Lawrence Weston Moor Local Nature Reserve

Lawrence Weston Moor is composed of a patchwork of fields made up of wet and dry wildflower meadows, sedge and reed beds. The fields are divided by drainage ditches known locally as rhines, and lines of pollarded willows. A variety of birds can be found on the reserve including snipe. The reserve also supports a small population of water voles. The drier fields are used for hay cutting and cattle grazing whilst the wetter fields are important habitats for dump-loving plants such as ragged robin or marsh marigold. The site is managed in partnership with the Avon Wildlife Trust.

Visitor information

Location

The nature reserve is in Lawrence Weston, north west Bristol and can be found at the side of St. Bede’s secondary school near Lawrence Weston Road (BS11 0XX).

Accessibility

The nature reserve is a wetland habitat and therefore wellies are recommended except in very dry weather. The site is flat with no slopes or steps, although some of the meadows can become quite overgrown in summer.

Opening hours

Lawrence Weston Moor is open all year round.

Toilets

There are no public toilet facilities at Lawrence Weston Moor Local Nature Reserve. The nearest toilet is at Lawrence Weston Customer Service Point (Ridingleaze House).

What to see and when

Spring

• Ditches are starting to come alive after the winter.
• Look for young plants of lesser water parsnip and water plantain breaking the water's surface.
• Frogs, toads and newts lay their eggs in the rhynes and ponds.
• Birds nesting in the hedgerows.
• Reed bunting and reed warbler singing in the reed beds.
• Late spring - water voles active and seeking out mates and places to breed.

Summer

• Dragonflies and damselflies hover over the water - common darter, emperor dragonfly, azure damselfly and southern hawker.

• Listen to the sounds of crickets, grasshoppers and other insects - meadow grasshopper, dark bush cricket and short-winged conehead.
• Smell the meadowsweet, a tall, creamy, frothy flower.
• Spot the pink spidery flower-heads of ragged robin.

Autumn

• Early autumn the ditches are brimming with plants, look for the large sausage spikes of common reed mace standing tall above the other plants.
• Listen out for the "plop" of water voles entering the water.
• Buzzards soaring overhead, catching lots of food before the arrival of winter.
• Keep an eye out for the electric blue flash as the kingfisher flies by.

Winter

• Wintering snipe and water rail.
• Robins brightly appear in the bleak winter, with the flash of their red chest.

History

Lawrence Weston Moor is one of the few remaining fragments of the marshes which used to stretch all the way from Blaise Castle to Avonmouth as part of the North Somerset Levels.

Special designations/awards

Site of Nature Conservation Interest - a designation used in many parts of the United Kingdom to protect areas of importance for wildlife at a county scale.

Community engagement

The Avon Wildlife Trust has an active volunteer group who gets involved with the maintenance of the site. Please contact the volunteering team at Avon Wildlife Trust for further information.