Parts of Ashton Court roped off as lockdown walks damage wildlife
Bristol City Council hopes the measure will protect rare Skylarks which nest in the grass
Visitors are being urged to help preserve the ecology of the Ashton Court Estate as large conservation areas have been set up within Bristol's largest green space.
Sections of the plateau, located near the Clifton Lodge car park of the 850-acre country park, have been roped off during the spring to offer recovery space to some of the abundance of wildlife on the estate.
Record numbers have visited Ashton Court this winter, with many using it to take exercise during the COVID-19 lockdowns, meaning the area has had a shorter recovery time than usual.
Bristol City Council has now stepped in to introduce measures as a manager of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
"The Parks department has roped off the plateau to protect breeding skylarks which make their nests amongst the grass," a press release from the City Council reads.
"Increased visitor numbers and numbers of dogs roaming off the lead are believed to have contributed to a recent decline in their population."
The area is also home to an important population of green-winged orchids, some of which the council says, are in danger of being damaged by the impact of walkers on the area.
Councillor Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Communities, said: “We recognise how important the use of Ashton Court Estate and the other parks and green spaces throughout Bristol have been in providing safe areas for people to exercise and maintain their physical and mental health during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and we want that to continue to be the case.
“The action we are taking at Ashton Court Estate is about striking a balance between maintaining these facilities and protecting the ecology within them to ensure they can be used and enjoyed by all citizens well into the future.
“Everyone can play their part in safeguarding the wildlife at Ashton Court by not entering the roped-off temporary conservation areas and sticking to the mown and surfaced paths."
When we visited Ashton Court on Thursday (25/02), the rope fence up at that point appeared to offer only a guide line suggesting where people should walk and did not stop walkers going on the plateau should they wish to.
Many people, both with and without dogs continued to walk around the roped off area, with many telling us they hadn't realised they shouldn't have been.
You can watch a video report on the situation above.