Our current project, Castle View Wildlife Walk, focuses on the foot-path running adjacent to the Bath Grounds, between Prior Park Road and the ‘Cattle Arch’ to Mendip Close which has been neglected for the last 25 years. The Friends ‘Vision’ for this area is to re-create what appears to be a ‘typical’ Victorian/Edwardian planting scheme of mixed native trees, opening up the area to the Bath Grounds and improving the views across the Grounds, creating a wild flower corridor, together with bird and bat boxes, and a bench, and integrating this corridor into the new Bath Grounds Heritage Trail. See artist’s impression of our vision

 

Phase 1

Has been completed. During the spring of 2016 over 400 hours of work was carried out by the groups’ volunteers clearing the area of the self-seeded hedge and 25 years of accumulated rubbish.

 

Phase 2

Has been completed. Ten trees, Beech and Oak, were planted at the end of November 2016, to infill the large gaps in the existing tree line and complete the ‘avenue’ effect. In addition, a new gate and fencing were also installed to control vehicular access to the footpath and the Bath Grounds.

 

2018

Progress on the new Castle View Wildlife walk is ongoing with the verge re-prepared and now ready to be re-seeded with perennial wildflowers. Due to the exceptional cold whether there has been a delay on the seeding but everything should catch up as the weather warms up through May.

 

Wildlife boxes

Bird and bat boxes have now been installed along the wildlife walk, as part of the overall wildlife walk project. A survey was carried out on Facebook to find out the most regular wildlife visitors to this area to help decide what type of accommodation to go for. A mix of woodcrete boxes for different birds and bats were chosen.

A number of blue tits have been spotted in the bird boxes that were installed this winter.

 

Bulb planting

Snowdrops have been planted along the wildlife walk – fingers crossed for a lovely show next year!!

We are also hoping to plant wild primroses along the wildlife walk, if possible, this spring.

 

Thank you again, to all our hardworking volunteers who have come down to lend a hand in sunshine and snow!!

We will be carrying out more bulb planting in the autumn so if you are interested in joining our friends volunteer group please contact us via our gmail and we will put you on our volunteer list.