This has been the biggest year yet for the Friends of Horfield Common – and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it. Volunteering brings its own barrel of frustrations – things go wrong, there are disappointments and there is never enough time in the day! – but I’m in awe of how much everyone has accomplished together in 2025. All these successes are down to the enthusiasm, skills and kindness of our Friends. I can’t thank them enough for all for their incredible hard work, energy and patience!

Our projects this year have covered the full range from educational to physical labour! One of our biggest and most popular projects this year was the Twelve Trees Trail leaflet, which has had multiple printings and you can pick up from the Café on the Common. Everyone in the group played a hand in bringing this amazing trail of twelve of the Common’s trees of note to fruition – from selecting the trees, collating the info, designing the beautiful leaflet, testing the route and even holding onto the boxes of leaflets!

Then of course, the biggest in physical size is the New Quab Pond! We benefit so much from the fantastic knowledge of our volunteers and this was one of the most tangible results of us using in-depth knowledge of the Common to improve the space for both wildlife and people. Thanks to the support of Bristol City Council, we were able to dig out the natural spring below the orchard area – turning it from a muddy bog into what we hope will be a well-loved pond!

The group took a step forward this year, with many critical decisions on our communications, group structure and finances being put into place. Not the most exciting, but very necessary, so that we could apply for important funding. Thanks to the rigorous hard work of the Friends, we secured CIL Funding for bat boxes, to help bats regain their home around the Common. Fingers crossed for more successes in future!

It's often the small things that go unnoticed, yet keep the group thriving. A big thank you to everyone who has attended a FoHC meeting to share their views and expertise, joined in events such as collecting hundreds of bags of rubbish at our Monthly Litter Picks or enjoyed a wonderful Steve England Bat Walk, to those on both sides of the table at our info stalls, helped publicise our events, or even just wished us well.
And much of our work would have been impossible without the support of our friends at The Ardagh, so a big thank you to them there as well! Without their knowledge, friendship, and kind sharing of space and tools, we wouldn’t be able to get many of our projects off the ground.

Not all projects go successfully, but each has been a step forward. Each step bringing us closer together and learning more – about the Common, about our friends and about ourselves too! I’m so excited to develop our upcoming projects together and see the Common flourish even more over the next year. Here’s to an even bigger 2026!

Lucy Haslam, 
​Co-Chair/Secretary

​As you may have seen, the signs have been up for a while saying that there were plans for the small fenced-off area where the children’s playhouse used to be. We wanted to improve the habitat to provide food and shelter for a range of mammals, birds and insects so we’re increasing the number of native trees and shrubs; in 2026 we’ll be working on the wildflower patch.

After a soggy start to the day, we weren't sure we'd have anyone brave enough to join us for the November Litter Pick, but no - we had our dedicated pickers waiting for us and raring to go! And we were all rewarded by the sun bursting out as soon as we got started - what a lovely way to finish the 2025 Litter Picks.
A big thank you to our wonderful pickers who came along. I'm always so impressed with the amount of litter we manage to haul back with a smile!

If you’ve walked along Wellington Hill this week, you may have noticed tree surgeons at work on the edges of the Common, cutting back the tall lime trees opposite the church. It looks a bit drastic, but this process, known as pollarding, is an age-old tree management technique that dates back to Roman times and, along with coppicing at ground level, is done to keep certain trees at a manageable size. Many of Britain’s oldest veteran trees have survived thanks to this careful management.

Historically, regularly cutting trees above grazing height, communities could produce a renewable source of firewood, animal fodder and building material without damaging the main trunk or killing the tree. In many ways, it was an early form of environmental management that balanced human need with natural regeneration.

Sometimes it's just nice to appreciate the beauty of the Common...

Although.. to be clear.. these were taken yesterday. Today, between rainstorms, it looks more like this: 

The Friends of Horfield Common team were out again for our regular litter pick, doing our best to keep the Common looking clean for everyone. It’s something we do every month, and it always feels good to see the difference a couple of hours of teamwork can make... and it's a good chance for a catch up.
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This time, however, our efforts uncovered something rather unexpected – what can only be described as the work of a repetitive fly tipper! Their discarded belongings were spread across six different spots on the Common, creating quite a trail of mess. While it’s disheartening to come across this kind of behaviour, it’s also a reminder of why these monthly clean-ups are so important. Every bag filled and every bit of rubbish removed helps protect local wildlife and keeps the Common a pleasant space for everyone to enjoy.

Due to the fly tipping, we didn't manage to get around the whole of the Common today, so, if you’d like to get involved and lend a hand, we’d love to have you join us so that we can do more. Keep an eye on the What’s On page for details of our next litter pick – everyone is welcome, and all equipment is provided. Together, we can make a real difference for Horfield Common.#
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​The main areas of the Common will be mown regularly for recreational purposes, while the margins, corners and in areas that are not regularly used, grass will be left to grow longer to help birds, invertebrates and small mammals.

Different areas are being managed on different cutting regimes – some are cut once a year and others on alternating years or every few years. By doing this we are promoting different floral habitats, which in turn cater for a different set of wildlife; each broadening the scope of Horfield Common's overall biodiversity. These areas link with our ponds and spinneys (thickets of trees and shrubby undergrowth), together ensuring that we encourage as much biodiversity as possible.

By taking this holistic approach and integrating these patches into the overall look of the Common, we are gradually creating a mosaic of habitats that, although they might look untidy to some, are full of life and make a massive difference for wildlife.

How does the mowing regime work?

The creation of these meadow areas is an exciting, fascinating, and in the long run, very rewarding process. The creation of a proper meadow is down to long-term management, observation and patience. The initial stage is to leave areas uncut for a period which allows us to see what already exists - it's often surprising to find how much naturally appears. This is an important and interesting process as it tells us far more about the land than when it is just kept as short grass.

Invertebrate life very quickly moves in. Grasshoppers, spiders, moths, butterflies, crane flies, tiny parasitic wasps, you name it! Ant hills emerge, which is a great sign, as ants are essential in the overall health of meadows; they disperse seeds by bringing them back to the nest where the loose, sun-warmed soil is perfect for germination.

At the end of the summer, some areas of long grass are cut and the clippings removed. Other areas are left long to sustain the overwintering stages of next year's invertebrates such as butterfly and moth larvae. Although this looks destructive, it is an important stage in improving biodiversity as the process opens up the ground, letting in light and exposing bare patches for new plants to naturally colonise. It also reduces nutrient levels over time so that more dominant species are kept in check and do not outcompete the more sensitive plants.

The disturbance awakens seeds that are already present in the soil. These may have been lying dormant for a very long time. The seeds of many species can survive for decades, sometimes even centuries! By awakening these tiny biological time capsules, we can bring back plants that may no longer be present on the surface! In the last couple of years we have already seen great improvements; particularly with a visible increase in the number of invertebrates, including a number of rare species.

This year we were excited to discover a very rare plant on the Common – the Strawberry Clover. This is one that was known to have historically occurred on Horfield Common thanks to its mention in a list produced in 1835 by locally famous botanist Henry Oxley Stephens, who also discovered the Bristol Onion in the Avon Gorge… and every year it will just get better and better!

For further reading on the meadow management aspects of biodiversity on Horfield Common, see Wild Bristol's write up: Horfield Common Wildlife Management Plan

And watch this space for information on some of the other important methods for increasing biodiversity on Horfield Common - AKA ponds and trees!