News
A New Bridge for the Jubilee Walkway – Restoration Work Begins!
Monday 26th October 2026
Great news! The first steps towards restoring the Jubilee Walkway between Lincombe Barn Woods and Frenchay Bridge are now underway!
Following our recent discussions with South Gloucestershire Council, work has begun on repairing this much-loved woodland footpath, which has sadly fallen into disrepair over the years.
The first project tackled was the wooden footbridge at the Frenchay end of the walkway. As the photographs show, the old bridge had deteriorated badly, with rotten and missing timbers making it unsafe to use.
Working together, South Gloucestershire Council's team and volunteers from our Friends Group dismantled what remained of the old bridge before constructing a brand-new replacement, complete with sturdy decking and handrails.
The transformation is remarkable, and it's wonderful to see this section of the walkway given a new lease of life!
This is just the first step in what we hope will be a series of improvements to restore the Jubilee Walkway and make it safer and more enjoyable for everyone who uses it.
A huge thank you to South Gloucestershire Council and our fantastic Friends Group volunteers for their hard work and commitment to making this happen. It's a great example of what can be achieved when the Council and local community work together.
We'll keep you updated as further restoration work progresses!
Big Autumn Clean – Come and Join Us!
Sunday November 1st 2026
Autumn is here, and it's time to give our lovely park and woods a little TLC!
Come and join us for our Big Autumn Clean as we work together to keep our beautiful green spaces looking their best. We'll be litter picking, clearing paths and cutting back overgrown vegetation to make the park and woods more enjoyable for everyone.
Everyone is welcome! Whether you can spare half an hour or the full two hours, every helping hand makes a difference. It's also a great opportunity to enjoy some fresh air, meet fellow residents and do something positive for our local environment.
All tools and equipment will be provided, so just bring your enthusiasm – and there'll be cake too!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Good News for the Jubilee Walkway – Repairs Set to Begin!
Monday 19th October 2026
Those who have been following the ongoing concerns about the deteriorating footpath between Lincombe Barn Woods and Frenchay Bridge will be pleased to hear that progress is finally being made!
Back in May, we discovered a Pathway Licence dating from 1984, which we subsequently submitted to South Gloucestershire Council's Legal Team for consideration.
This led to a site visit in September, when five representatives from South Gloucestershire Council joined the Chairman of our Friends Group for a walk along the Jubilee Walkway to see the condition of the path and its bridges first-hand.
Following the visit, the Council agreed to hold further internal discussions to explore what could be done to improve the walkway.
We are now delighted to share some positive news! The Council has agreed to begin the first phase of repairs in November, starting with work on one of the pathway bridges. Volunteers from our Friends Group will be lending a hand, working alongside the Council's team to help get these much-needed improvements underway.
While there is still more work to be done, this is a very welcome first step towards restoring this much-loved woodland walkway.
A big thank you to everyone involved in helping to move this forward. We look forward to sharing further updates as work progresses!
Checking the Health of Our Local Waterway
Sunday 20th September 2026
We all have a part to play in looking after our local environment, and keeping our streams and rivers clean and healthy is an important part of that.
This weekend, members of the Friends Group joined thousands of people across the country taking part in the Great UK WaterBlitz. We collected water samples from the stream running down from Lincombe Barn towards the River Frome, helping to contribute to a nationwide picture of the health of our freshwater environments.
The WaterBlitz tests for nitrates and phosphates, which can provide useful indicators of pollution. The results from thousands of samples will help researchers identify areas of concern, monitor changes in water quality and support conservation work to protect our rivers and streams.
And we had some really encouraging news locally! 💚
Our tests showed low levels of both nitrates and phosphates, which is particularly pleasing as this represents an improvement on the results from previous years.
Of course, one set of samples is only a snapshot of the stream's health, but regular monitoring helps us build a much better understanding of what is happening in our local waterways.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on our stream and do what we can to help protect this important part of our local environment.
A big thank you to everyone who helped with the WaterBlitz – another great example of local people coming together to care for our community and its natural environment.
September Community Sunday
Sunday 6th September 2026
What a beautiful morning, and what a wonderful difference 15 amazing, community-spirited local residents made to our park and woods!
It was fantastic to see children, young people and the young at heart all working together to make a real difference. Armed with litter pickers, tools and plenty of enthusiasm, the team cleared litter and tackled the paths, cutting back brambles, stinging nettles and overhanging branches.
A big thank you to the youth group from The Well Church, who meet at Lincombe Barn, for joining us and getting stuck in. It was wonderful to see everyone working together and enjoying the morning.
And a very special thank you to Jerry for sharpening and servicing our tools, helping to keep everything in good working order.
Thank you to everyone who came along, your time, energy and community spirit have made a real difference to our local park and woods. Well done, everyone!
Discovering the Bats on Our Doorstep
Friday 28th August 2026
We were treated to a wonderful and enthusiastic talk about bats from local bat expert Daisy Finniear, who shared her knowledge of these fascinating nocturnal creatures and helped us discover more about the bats living right on our doorstep.
As the sun set, we headed down through the woods armed with night-vision binoculars and ultrasonic bat detectors. We were soon treated to both the sights and sounds of the woodland’s nocturnal wildlife.
Among the bats we spotted were Pipistrelle bats, darting between the trees and across the meadow, while Daubenton’s bats, sometimes known as ‘water bats’, flew low over the river, feeding on insects skimming the water.
It was a fascinating and memorable evening, giving everyone a chance to see our local wildlife from a completely different perspective.
Daisy is the Community Nature Officer for Frampton Cotterell Parish Council, where she leads community nature volunteering, conservation projects and environmental events. We are very grateful to Daisy for sharing her expertise and enthusiasm with us.
We would also like to thank everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success. Money raised from the talk was donated to Severn Wildlife Rescue, supporting their valuable work caring for local wildlife.
August Community Sunday
Sunday 2nd August 2026
A huge thank you to the 14 fantastic volunteers who braved the hot sunshine to help with litter picking and clearing the pathways. Your hard work made a real difference and helped keep the area looking its best for everyone to enjoy.
It was also great to welcome some members of The Well Church congregation, who usually meet at nearby Lincombe Barn. Their extra helping hands were much appreciated, and it was wonderful to see the local community coming together to care for this special place.
Tree Down!
Friday 31st July 2026
Some of you may have noticed that one of the trees came down during this week's strong, gusty winds, blocking the main pathway.
The fallen tree was promptly reported to South Gloucestershire Council's Trees Team, who were on site the very next day to clear the path and make it safe again.
A big thank you to the Trees Team for their quick response and excellent work!
June Community Sunday
Sunday 7th June 2026
Many thanks to the amazing team of sixteen volunteers, children and adults, who helped cut back the stinging nettles along the path that leads down to the tall waterfall, and who also cleared litter from the park and woods during our Community Sunday in June. What a great effort and what a great result!
Stargazing Event
Friday 15th May 2026
Local astronomer and night-sky enthusiast Steve Parkinson delivered another inspiring and highly informative presentation as we gathered inside his portable planetarium to explore the wonders of the night sky.
If you would like to look at the spring sky charts Steve provided, please visit the “Fun Stuff” section of the website.
As you study the stars, you may even begin to spot patterns and shapes of your own among the constellations. Many of the familiar constellations we recognise today were named thousands of years ago by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, whose stories and mythology helped early astronomers map and remember the night sky. Modern science now understands that these stars are not physically connected, but are often vast distances apart, with the patterns existing mainly from our viewpoint here on Earth. Steve encouraged us to use our imagination and create our own constellations. Why not give it a go!
April Community Sunday
Sunday 5th April 2026
The night after Storm Dave swept through, a team of community spirited litter pickers turned up to clear the park and woods of rubbish. We are very pleased to report that there was very little rubbish, with most of the litter being collected from outside the perimeter of the park. A big thank you again to those who gave up an hour of their time to look after the park and woods.
Jubilee Pathway Update
Thursday 2nd April 2026
The Jubilee Walkway from the Jubilee Bridge to Frenchay Bridge was re-installed in 2012. In recent years the walkway has deteriorated and presents many health and safety concerns.
The Friends Group has raised concerns with South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and with our MP Claire Hazelgrove. The issue is establishing who is responsible for the safety and maintenance of the path.
Recently the Senior Caseworker for Claire Hazelgrove received and shared a response from the House of Commons Library, having written to request clarification. The discussion continues.
If you are concerned about this pathway please contact us.
Dawn Chorus Walk
Sunday 22nd March 2026
At 5:30am, fourteen of us excitedly gathered by the play area, with the dawn chorus already serenading us! We even caught the distant call of a tawny owl. As we strolled down to the river, we were thrilled to witness a heron gracefully gliding low over the meadow at twilight. A massive shoutout to Ellis for leading our delightfully uplifting and reflective walk! One enthusiastic member of the group even suggested we make this a monthly adventure!
Big Spring Clean
Sunday 1st March 2026
Huge thanks to all seventeen volunteers for braving the weather forecast and giving up your Sunday morning to work so hard caring for our local park and woods. The impact has been phenomenal!
Lincombe Barn Park and Woods, along with the entrance to Britannia Wood, are now free from litter, the display boards are now sparkling, and the area around our saplings is now bramble free!
Special thanks to Tina and Paula for the beautiful cake, and thanks again to Anna and Jen for kindly taking the recycling home.
Thank you all for making this area a better place to live and visit. I hope you all enjoy the restful Sunday afternoon you deserve.