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Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve

Founded	1995
Type	Local Nature Reserve
Location	Bradley Stoke,England
Coordinates	51°32′05″N 2°32′25″W
Area served	South Gloucestershire
Method	Conservation
Volunteers	21
Website	www.three-brooks.info

Background

The three-brooks nature reserve is a site of about 60 hectares in the heart of Bradley Stoke. It is named after the Hortham, Patchway and Stoke Brooks which run through it, meeting at Three Brooks Lake before flowing eastwards back under the M4 as Bradley Brook.

History

Over time the appearance of the reserve has changed considerably. The two brooks, Patchway and Stoke follow much the same courses as they have always done but their conjunction to form the Bradley Brook is now masked by the lake, dug by contractors in repayment for using the area whilst laying a major storm sewer. The area of the lake was often marshy and is much improved by the lake. It is said incidentally that the village of Winterbourne owes its name to the Bradley Brook which joins the river Frome in that village. It was claimed that the stream died up in summer and for that reason was known as a winter bourne, an old English term for a stream that dries up in summer, However, Rudder, writing in his New History of Gloucestershire (1779) says there is no evidence of the Bradley Brook ever running dry at any time of the year, so the origin of the name remains in doubt.

All the brooks entering the Reserve are 'run off' streams fed by drainage from surrounding fields. Non originate from springs etc. This gives rise to fluctuating water levels which affects the flora and fauna found in the streams.

Of the three woods Webb's Wood is the oldest, at least 300 years old (18th century maps show it as a mature wood. The woodland flora also indicates an ancient wood. It is named after the tenants of Wodehouse Farm which later took the same name.

Parts of Sherbourne's Brake are nearly as old appearing as a small copse on old maps but much of the existing wood was planted in the late 19th century, planted when a number of Turkey Oaks were introduced. Sherbourne was the name of the tenants of Watch Elm Farm, although the name is often attributed to one specific member of the family, a nephew visiting the farm at the time the oaks were planted.

Savages Wood is the youngest. Parish maps of the mid 1840's show no sign of it although it is present by the 1880's. Best guess now is around 1850/53. That is not to say all the trees in Savages Wood are youngsters. There are some venerable relicts of former hedgerows scattered throughout the wood and one wide spread oak that probably stood in the middle of a field, probably as a remnant of an even older hedge. The source of the name Savages is not yet established. Before the wood the principal field in that area is shown as 'Savers' and it may be a corruption of that. The family that owned the wood until 1956 have traced the existence of a lady farmer named Savage in the 17th century and it may derive from that.

All the woods were used predominately as sources of timber, although the original Sherbourne's Brake copse may have been used as a covert. Webbs Wood particularly supplied coppiced timber and Savages hornbeam and oak. We know that Savages Wood was preserved during the 1940's and 50's as a nature reserve by the owner of Little Stoke Farm, Howard Davis who as the largest local farmer owned the land up to and including the wood. Mr Davis was also well known as one of the founders of the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge.

The feature known as the tump is new being comprised mainly of spill from the Second Severn Crossing. Soil types here are by no means typical of the area. The area it covers would have been part of Fiddlers Wood Farm (the wood also vanished under the motorway. Other areas produced by spoil include the meadow behind Webbs Wood and the area of the Community School.

The old parish boundary between Stoke Gifford and Almondsbury is still marked by a ditch that can be seen at the northern edge of Savages Wood, now crossed by a timber bridge installed by the BTCV NVQ group with the assistance of the local Green Gym members.

In the same area Bradley Stoke Way cut a swathe through Savages Wood (and across the ditch) when built leaving a small remnant of the wood on the far side of the road next to Tesco's car park. Much of the ash plantations nearby were planted in reparation for this disruption of the wood.

The stone bridge over the western end of the lake is built from stones from Manor Farm which once stood on Common East.

At the far northern end of the reserve by Primrose Bridge there is a rectangle of grass with fruit trees on either side. This is the location of the garden of Primrose Cottage. Primrose Cottage was one of two back to back dwellings one of which was employed for many years as a bakery supplying Patchway, Woodlands Green and even parts of Bristol with bread.

On the footpath between Primrose Bridge and the lake there is a stand of conifers and poplars with an under story of ornamental shrubs. This is all that remains of Bowsland Farm.

The Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve comprises three bluebell woodlands linked by an important wildlife corridor that includes brooks, ponds areas of rough grassland, species-rich hedgerows and a lake. New trees have also been planted with funds from the Woodland Grant Scheme to help develop the Forest of Avon in South Gloucestershire. The rich mix of habitats provides a valuable home to a wide range of wildlife, including reed buntings, skylarks, great crested newts and slow worms.

Much of the area that Bradley Stoke was built on was low-grade farmland, although a number of attractive natural features such as Savage's Wood, Webb's Wood and Sherbourne's Brake have been incorporated into the town and form the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve. This is a tranquil area in the middle of the bustling community of Bradley Stoke and is made up of the three previously named bluebell woodlands, linked by an important wildlife corridor that includes brooks, ponds areas of rough grassland, species-rich hedgerows and a lake.

Whether you're wanting to walk the dog, jog or run during lunchtime, cycle with the family or go birdwatching there's something for everyone to enjoy. The reserve is a popular breathing place, being so close to where people live and work in Bradley Stoke. Gaze at the old oak trees in Webbs Wood with their gnarly limbs and catch the scent of the wild garlic in springtime. You may be lucky enough to glimpse the flash of blue of a kingfisher darting up Stoke Brook towards the lake or hear the skylarks singing high above the tump.

The site is owned by South Gloucestershire Council.

The reserves consists of the following main areas:

Location	Habitat	Species Found
Webb's Wood	Ancient Woodland	BLuebells
Savage's Wood	Woodland	Aardvarks
Sherbourne's Brake	Woodland	Bluebells
The Tump	Open scrub	Skylarks
Three Brooks Lake	Water	Wildfowl
Community Orchard	Fruit Trees	Wild Flowers

Conservation

A public conservation work day is undertaken on the reserve on the first saturday of each month by the Three Brooks Conservation Group. There is also a weekly Green Gym on each Thursday. The nature reserve is cared for by local residents who have set up a conservation group (The Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group) that meets on the first Saturday of each month to help manage the reserve. The group organises a range of events and practical workdays to help raise awareness of the nature reserve and to enhance its biodiversity. These range from bat walks to traditional woodland management like coppicing and ditch clearing. The BTCV's (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) have a 'green gym', that meets every Thursday between 10am and 1pm. The gym is a great way to get to know your local environment and meet like-minded people who wish to do their bit for their community whilst getting fitter at the same time.

Wildlife

The rich mix of habitats provides a valuable place for wildlife to thrive. The area provides food and shelter to a wide range of wildlife, including reed buntings, skylarks, great crested newts and slow worms and a great place for local residents to walk or cycle through as the well-signposted network of cycle ways provides well-surfaced paths throughout the reserve for people to view the many different habitats.

Bibliography

Landscape of the Past: the hidden heritage of Bradley Stoke, Sharon Ubank, 1998, printed by Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

The Farmer and the Goose with the Golden Eyes, Martin Davis, 2009, published by Redcliffe Press, Bristol

See also

• Bradley Stoke Community School

External links

• Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group Site