Care and Management of the Commons
My name is Rob Kendall. I’ve lived in Batheaston since 1995 and I am the Secretary and Land Manager for the Batheaston Freeholders Association.
Following my retirement in 2014 and based upon my interests in nature and conservation I started volunteering with;
- Cotswold Voluntary Wardens and
- Batheaston Freeholders Association
It has been, and still is, a fascinating and rewarding journey. Definitely one of my better career moves!
Background to the commons
Batheaston is fortunate to have not just one but two commons:
- Bannerdown; and
- Little Solsbury Hill; part owned by The National Trust and inspiration for a song by Peter Gabriel!
The commons have been managed by The Batheaston Freeholders Association since 1719
Bannerdown is 26 hectares (65 acres); 9ha Grassland and 17ha Woodland and Scrub
Little Solsbury Hill is 22 hectares (55 acres); 18ha Grassland and 4ha Woodland and Scrub
Both commons are “open-access” land which means, in addition to various public footpaths and a bridleway across Bannerdown, people may walk freely wherever they wish.
Our commons are important public amenities and have a long history of use by man…
The Romans are probably responsible for the name Bannerdown. Located on the Fosse Way, it is believed that, on the brow of the hill, there would have been signal towers from which the Romans used flags (and banners) to send messages. Well, that’s my theory!
Activity on Little Solsbury Hill is known to go back to the Iron Age around 500 BC. There is also evidence of a medieval field system on top of the hill and it was farmed until 1950s. The legacy of farming, and probable soil enrichment, may explain why the flat top of the hill has less bio-diversity than the surrounding slopes. But the top does support a healthy population of skylarks and we are improving the ecology year on year.
Until the early 1900’s there were very few trees on the commons due to activities such as grazing and quarrying for stone. The open landscape was evident until the 1950s / 60s. Since then, the commons were neglected, scrub began to take over and many areas of meadow were lost, this is particularly the case on Bannerdown where the majority of wildflower meadow has been lost.
Despite both commons having a history of use and exploitation by man there are no traces of them being “improved” post 2nd World War by the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. This lack of chemicals being applied means that the land is considered to be “unimproved” and “semi-improved” calcareous grassland and is therefore a natural haven for wildlife… and people!
For many, the most important feature of the commons is the calcareous (limestone) grassland meadows with their diversity of flowers (including six types of orchid) and many species of butterfly. But the true value of the commons is not just flowers and butterflies. The meadows are surrounded by and interspersed with areas of scrub and woodland. It is this combination of habitats which makes the commons such a special Species Rich environment; from mycorrhizal networks underground to fungi, insects, birds, mammals and trees. Everything is connected to everything else… Everything is important!
One of my favourite areas is the “wildwood” on the western slopes of Bannerdown. In the past, the area had been partly quarried and cleared, but at its heart it is Ancient Semi Natural Woodland. We allow the woodland to follow a natural cycle of Growth, Maturity, Decline and Regeneration. Ash Dieback is accelerating the decline which we are managing as sympathetically as possible. Standing deadwood, fallen trees and broken branches hold significant volumes of carbon which slowly breaks down into the soil whilst also providing important habit for fungi, lichens, ferns, insects, birds and butterflies all of which add to the diversity and ecology of the common. There is a “secret trail” around the Wild West Wood… a great place for Nature Explorers of all ages!
Managing the Commons Today
Scrub in the landscape is often thought to be a sign of neglect or poor management. But there is a more enlightened view! Scrub on the edge of woodland is often referred to as a Shelter Belt because it provides natural protection and shelter for tree saplings and all manner of flora and fauna. An important feature of scrub is that it supports the greatest diversity of wildlife during its transitional stage; between being cut-back and reaching maturity. Scrub is, however, extremely invasive. Our remaining meadows would soon disappear if we didn’t control the scrub. We do not cut every area of scrub every year and we vary just how hard we cut back. Our objective is to maintain a healthy balance of different habitats (scrub, meadows and woodland) supporting the greatest diversity of wildlife.
The commons are managed by volunteers under a Countryside Stewardship with Natural England. Our purpose is to promote the wellbeing of the natural environment and the wellbeing of people who visit.
Our management objectives are:
- Conservation and Recovery of nature – Improving the Biodiversity and Ecology;
- Protecting and enhancing the Beauty and Heritage of our natural landscape;
- Maintain the “open spaces” as safe and accessible Public Amenities;
- Improving Air Quality and Carbon Sequestration by careful Habitat Management;
- Working in partnership with Nature Conservation and Heritage organisations;
- Supporting other Nature Conservation and Recovery projects; and
- Engagement with the public
We have developed partnerships with a range of volunteer groups, wildlife organisations and conservation projects. These include;
| Avon Wildlife Trust B-lines project Back from the Brink project Bathscape project Bath Naturalist Society Buglife Butterfly Conservation Cotswolds Conservation Board Cotswold Voluntary Wardens | Forest of Avon Trust Glorious Cotswolds Grassland project Hawk and Owl Trust Magnificent Meadows project The National Trust Plantlife |
The benefits gained from our partnerships include receiving professional advice and expert guidance, attending workshops, training events and benefiting from hundreds of volunteer hours a year. The partnerships have also been an opportunity for us to help and inform others.
- We hosted a Magnificent Meadows Bio-Blitz day
- I take visitors on guided walks to explain what we do how we do it, and
- Wild flower seed from Bannerdown is harvested and shared with meadow development projects.
Grazing with cattle is a key part of our meadow management. Many calcareous grassland flowers can only survive in nutrient poor soil with a low density of fine grasses. As vegetation grows, it draws nutrients from the soil. Cattle graze the vegetation and convert those nutrients into body mass. The result is that nutrients in the soil are reduced!
In addition, cattle help to improve the biodiversity and ecology by:
- opening up the grass sward when they eat (wild flowers need space and light),
- keeping the grass at the right height for ground nesting birds (on Little Solsbury Hill),
- breaking up the ground with their hoofs (helps seed germination and specialist invertebrates),
- eating, and therefore reducing, invasive scrub and…
- producing “cow-pats” which support fascinating eco-systems of their own!
So… thanks to the cattle, we have improved flower meadows, less scrub, lots of bugs, butterflies, moths, and associated mammals, birds and bats… a Species Rich environment!
Why is all this important?
Meadow flowers and all that ecology stuff is very nice… but does it really matter? Well…
Since the 1930’s
- 97% of UK meadows have been lost. That is over 3 million hectares (7.5m acres)
- Unimproved grassland which once covered 40% of the Cotswolds is now less than 1.5%. The remaining 3000 hectares is over 50% of the UK’s remaining unimproved limestone grassland.
- I estimate the Bannerdown Common has lost 70% of its original wildflower meadow
Given the scale of these losses, and all the other environmental pressures, it is hardly surprising that in recent decades we have seen massive declines in invertebrate numbers, including the pollinators we need for growing our food! I can remember the days when the front of the car would often be covered in dead insects! With the decline of invertebrates in natures food chain, associated eco-systems (birds and mammals) are also collapsing. We humans are a part of, and dependant on, those eco-systems! So, you have to wonder, when and how these collapsing eco-systems are going to impact our lives and our livelihoods?
The good news is that Bannerdown, and Little Solsbury Hill, are a small but important part of the remaining limestone grasslands. We are part of a growing number of habitat recovery projects providing a critical network of sites and wildlife corridors for nature.
Then there is the issue of Climate Change and the challenge of carbon capture. More good news:
- Unimproved grassland, with diversity, stores 3 times more carbon than other vegetation and up to 5 times more carbon than monoculture fields.
- Our woodlands are also capturing and storing huge amounts of carbon
But… habitat restoration projects and the management of meadows and woodlands need help
Volunteering and Visiting
Grazing cattle are great but we can’t expect the livestock to do all the work!
We use contractors for larger scale “heavy duty” work. But throughout the year we have occasional volunteer work parties to undertake an interesting and rewarding variety of management tasks!
Our Volunteering activities include:
- Ragwort removal
- Scrub bashing
- Scything
- Wild flower seed harvesting
- Track and Trail management
Through these activities, volunteers can:
- Learn new skills and knowledge;
- Build new social networks;
- Get lots of fresh air and exercise; and
- Improve the health and wellbeing of themselves and the environment.
Work parties also provide great “Team Building” opportunities for businesses and other organisations. Getting people outdoors for the day and doing something constructive in nature can be a beneficial experience for everyone… and everything!
A particular highlight of our calendar is scything on the Bannerdown ‘Butterfly Bank’!
But… If you are not a hands-on, active sort of person that’s absolutely fine. I would still encourage you to visit the commons and enjoy the natural environment.
Grassland meadows, scrub and woodlands are full of life, including those all-important pollinators. They are great places to explore, escape the daily hassle, reflect on life and enjoy the view.
I hope you can find the time to visit and enjoy Batheaston Commons in whatever way suits you.
Looking to the future
Our current Countryside Stewardship started in 2020 but it only provides financial support for our species rich meadows and pastures. We are looking forward to the introduction of new Government initiatives for farming and the environment which promises a clear focus on nature conservation and habitat restoration. The new Environment Land Management Scheme (ELMS) sounds very promising. We hope it will take a more holistic view, and appreciation of our work throughout the commons.
Finally, I would like to mention Rewilding. It is an exciting and interesting concept which has turned much of the conventional wisdom about nature conservation and habitat management on its head. Whilst it is unlikely that we will ever see large herds of herbivores and carnivores roaming freely across the landscape around Bath, the concept is definitely something we can learn from and embrace!
3 Comments
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Jessica Kashdan-Brown, April 28th, 2023 on 2:27 pm
Good afternoon Rob,
I was really interested to stumble across this website. I have lived in Batheaston with my family for many years and Bannerdown Commons has been a constant source of joy and delight for us, where we have walked regularly every week for the better part of the last 20 years. We have noticed in recent years how well the wildflower meadow is taking and would love to know more about the work that has been done to achieve this.
I am currently a masters student at Bath Spa and I am looking to write a piece about Bannerdown Common as a cultural landscape and my personal connection to it. I was wondering whether it might be at all possible to walk around the commons with you one day and find out a little bit about the work you’ve done over the years and some of your favourite places in and around the meadow and the wildwoods. If this would be possible, some of my other family members would also love to join, particularly my mother, as we have been trying to seed our own wildflowers in the field below our garden recently and would love to learn more about it.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
With best wishes,
JessicaCathy Crozier-Cole, November 11th, 2023 on 11:08 am
Hello, my daughter Georgina, who is 17 and attends Ralph Allen Sixth Form, is planning to do the Duke of Edinburgh Gold this year. As part of this, she is keen to find a volunteering opportunity, which she would like to be in a conservation or nature related activity. She needs to find something through which she can demonstrate a regular commitment over 12 month period, e.g. One hour, a week, two hours of fortnight, or four hours per month. Weekends are preferable, due to school hours commitments.
I’m just getting in touch to see what your current volunteer activities look like, if you would ever consider someone and 18 (she could be accompanied), and if so whether there could be a fit here.
Many thanks for your help, and for considering our enquiry.
Best wishes, Cathy, Batheaston.Leave a Reply
Philip Swash, April 25th, 2023 on 5:11 pm
Thanks for taking such an interest and volunteering. Bannerdown is literally on my doorstep and it is a pleasure to be able to still enjoy the walk up and down the hill, especially when spring arrives. Thanks again and as I get more free time in the coming years I hope I can help!