The result was included on the following Footprints Podcast. 

My piece about Bannerdown is just the first 10 minutes or so! 

https://footprints.captivate.fm/episode/the-ups-and-downs-of-bath

Rob Kendall

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 2^nd 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:

1. Conservation and Recovery of nature – Improving the Biodiversity and Ecology;
2. Protecting and enhancing the Beauty and Heritage of our natural landscape;
3. Maintain the “open spaces” as safe and accessible Public Amenities;
4. Improving Air Quality and Carbon Sequestration by careful Habitat Management;
5. Working in partnership with Nature Conservation and Heritage organisations;
6. Supporting other Nature Conservation and Recovery projects; and
7. Engagement with the public

We have developed partnerships with a range of volunteer groups, wildlife organisations and conservation projects. These include;

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!

Batheaston is extremely fortunate to have not just one but two commons! The commons, Little Solsbury Hill (part owned by The National Trust) and Bannerdown, have been managed by The Batheaston Freeholders Association since 1719… that’s nearly 300 years! What’s more, the Freeholders Association was one of the first in the UK so thanks to their innovation and continued guardianship the commons are still accessible by the “common man”… that’s you and me! Today, The Freeholders are alive and well (not the originals!) and, in the spirit of our forebears, we are now managing the commons under a Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England. Both commons are “open-access” which means you are allowed to walk freely across them, this is in addition to the public footpaths and a bridleway on Bannerdown. The Freeholders objective is to ensure the commons provide continued access and enjoyment for everyone… and for wildlife.

View of Bath from Little Solsbury Hill

Our commons are very special places and have a long history of utilisation by man. On Bannerdown 50 years ago there were almost no trees due to hundreds of years of grazing by livestock and quarrying for stone, much of which was used to build houses in Batheaston. The history of Little Solsbury Hill goes back over two thousand years to the Iron Age… those Iron-Age folk obviously appreciated a fantastic view! (see photo). Despite a history of exploitation by man the commons have never been intensively farmed and there are no traces of herbicides, pesticides or other chemicals which means they are a haven for wildlife… and for people!

The commons are officially classified as unimproved calcareous (limestone) grassland and have been accredited with containing some very special meadow flowers e.g. four types of orchid. However, many of the flowers only thrive in nutrient poor alkaline soil which is why you will see cattle grazing the commons for part of the year. The science here is that as plants grow they draw nutrients from the soil, the cattle graze the plants and convert those nutrients into their body mass, net result; the nutrients in the soil are reduced… simple! But there’s more. Grazing cattle help to reduce the invasive scrub and they produce “cow-pats” which support a fascinating eco-system all of their own! So, with help from the cattle, we reduce the scrub and get improved flower meadows with lots of bugs supporting an equally diverse variety of butterflies, moths, mammals, birds and bats… Amazing or what?!

During the summer of 2014 we started our involvement with a couple of exciting national projects; Magnificent Meadows is working to restore and improve wildlife-rich grasslands by ensuring they are managed sympathetically as havens for wild flowers (more info at www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/work). B-lines is creating a network wildlife corridors linking wildflower-rich meadows (more info at www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work).Through our association with these projects we are receiving expert advice and support in our work and we hope that our commons will become “strategic hubs”

Bannerdown seed harvesting July 2014

with wildlife corridors radiating out from both hills. It is also an opportunity for us to help others; Avon Wildlife Trust came to Bannerdown in July to harvest some Yellow Rattle seed (see photo) which was taken to receptor sites at Friary Court near Freshford and Cuckoo Corner near Newton St Loe. This is brilliant stuff. We should be really proud of our commons!

Grazing cattle are great but we can’t expect them do all the work! Without input from us humans the commons will be over-run with impenetrable scrub and we will lose the wild flowers and wildlife they support. For short periods during the winter we have contractors working on both commons to clear some “heavy duty” scrub and improve our wildlife corridors e.g. between the Bannerdown “Butterfly Bank” and top meadow. Throughout the year we also organise small work parties to complete a variety land management tasks. We are supported by some brilliant organisations such as Avon Wildlife Trust, The National Trust, The Cotswold Volunteer Wardens and Community Payback teams. But there is always more to be done! So, if you can spare 2 or 3 hours occasionally to help with our nature conservation work (no experience necessary) we would be delighted to hear from you. We will then contact you when we are organising future work parties. Please see the Contact Us page for ways to get in touch.

The commons are wonderful places to explore, escape the hassle of modern life and enjoy some fabulous views. We hope you can find the time to visit.

Rob Kendall

Secretary of Batheaston Freeholders Association

(Guardians of the Batheaston common lands since 1719)

Mobile 07925 786821