Summer vibes in Nailsea’s secret park
Nailsea’s own secret garden, Trendlewood Park, is looking absolutely stunning in the full bloom of Summer. Yet many people in the town are not even aware of the park which has had Green Flag status since 2012. So why not get out and get some fresh air and explore this area of Nailsea now the summer is here, it’s really cool and refreshing with plenty of tree cover and perfect for picnics.
Trendlewood Park stretches across a large area within the Trendlewood estates. You can enter the park from many directions. Look for the blue name signs at the entrances on Trendlewood Way (opposite The Old Farmhouse pub) on Station Road (opposite Ash Hayes Road) and Lodge Lane at Backwell Bow. Other access points are at the ends of Avening Close, Birdlip Close, Bibury Close and Tetbury Gardens and many of the roads that turn off Trendlewood Way. The park consists of a wood, grasslands, ponds, an orchard and many copses and hedges. Take a look at the Trendlewood park website https://friendsoftrendlewoodpark.org.uk/ for more detailed maps and 100s of wildlife photos.
The park comprises of four acres of woodland, a well-equipped play area and 10 acres of grassland, trees and hedges with a network of public footpaths and a bridleway. The attached map details the location of the park.
The ‘Friends of Trendlewood Park’ is a voluntary group which manages Trendlewood Community Park in partnership with North Somerset Council (NSC). The Friends are always looking for more volunteers and meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 10am – 1pm at The Old Farmhouse. If you are interested please feel free to join the Friends on one of these days. Or, if you would like to find out more please email the Friends on contact@friendsoftrendlewoodpark.org.uk , complete the contact form on the website https://friendsoftrendlewoodpark.org.uk/contact-us/
Unfortunately, the park has experienced some antisocial behaviour recently with a fire being lit in the children’s play area which resulted in the Fire Brigade being called out. This destroyed a popular picnic table used by mums watching their children playing and nearby fencing. There have also been reports of youth riding Sur-Ron off road electric dirt bikes across the park which is causing damage to the paths and nearby vegetation. The more the public use the park the less likely it is that this anti-social behaviour will take place.
Many park ash trees are also showing signs of Ash Dieback disease which can result in the tree being felled or severely reduced. North Somerset Council Tree Officers are rolling out a programme of tree management that will leave gaps in the woodland canopy and in other areas of the park. Young trees planted as part of the Rewilding project in 2022 are growing to replace ash in some areas. Friends of Trendlewood Park will be also working with NSC to plant new standard trees, and transplant suitable self -sown trees to fill gaps in the canopy after tree works have taken place. Nature and forward planning are always required to bring new life to a park.
Pat Gilbert, Chair of the Friends said “The Friends are really proud of the work they have done to maintain and develop Trendlewood Park over the years., we are always planning for the future, even though the results of our efforts many be years ahead. We are all really looking forward to more Nailsea residents using this wonderful park now that summer is here. The park provides a home for a wide variety of birds, plants, mammals, insects and other invertebrates and so you never know what wildlife you can spot on your walks and exploring. Please contact us if you would like to support the amazing work we do in this park”.