Welcome!
We welcome you to a little bit of nature right in the middle of Nailsea. The Reserve, covering an area of 3/4 acre, provides a home for a variety of birds, mammals, insects and other mini-beasts, plants, amphibians and fungi.
The Reserve is managed by the Friends of Stockway North Nature Reserve. We are delighted to have been awarded a Britain in Bloom 2008 Neighbourhood Award of Merit.
History
The Reserve was formerly a quarry for sandstone for building in the 1800s, then it was used as a rubbish dump, before becoming neglected and a haven for local wildlife.
Since 1998 it has been managed by the community to enhance the wildlife, raise awareness of the natural environment and as a resource for education.
Management
We have created a number of new habitats to add to the diversity of wildlife:
- a large pond and dipping platform
- meadow and bog areas near the pond
- clearings to encourage butterflies
- plantings of native trees, shrubs and flowers
- addition of bird, bat and insect boxes
- removal of a large leylandii and some sycamores
Other work has involved rebuilding drystone walls, adding an all-weather path, adding large rocks and clearance of litter and rubbish.
Animal Life
We have found many different types of animals in the Reserve:
- birds – over 30 species have been seen, with at least 9 species breeding on the site
- mammals – woodmouse, badger and grey squirrel
- amphibians & reptiles – palmate newt, common frog and slow-worm
- insects – 15 butterflies, 9 dragonflies, great diving beetles and many others
- numerous minibeasts inhabit the pond, leaf litter, vegetation and soil
Plants & Trees
There are 180 recorded species of plants. Most of the shrubs and trees on the Reserve are native to this area and there is a good diversity of flowering plants in the various habitats.