Barnwood Arboretum, originally part of the landscaped grounds of the old Barnwood House Hospital, was officially opened in June 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. It is a designated nature reserve, and has recently been awarded the prestigious 'Green Flag Award' for being one of the best 'green places' in the country.
The Arboretum contains a mixture of mature native and ornamental trees in an area of 'unimproved' (no added fertilisers) grassland, including the Variegated Beech, the Indian Bean Tree, Giant Redwoods (originally from California), and two Black Mulberries (originally from Central Asia). Altogether there are around 48 orginal tree specimens in the Arboretum, new trees have been continuously planted throughout the year.
The 'unimproved' soils encourage more wildflowers and therefore this grassland provides a good mix of species, such as Glaucous Sedge (Carex Flacca), Common Quaking Grass (Briza Media), and Lady's Bedstraw (Galium Verum). In turn this provides an excellent habitat for invertebrates.
During the autumn and winter months the area is grazed by rare breed sheep. It was considered that mowing or flailing would damage the anthills and thus damage the habitat. Furthermore, the sheep add to the aesthetic value of the area, and are attractive for visitors. The sheep are removed in the Spring to allow the plants to flower and set seed.
Green Flag Award
In September 2005, Barnwood Arboretum received its first Green Flag Award. We are proud to announce that we are continuing the success, and have been announced as a further Green Flag Award winner in July 2007. The Green Flag Award began in 1996 as a way of recognising and rewarding the best green places in the country. It provides a benchmark for excellence in recreational green areas.
Councillor Andrew Lewis, Cabinet Member for Environment, commented, 'We are absolutely delighted to receive this award. It is a nationally recognised standard and shows that we can be compared with the best in the country. It is a well earned recognition and tribute must go to the many local residents who volunteer their time along with the hard work of our own officers. It is a real team effort'.
Activity Days
The Urban Wildspace Project has organised a number of events at the Barnwood Arboretum. Two of these are highlighted below.
Archaeology Day
On June 18th 2005, local residents were invited to take part in an 'archaeology taster day'. The City Council's Heritage and Museums Service teamed up with the friends of Barnwood Arboretum to offer people the chance to spend a whole day getting 'hands on' with archaeology. The opportunity was provided to learn about basic surveying techniques, to dig and record a test pit, to 'mend' some pottery, and to draw some of the 'finds'. Altogether over 150 people turned up, and great fun was had by all!
Landscape Painting Day
On 2nd July 2005, local residents were given the opportunity to try their hand at landscape painting in the beautiful surroundings of the Barnwood Arboretum Nature Reserve.
Budding artists were joined by Lou Spira, a local artist, who led the day of painting, offering advice on how to start a picture, basic colour mixing, and design.
Last Updated 24/09/2007
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