Royate Hill Local Nature Reserve

Royate Hill is an unusual nature reserve, being situated in-part on top of a seven span railway viaduct. The site has a fascinating history and, with great views over the city, is a wonderful place in which to escape from city life. The reserve supports a variety of wildlife habitats including wildflower meadows, woodland and scrub. The Coombe Brook also flows through the site under one of the railway arches.

The site is managed in partnership with the Avon Wildlife Trust.

Visitor information

Location

Royate Hill is located in Eastville, north east Bristol and can be accessed from Edward Street, next to Greenbank Cemetery, off Royate Hill (BS5 6XX).

Accessibility

There are fairly steep steps leading up to the embankment footpaths which is not suitable for wheelchairs.

Opening hours

Royate Hill is open all year round.

Toilets

There are no public toilets at Royate Hill Local Nature Reserve. The nearest public toilet is at Eastville Park.

What to see and when

Spring

• The woodland and scrub is alive with nesting birds, including songthrush, wrens, chiffchaff and blackcap.
• Lords and ladies are beginning to sprout, and develop their elegant white flowers.
• Leaves are beginning to bud on the trees found across the site from hawthorn to hazel.
• Hawthorn leaves bud before flowers appear, whilst blackthorn is covered in flowers with leaves to follow.
• Late spring enjoy carpets of oxeye daisies along the top of the embankment.

Summer

• Look for the lemon yellow flowers of mouse-eared hawk weed, a rare alkaline soil loving plant on the railway ballast.
• The meadow areas are full of butterflies such as meadow brown, marbled white, common blue and commas.
• Dragonflies zoom up and down the woodland path, patrolling for possible food .
• The grasslands areas are a riot of colour with lots of plants to spot from oxeye daisy, black knapweed, birds-foot trefoil and meadow vetchling.

Autumn

• A time for fungi, ferns, mosses, liverworts and wintering birds.
• Hawthorn and holly berries are laden on the tree ready to be feasted on in winter by the blackbird, thrushes and other birds when food is scarce.
• Greater spotted and green woodpeckers.

Winter

• Ear fungus appears in winter on the elder trees.
• In late winter you may spot waxwings around trees and shrubs as well as other migrant species such as redwings, blackbirds, robins and chiffchaff.

History

The nature reserve is situated on a former railway embankment which was constructed in 1870's to form part of the Clifton Extension Railway. The site was compulsory purchased in 1996 and designated as a Local Nature Reserve by Avon County Council after a five year high profile campaign by Avon Wildlife Trust and local people to save it from development.

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