific details as possible about the location attaching any supporting photographs. We will only call you back if we require further information.

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