"Hedging our bets" - avoiding the rain at a Wapley Bushes work morning on 22 February 2026

 

 

 

Eight volunteers managed to find a gap in the rainy weather at Wapley Bushes to plant planting barrier
hedges to reduce the footfall in the more vulnerable areas of the Ancient Woodland. 

We planted a mix of native British tree and shrub species:
15 x Hazel - Corylus avellana
15 x Goat Willow - Salix caprea
15 x Hornbeam - Carpinus betulus
15 x Purging Buckthorn - Rhamnus cathartica
5 x Dog Rose - Rosa canina

Many thanks to everyone who took part. 

Fun fact – three new species spotted!

 We’ve just finalised the latest edition of our Five Year Management Plan. Since our last management plan was produced five years ago, three new species have been formally recorded on the reserve. - one bird and two insects: the red kite, the emperor dragonfly and the purple hairstreak butterfly.

Sunday 22 February – Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve work morning

On this work morning we will be planting barrier hedges composed of native British tree and shrub species to close off several of the informal pathways to protect sensitive areas of the woodland. We will also have litter picking equipment for helpers who would prefer rather lighter tasks.

Please wear walking or wellington boots. Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

Temporary Closure of Circular Pathway at Wapley Bushes (Wapley Woods)

Wapley Bushes map showing closed path in dark green

Dodington Parish Council has taken advice from health and safety consultants to close temporarily the circular permitted access pathway through Wapley Bushes (Wapley Woods), following storm damage by the recent Storm Claudia.  A number of trees have fallen onto the pathway, prompting Dodington Parish Council to call in an arborist to conduct a detailed survey of the remaining trees directly adjacent to the circular path. The report highlighted 19 specimens needing urgent works, of which 10 were classed as ‘critical’. Due to the high risk presented by these trees, they have taken a sad decision that temporary closure of the permitted access pathway is necessary, until the trees can be made safe.

Update - The tree surgeon should be on site 23 to 27 March, and all being well the path will be reopened in time for April.

The Council knows that the community loves and values the woodland, but they have a legal responsibility to make sure that visitors can enjoy it safely. All of the other footpaths around the site remain open, it is just the circular permitted access path in the Ancient Woodland that is closed. They will keep the closure as minimal as possible and will provide updates as things move forward.

A fallen tree on the pathway in Wapley Woods

 

Results from bat surveys

During the autumn we did two bat surveys at Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, the Orchard and the Common. We found four species each time:

• Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
• Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus)
• Noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula)
• Serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our volunteers and visitors!

 

Merry Christmas from one of the Wapley robins

 

The robin is a very appropriate bird to feature on Wapley's social media. They live in the woodland and hedges throughout the year, and one particular robin often sings to visitors approaching the reserve via the bridge over the railway.

Wapley Bushes awards for 2025

We are please to tell you that we won three major awards in 2025. Two of them were South West in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards, both at the highest "Level 5 - Outstanding"

South West In Bloom certificate
Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve

 

South West In Bloom certificate
Wapley Common and the Orchard for the Future

We retained our Green Flag Community Award, but we have moved up into the highest marking band:
 

Green Flag Community Award certificate
Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve

 

Big thanks are due to all our volunteers and to Dodington Parish Council for all their help.

Report from Wapley Work Morning Sunday 30 November

Some of our volunteers at the work session

Ten of us planted 60 young trees on a sunny work morning in the Centenary Wood at Wapley Bushes. The ground was good and the trees just flew in - we finished a lot faster than we had planned!

 The mix of trees was as follows:

25 x Hazel - Corylus avellana
12 x Field Maple - Acer campestre
5 x Hornbeam - Carpinus betulus
5 x Dogwood - Cornus sanguinea
3 x Guelder Rose - Viburnum opulus
5 x Dog Rose - Rosa canina
5 x Hawthorn - Crataegus monogyna

Thank you to all our keen volunteers!

Report from Kingsgate Park Nature Area work morning - Saturday 25 October

 

Cyril the Squirrel supervised!

Five of our volunteers did a morning work session at the Kingsgate Park Nature Reserve, trimming back some brambles and cutting some branches that were growing into pathways, plus a general litter picking.

It was just general tidying-up - the Yate Town Council staff have been keeping the Reserve in good order. 

Our next work session will be on Sunday 30 November at Wapley Bushes. This workday will be a morning of tree and shrub planting to enhance biodiversity plus general maintenance and tidying up the reserve prior to the winter season. Please wear walking or wellington boots. Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am. 

Kingsgate Park Nature Area work morning - Saturday 25 October

On this work session we shall be undertaking maintenance of this grassland and wetland site including vegetation clearance. Please wear gloves and wellington boots.

Meet at the Scott Way entrance to Kingsgate Park, Scott Way, Yate, BS37 4NW, 10.00am. Parking is available at the entrance of Shackleton Avenue.

"Cutbacks" at Kennedy Way Pond - report from Sat 11 October work morning

 

Six volunteers concentrated on cutting back the trees round the back of the pond to let more light in, and hopefully therefore increase the biodiversity of the pond. There wasn't a Kennedy Way Pond work session last year, so we had quite a bit to do. We put the cut branches in the woodland behind the pond to reduce access from that side.

Kennedy Way Pond Workday Saturday 11 October

We shall be carrying out general management tasks at this nature reserve area. Please wear wellington boots.

Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am and parking is available at the Yate overflow car park on the eastern side of Link Road, BS37 4AY.

Successful Wapley Bushes work morning 21 September

 

Five of us had a very successful volunteer work morning today. Our major job was our usual autumn task of clearing the seasonal stream through the woodland.

If we don't dig out the stream bed, winter rain can overflow into the woodland and change the composition of the vegetation (which includes at least one locally rare species)

To access the steam bed, we also had to cut back the vegetation that grew over it during the summer.

So when the stream does flow, where does the water go? If you look carefully at the Common, you can see a dip running from the woodland across to Besom Lane. That's the route of the underground  portion of the stream, flowing on top of a layer of impervious rock.

Our bonus job for the session was carrying out running repairs on one of the bug hotels.

The next work morning will be on Saturday 11 October at the Kennedy Way Pond next to Yate Shopping Centre. Please come and join us - watch this space for details!

Autumn and Early Winter Work Mornings

Our events are all free to attend and they do not require advance booking. We take sensible Covid precautions like not sharing gloves on work days so you are very welcome to bring your own gloves if you have them, but if not then we provide gloves that you can keep and use for the next workday.

You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Please wear stout footwear. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Sunday 21 September
Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve Workday
The key tasks will be the annual clearing out of the woodland stream, cutting back vegetation overgrowth and optional litter picking. Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

Saturday 11 October
Kennedy Way Pond Workday
We shall be carrying out general management tasks at this nature reserve area. Please wear wellington boots.

Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am and parking is available at the Yate overflow car park on the eastern side of Link Road, BS37 4AY.

Saturday 25 October
Kingsgate Park Nature Area Workday
We shall be undertaking maintenance of this grassland and wetland site including vegetation clearance. Please wear gloves and wellington boots.

Meet at the Scott Way entrance to Kingsgate Park, Scott Way, Yate, BS37 4NW, 10.00am. Parking is available at the entrance of Shackleton Avenue.

Sunday 30 November
Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve Workday
This workday will be a morning of tree and shrub planting to enhance biodiversity plus general maintenance and tidying up the reserve prior to the winter season. Please wear walking or wellington boots.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

Volunteers needed to help our local environment!

Would you like to help nature conservation in our area? Wapley Bushes Conservation Group needs more volunteers for our practical sessions and for background activities.

You can find out more by coming to our next committee meeting at 7.30 pm this Wednesday, 27 August, in the Council Chamber at Dodington Parish Hall, Finch Road, Chipping Sodbury BS37 6JZ.

Alternatively you can email Paul Hulbert on paul.hulbert@gmail.com. 

The Conservation Group helps to look after several Nature Reserves in the area and also works with local youth organisations.

Please come and join us - we're an active, friendly group that really makes a difference to our local environment. 

Report from Wapley work morning - July 12

Devil's-bit Scabious

This Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve Workday was delayed from July 5 due to forecast rain.

To get the reserve ready for our summer visitors, 8 volunteers cut back intruding vegetation along the woodland paths and elsewhere, and trimmed back the usual blackthorn in the Orchard area.

Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve work morning - Saturday 5 July

 

On this workday we will aim to do a deep clean of the Reserve and cut back intruding vegetation along the woodland paths to get the reserve ready for our summer visitors. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your own gloves if you have them. Everyone welcome!

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

 

Summer bird walk at Wapley Bushes - Saturday 28 June

Come and join us on a guided Bird Walk led by local expert Alan Daniells. Explore the Nature Reserve and see what sights and sounds our local birdlife has to offer!

Meet at the Shire Way gate BS37 8US at 10.00 AM. Please wear suitable footwear.

 

A good tidy-up on11 May

Eight volunteers had a busy morning at Wapley. In the middle of the Orchard we cleared the persistent prickly bushes and the patch of stinging nettles under the interpretation board. We cut back some overgrowth on woodland paths and started repairing one of the name signs on the bug hotels.

We've also had an important visitor, the assessor for the Green Flag Community Award. We look forward to their comments - assessors often suggest improvements we haven't thought of. 

As you can see, the apple blossom is looking good in the Orchard For The Future.

Would you like to help us at Wapley Bushes and elsewhere? Please email paul.hulbert@gmail.com to find out more, or check out our website at https://wapleybushes.info

We've also got our AGM and committee meeting coming up on Wednesday 21 May - evetyone welcome. Please email Paul if you would like meeting details or papers.

Wapley Bushes Work Morning - Sunday 11 May

 

This workday will be a combination of a spring clean of the reserve and assorted vegetation management. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your own gloves if you can. Everyone is welcome, but young people under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US at 10.00 am.