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Messages are welcome on any subject relating to Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve; the surrounding area of St George and Crews Hole or any of Bristol's Parks and Green Spaces.


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Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 15)


Author Comment    
Judith

judeatbristol@aol.com bs5


Mar 17, 08 - 9:24 PM
Malvern Road Field

Due to the wet weather we have been experiencing, it was very muddy when we crossed the field today from Summerhill Terrace and headed towards the hill. The entrance was extremely muddy and could be angerous. At times the field was slippy - even though I had my sturdy walking boots on! Many people use this entrance and it really would be lovely to have a proper path to walk around or accross the field without having to worry about the mud or wet conditions. Does anyone else feel the same way about this?
Kite

BS5 8BJ


Mar 19th, 2008 - 12:53 AM
Re: Malvern Road Field

Good point Jude. We have had exceptionally wet weather in the last year and the Field has had drainage problems - I wonder will it last? Where would you suggest the path runs?
Liz

BS5


Mar 19th, 2008 - 8:03 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

I wouldn't be in favour of another path. The field has been wet, but it's a drainage problem rather than a path problem in my view. It's not too much bother to go round the other way in wet weather.
Susan



Mar 20th, 2008 - 11:33 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

An option could be to extend the path that already exists. There is a tarmac path from Summerhill Terrace that hugs the hedge on the edge of the Field. It peters out before the two closely joined trees (apple and plum?).

If this path could be continued along the boundary to the Malvern Rd entrance this would then allow school children (and adults) in Malvern Rd to reach the main road and bus stops in fairly short order. It would also allow people who want to go to Troopers Hill and keep their feet dry to then follow the main track that joins the wheelchair access path onto the Hill.

All this, while only reducing the wonderful wide green open space by only a very small amount.

Liz - would this be an acceptable compromise? Jude, what do you think? Anyone else?

It might be possible to get grants on the basis of providing access to public transport.

The original tarmac is left over from the days when Malvern Rd tip existed. This was an access route.

Any other ideas out there?

Susan
Liz



Mar 21st, 2008 - 7:43 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

Now, if the existing path were to be refurbished and extended I know a number of people who would rejoice
Good plan!
Judith

bs5


Mar 21st, 2008 - 10:18 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

Looking at the field again today, I wonder whether a path going down the left hand side from the Summerhill Terrace entrance might be better. A right hand turning along the row of trees would take you more directly towards Troopers Hill. However, any positive ideas are appreciated.
Roger



Mar 21st, 2008 - 11:50 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

In its current form the field is pretty much unusable in the winter, having paths to skirt around it's periphery will be handy. But that is really just tickling the surface, since FOTH seem to have claimed ownership of the field why not invest some money in draining it and making it useable???
Jules

BS4


Mar 22nd, 2008 - 1:28 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

The gravel in the gateway was topped up fairly recently. Draining would be VERY expensive, it's hardly "low-lying ground" so one would think it fairly free draining.The path from MR is quite a bit lower than the grass area and this may suffer unless land drains passed under this and into the woodland below. Was this grass area part of the tip, as I've heard? If so then who knows what's not too far under the surface. Cutting along the wall to the trees and then walking down the line of them is drier walking as Judith says.
What's happening with the playground? If that's to be renewed then a move toward Summerleaze may give the opportunity to repair/extend the path along the hedgeline.
Liz

BS5


Mar 22nd, 2008 - 11:28 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

The entrance at Summerhill Terrace seems to eat chippings. Perhaps we should get the council to tarmac it the same as at Malvern Road.

As for paths, I'm just dreading another 2 metre wide monstrosity and would rather have no path at all to be honest. There are going to be different viewpoints depending on exactly where you live and what you want to do. Quite honestly, when I was walking up to school twice and often four times a day it was no bother at all to go the long way round when the field was muddy. And these days the quickest way home for me from the bus is straight down Summerhill Terrace and across the field, but I haven't been doing that an awful lot recently.

Some of my neighbours have been here since the 60s and say the field was landfill and was capped. I think that's probably why it gets waterlogged in places.
Rob

BS5


Mar 24th, 2008 - 12:37 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

I agree with Jules that it would probably be very expensive to drain the field. The first stage would be to dig some trial holes to establish what is in the ground and why it holds water so much.
My understanding was that the tipping was only in the woodland and that this area was allotments. The access track to the tip went across the field but the field itself wasn't part of the tip.
As far as the play area is concerned it will be discussed as part of the Area Green Space plan for St George which will be put together through the St George Neighbourhood partnership within the next two years. The Parks and Green Spaces Strategy states that there should be 'Children's Play Space' within 450m of every home in Bristol. Production of the Area Green Space Plan will give everyone in St George a chance to have a say in where play areas should be positioned to meet that standard - at the moment large parts of St George don't meet the standard.
If it is decided that a play area is needed on Troopers Hill Field then it will be up to Bristol Parks to work with groups like us to raise the necessary funding to make it happen.
Liz

BS5


Mar 25th, 2008 - 7:06 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

I'll recheck with the neighbours if I get a chance. It wasn't a very scientific explanation, more a vague wave of the hand to indicate where the landfill was.
Ian



Apr 9th, 2008 - 1:32 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

The field was originally the same as the hill - but covered in Broom and Gorse with no real discernable path through it - instead there were a maze of paths. As a child the Gorse and Broom towered above me and it was a good place to play and search for slow worms, lizards and enormous crickets the likes of which you don't see anymore. Here was where the rabbits also made their home.

I would shudder to think of what horrible material was buried under this field as you can see it's at least 6 feet higher than the ground level as can also be seen by looking at the care home next to it.

If I remember correctly the middle was scooped out and soil taken away and then brought back to use as the covering for the tip beyond where the wood is now.
Jules

BS4


Apr 9th, 2008 - 5:36 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

Welcome back Ian.
This confirms what I've heard and suspected, the track fron MR is much lower than the field and the only other explanation would be if football pitches were planned at one point and thus the field 'levelled'.
Sounds like it was a much more interesting place a while ago.
Hopefully nothing nastier than domestic waste! The plateau at Eastwood holds water quite well, possibly due to the layer of clay used to cap the tip under the topsoil.
Rob

BS5


Apr 9th, 2008 - 9:59 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

A layer of clay on top of tipped material would certainly explain why it holds water so well. It would also make it just about impossible to put in any effective dranage system.
Liz

BS5


Apr 10th, 2008 - 9:45 PM
Re: Malvern Road Field

I could go for gorse and bunnies

Seriously, a path down either edge would compromise trees if it had to be 2 metres wide and I'd rather have the trees (the one by the nursing home being a rather interesting graft and eminently climbable). Better to fix the surface of the track along the southern edge as it's totally impassible on foot or by wheelchair in wet weather.

Liz


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