A. Laurence Weston Community Farm
Lawrence Weston Community Farm is a community-managed project that aims to improve the quality of life for local people and its service-users. The farm does this by working with members of the local community, and others, to provide a range of innovative and exciting, educational, social, environmental, economic and recreational activities.
As well as providing opportunities to experience the daily delights of community farming and gardening, the farm also:
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Brings people and communities together - make new friends, volunteering and placement opportunities, activities for children and young people, a safe and secure public green space.
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Delivers education and skill development - hands on enjoyable learning opportunities, short course, accredited training, school groups .
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Promotes environmental awareness - recycling, composting, wildlife, gardens, ponds, woodland.
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Encourages healthy eating and exercise - wholesome food, exercise through gardening and practical work, cooking events.
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Produces fresh, affordable local food - vegetables, meat, honey, eggs.
The farm is particularly interested in combating social exclusion and providing a safe and supportive environment in which people can flourish and contribute positively to their community.
The People's Building houses the office, toilets, classroom, kitchen and community room. The Animal House provides a home for all the large animals and most of the small animals. There is a small apiary where the bees make delicious honey, a secret garden complete with poly tunnel, Water Vole Woodland Walk, an outdoor soft play area for the summer months, picnic area, the animal village that is home to our small animals, the volunteer cabin, an orchard, duck pond, compost heaps, out door pig pen, chicken coup and three large paddocks.
The Community Farm is open Tuesday to Sunday (Mondays only on Bank Holidays); Summer hours 9.30 - 4.30, Winter 9.30 - 3.30
B. Cycle Path and " Walk for Health" measured route.
1) The cycle path passing the Community Farm is on National Route 41, Regional Route 10, going to Pill (3 miles) and Bristol (10 Miles.)
2) The " Walk for Health" at Henacre Open space is a 1900 metre measured route. You can use this route for walking, cycling and generally being active. This route is a flexible way to build towards your daily 30 minutes of activity. Distance markers have been drawn on the path on the path every 200 metres so that you can record the distance which you have walked.
C. Laurence Weston Moor
An extensive network of wet meadows and reedbeds, Lawrence Weston Moor is a remnant of the North Somerset Levels on the edge of the city, and is extremely rich in wildlife.
What to look out for
The drier fields are hay meadows, where plants such as meadowsweet and pepper saxifrage are common, and they are one of the few local places where common meadow rue can still be seen. The wetter meadows have more damp-loving plants, including ragged robin, marsh marigold and creeping forget-me-not.
Large areas of the reserve are covered with reeds and rushes and are important for birds such as reed buntings and snipe. Reed and sedge warblers are also known to breed here. The drier fields are cut for hay in late summer, and the wetter ones grazed by cattle.
The old pollarded willows provide roosts for little owls and kestrels, which can be seen hunting over the fields. The rhynes (ditches) provide homes for frogs and insects, such as dragonflies.