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Friends of Troopers Hill
Management Plan
2007 and Earlier Management Plans
This page describes to works carried out following the adoption of the 2007 Management Plan for Troopers Hill and also gives details of the earlier plans. The five-year 2007 plan covered the period April 2007 to March 2012.
Habitat Management 2007 - 2012
As with the 2012 plan, the main focus of the 2007 plan was habitat management. Works were carried out each winter to clear areas of bramble and scrub in accordance with the principles adopted in the plan and described here. Following clearance work in the first two winters the main focus changed to revisiting those areas cleared in previous winters and removing any regrowth of trees, scrub or bramble.
The work is part of an ongoing process to improve the environment of the hill and to protect the heathland and grassland. This work is being managed by Bristol Parks in consultation with Friends of Troopers Hill. Friends of Troopers Hill helped throughout the period with bramble clearance and other labour intensive tasks at our regular Work Parties.
Most of the work is done in the winter to avoid disturbing nesting birds - Report on 2011/12 winter works
Photos: 2008/9 Winter works
- 2007/8 Winter works.
An area of grassland at Greendown was cut each year by contractors working for the Council as a hay meadow - photos here.
You can see how the hill has changed since 1998 here.
Surveys of two of the areas cleared in the winter 2006/7 showed encouraging signs that heathland plants were re-establishing themselves - download the report here.
Troopers Hill Stepping Forward - 2011 - £30,000 for Troopers Hill
In December 2011 Friends of Troopers Hill learnt that they had been successful in their Stage 2 application to Groundwork UK for funding from the Big Lottery through their Community Spaces Programme. The project was to improve access to Troopers Hill and encourage visits from groups such as 'Walking for Health'. Work in putting together the application, carrying out a consultation with local residents and commissioning an ecological survey took 12 months following the stage 1 award in Dec 2010. This application was in accordance with objectives 7.2.10.4 & 7 of the Management Plan.
More information on the Stepping Forward Project >>
Troopers Hill Road Works - 2010
Works were carried out from 11th to 13th October 2010 to address the
problems of over-hanging trees and earth falls along Troopers Hill Road.
The works were required due to health and safety concerns and involved tree
management including the removal of low branches, as well as reducing the surplus soil
build up behind the fence along Troopers Hill Road.
Photos and more information >>
Mine Shaft Subsidence - 2010
A crater near the top of the hill was fenced off while
Bristol City Council and the Coal Authority investigated some subsidence.
This was due to old mine workings
collapsing. Excavations were needed to check whether there was a danger of
any further collapse and to make the area safe.
More Information >>
Additional Litter Bin - 2010
Many of the users of Troopers Hill pick up litter as they walk round and this is particularly true of early morning dog walkers who often clear cans an bottles left from the evening before. In early 2010 we were approached by a dog walker who sugested that a litter bin should be placed near the entrance to the LNR from Troopers Hill Field to avoid the need to leave bags of collected litter under the dog waste bin.
This was discussed at our meeting in May and it was agreed that Friends of Troopers Hill would ask for donations towards the bin and then pay the rest of the cost from our funds; Bristol Parks agreed to empty it and maintain it. Nearly £100 was donated and the bin was installed in early September 2010.
As with benches (see below) we are keen to maintain the wild appearance of Troopers Hill LNR and avoid too much furniture on the hill so we have always resisted suggestions to place litter bins on the LNR and this continues to be our position.
New Benches - 2009/10
As part of the Management Plan (objective 7.2.6.5) we produced a seating plan - additional seats were the most requested improvement in the 2002 Visitor Survey and have often be mentioned since. Two seats were installed in 2007 by Bristol Parks at the top of the hill and these have proved very popular. Three more of the benches shown on the plan have been installed as part of our
YANSEC funded project to replace some installed in 2006 that were then vandalised. All the seating shown on the plan is now in place.
While additional seating is still asked for, we are also aware that many people do not want to see too much furniture on the hill as this might spoil its wild appearance; it is therefore necessary to keep a balance.
In 2009 we were approached by a family that wanted to donate a bench to Troopers Hill as a memorial. Our Community Parks Officer suggested a location where he thought that an extra bench would be beneficial, without impacting on the appearance of the hill. We agreed that this would be a good location. We are pleased to say that this new bench has now been installed by Bristol Parks at the top of the steps leading up from Greendown.
Greendown Entrance - 2009
Works to improve this entrance were carried out in 2009 as part of a project which had a total cost of £21,500. Bristol Parks provided 10% of this funding while Friends of Troopers Hill were awarded a grant from YANSEC for the remaining 90% -
you can see details and photos of the works here. The work was carried our in accordance with a design produced with funding from Awards for All. This work was in accordance with objective 7.2.10.6 of the Management Plan to improve safety and access at the entrances from Troopers Hill Road.
Wheelchair Path - 2007
A new path was constructed in April 2007 to provide wheelchair access to the top of the hill. This was also part funded by YANSEC.
Design for Entrance at Lower Chimney
A design to improve the appearance of the entrance by the lower chimney was produced it was funded by a Lottery Grant through Awards for All received in September 2007. The design has not yet been priced but it will form part of a future bid to include restoration work to the lower chimney, possibly to
the HLF.
2007 Plan Details
The 2007 Management Plan for Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve was produced jointly by Bristol Parks and Friends of Troopers Hill and adopted in January 2007.
For the purpose of the plan the hill was divided up into 11 compartments and the management aims for each area were set out, together with details of how they would be achieved. As well as the main document there were three maps, all are available for download as pdf files.
2007 Managemenent Plan
Full colour version (2.6 MB)
2007 Managemenent Plan
Text & photographs only (1.4 MB)
2007 Managemenent Plan
Updated Schedule February 2009
Map 1 Compartments (360kB) Map 2 Public Rights of Way (290kB) Map 3 Site Features (309kB)
Proposed Seating Plan Revised 2009
The 2007 plan initially covered a five year period to April 2012. An additional year was added to the plan at each annual review so that we were always looking 5 years ahead. Friends of Troopers Hill learnt a great deal about the ecology of Troopers Hill since the original plan was produced in 2004 and this allowed us to plan an improved management regime. Our initial focus had been to try and maintain the hill in its current state, but with the support of Bristol Parks we were able to work towards improving the habitat with particular focus on the acid grassland and heathland. This work continues with the adoption of the 2012 plan.
Earlier Management Plans
The 2004 plan and the updates produced in April 2005 and 2006, can be downloaded as pdf files using the links below.
The Plan was officially launched at a signing ceremony on the hill on Wed 9th June 2004. It was signed by Peter Wilkinson, Head of Bristol Parks and Susan Acton-Campbell, Chair of Friends of Troopers Hill
Click Here to View Photographs of the Signing Ceremony >>
The first Management Plan for Troopers Hill LNR was produced in 1999.
1999 Management Plan by Wessex Ecological Consultancy
