Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields, Bath (2026)

19/07/2026

Bulletin No 50 – July - August 2026
Welcome to our Latest Update

What to look out for in July and August
- Hear the growing hum of insects: chirping grasshoppers rub their legs together and this is called ‘stridulation’, although some sounds can’t be heard by us humans.
- Butterflies, whose caterpillars feed on grasses, are on the wing right now; meadow browns, small skippers, ringlet and the occasional marbled white.
- Brambles are profuse with pink-tinged flowers attracting many bees and hoverflies.
- Bats, including Noctules and Pipistrelles fly most evenings, skirting along treelines hunting for moths and gnats.
- The tall black knapweed, and even taller hemp-agrimony and buddleia, all support pretty purple flowers attracting butterflies
Peter McSweeney

Summer Festival Midsummer Day 2026

It was a perfect setting, sitting down after a lovely home-produced buffet, in hazy sunshine. With a backdrop of the wooded hills up towards Macaulay Buildings, and with a brief quiet introduction our turn for the occasion was Suda Takeshi. With a playing style that might be described as warm, gentle, subtle, and lightly amplified, he took us through some well known classics:
Fly me to the moon, Shadow of your smile, Girl from Ipamena, Boplicity in a set that was appreciated by an audience seated under the 2 gazebos/awnings in the South Field. Thanks go to the small team that prepared the site, the victuallers and all who attended. Like pretty much everything we do, this was testament to what our wonderful volunteers can do. A triumph!
Maurice Tennenhaus

Three Midsummer Visits

We are always pleased to introduce new people (both young and older) to the delights of our Fields. We had three such opportunities in June.

On Tuesday 9th June, as part of QE Day (in memory of Queen Elizabeth II) organised by Paragon School to inculcate the joys of volunteering from a young age, we had nine children up to the age of ten with us. It’s always a joy seeing how engaged they all are when ‘on task’ e.g. preparing the soil for plugs of red campion, ox-eye daisies and field scabious. The children also had a tour of the fields where they saw the Tiny Forests, the laid and dead hedges, one of our ponds with the water collecting structure – they loved the upturned umbrella! Later they identified flowers and insects and interviewed passers-by with carefully crafted questions as to why they visited the Fields.

Then the following evening we had 20 adults for a two-hour Nature Walk promoted through the Festival of Nature organisation and other local channels. For the first time we advertised this as a visit to Lyncombe Hill Fields Nature Reserve.

Finally on the evening of Tuesday 30th June 10 girls from the 9th Bath (Beechen Cliff) Guides and two of their leaders, undeterred by heavy rain showers, explored the Fields in support of their work for their Biodiversity badges. They also showed great enthusiasm in raking up cut grass in the NE corner of the South Field.

These were all opportunities to extend our local engagement, with events that we would be happy to repeat on other future occasions.
Chris Kinchin-Smith

Mowing the Fields for the Sixth Time

We are now started on our sixth annual cycle of mowing and raking some five acres of our prime grasslands in pursuit of our objective to promote the spread of wildflowers and hence to increase the biodiversity of our floral, insect, butterfly and bird populations.

From the outset we have absorbed advice from Bathscape, National Trust and other experts on how best to do this. Our methodology has progressed in the light of this advice and experience, and we now produce a detailed plan each year, tailored to the extent of wildflower growth in each sub-area of the five main fields.

We are constrained by the need to use our volunteer labour and relatively small mowers in the most efficient way, without recourse to livestock grazing as this is not appropriate for the site.

The variety of wildflowers continue to increase, and the quality of the grass has also improved significantly. But this is still a major undertaking, on each Sunday morning and also many Wednesdays from June to December or later. It is rewarding, sociable and physical work for our volunteers, and we welcome any newcomers who would like to give it a try.
Maurice Tennenhaus

Photo Gallery

Please check out our website,
http://friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk to view more photos selected by our Photo Team; and also our monthly videos at https://www.youtube.com/.

Donations to FLHF via Localgiving

If you’d like to support our work in the fields your donations are very welcome. Please do donate via Localgiving on our website friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

Remember there is an option to donate via direct debit so you may give a small sum every month, for as long as you wish, rather than a single larger sum. Donations to FLHF via Localgiving from UK taxpayers also enable FLHF to benefit from Gift Aid payments.

Volunteering

Typically around 12 people join us in the Fields for two hours on Sunday mornings, with slightly smaller numbers on Wednesdays. These sessions are normally from 10.00 to 12.00. Please note however that on Sundays from 7th June will be from 09.00 to 11.00, and on Wednesdays from 10th June will be from 19.00 to 20.30. These timings are more comfortable in the warmer weather. You can come as often or as infrequently as you wish. In doing so you will do your bit to improve the local environment and community, and improve your health. We will teach you new skills, and you will find that this is a very sociable activity.
There are no fees; all it costs is your time. If you or any family or friends are interested in getting involved, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you in the fields
Very best to you all

Chris and Maurice

Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields
Our Wild Hilltop Paradise

Editor: Ruth Herrlinger

19/05/2026

Bulletin No 49 – May - June 2026
Welcome to our Latest Update

What to look out for in May and June
- The dawn chorus is at its richest, with blackbirds, wrens, robins and chiff-chaffs amongst the most frequent singers.
- White flowers abound, from the wild garlic under the hedgerows, to the hawthorn, then the elder bushes.
-The pendulous green flowers of sycamore tree and stocky flowers of field maple attract insects.
- About half a dozen pairs of blue t**s and great t**s using our nestboxes.
- The first of grasses pushing up their spiky flowers, such as sweet vernal grass.
- House martins and swifts chasing insects overhead, also many types of bat at night.
Peter McSweeney

There is no such thing as a dead hedge

We all know what a hedge is: a line of trees and shrubs used to define a border or act as a barrier. In previous bulletins you will have been regaled by the act of laying or pleaching. This involves cutting the lower main stem of a tree or bush about ¾ of the way through and bending it to near horizontal with the ground. In time new shoots start to grow vertically, thus starting a new cycle.

A dead hedge is something else entirely. It is a way of using dying/dead branches to create a hedge that looks unkempt but is not going to grow new shoots, also known as a bug bank.

We start with a line of stakes between 1m and 2m apart that retain the hedge either side.

The gap between the two lines of stakes is filled with branches and sticks of varying sizes. Over time the woody material decomposes through the action of insects and fungi. We can top up with new material to keep this process going for as long as we can source more branches. Longer branches have the added advantages or knitting the material together and keeping the decomposition going on for longer.

What is the point of dead hedges? Almost immediately, they become very attractive to all kinds of invertebrates. They can feast on this concentration of delicious food. Insects attract birds and mammals who find insects equally delicious. Also, they provide brilliant cover and unlimited nesting material.

So where can I see a dead hedge? Go into The Copse (see the map at any of our three gates) and you will see a straight length at the top by the footpath and one that surrounds some small trees in the shape of a doughnut/bagel. We will be topping them up over the year with any woody material that arises from pruning or windfalls.

Maurice Tennenhaus

The Cowslip Count is Up!

Each year, we eagerly await the emergence of cowslips on the fields. Their delicate, dangling golden-yellow flowers are a sure sign that spring has arrived. We manage all the grassland to encourage native wildflowers and have certainly seen an improvement over the years. But we also target those areas where the cowslips grow with a little extra attention, to encourage them. This is followed up by our trusty volunteers who carry out annual surveys to monitor the population. While some cowslips have been planted by us, the majority occur naturally and are an important indicator of old grassland. The exciting news is that this year’s count of more than 1,600 flowering spikes represents a remarkable 57% increase on last year.
Peter McSweeney

Busy Boxes: Blue & Great Tit Nesting Update

We’ve installed 19 blue tit and great tit nestboxes across the Fields, and each spring our volunteers monitor breeding activity. This involves at least one 30‑minute watch each week. All observations are then recorded via an online form - so no paper is harmed in the process! So far this year there are early signs that 8 boxes are in use, which is similar to previous years. We hope for a successful outcome, so watch this space for further updates.
Peter McSweeney

A walk around Lyncombe Hill Fields Nature Reserve
June 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Join us for a gentle walk to explore the diverse habitats within our 10-acre nature reserve, just a short distance from the centre of Bath. Highlights include a visit to our Miyawaki forests, watching scything and mowing in the wildflower meadow, a peek into one of our ponds, and a visit to the tree nursery. Refreshments will be provided, giving you the chance to chat with our volunteers. Our guides will be happy to answer your questions.

Book your (free) place by emailing [email protected]
Accessibility information. The fields are steep and are not wheelchair accessible. We will be walking on made up paths for most of the time. Public toilets are available in Alexandra Park, about 10 minutes’ walk away. This will be a walk with plenty of stops along the way.

Travel information. We will meet at the gateway opposite 100 Greenway Lane, BA2 4LN. What3Words: many.policy.fluid.
Access by foot. Walk up Lyncombe Hill, and then Greenway Lane. Buses (D2, 171, 172, 173, 174 and 522) stop at Bear Flat and at the Devonshire Arms. Parking is available in Alexandra Park. Bikes can be locked to the gate on Greenway Lane where we are meeting.

A FESTIVAL OF NATURE 2026 EVENT
Festival of Nature

Donations to FLHF via Localgiving

If you’d like to support our work in the fields your donations are very welcome. Please do donate via Localgiving on our website friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

Remember there is an option to donate via direct debit so you may give a small sum every month, for as long as you wish, rather than a single larger sum. Donations to FLHF via Localgiving from UK taxpayers also enable FLHF to benefit from Gift Aid payments.

Volunteering

Typically around 12 people join us in the Fields for two hours on Sunday mornings, with slightly smaller numbers on Wednesdays. These sessions are normally from 10.00 to 12.00. Please note however that on Sundays from 7th June will be from 09.00 to 11.00, and on Wednesdays from 10th June will be from 19.00 to 20.30. These timings are more comfortable in the warmer weather. You can come as often or as infrequently as you wish. In doing so you will do your bit to improve the local environment and community, and improve your health. We will teach you new skills, and you will find that this is a very sociable activity.
There are no fees; all it costs is your time. If you or any family or friends are interested in getting involved, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you in the fields
Very best to you all

Chris and Maurice

Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields
Our Wild Hilltop Paradise

Editor: Ruth Herrlinger

29/03/2026

Bulletin No 48 – March - April 2026
Welcome to our Latest Update

What to look out for in March and April

- Blackthorn bushes thick with small white blossoms.
- Trees coming into leaf, such as Ash with its hard black buds breaking and its pendulous flowers.
- Woodpeckers drumming and bluet**s in the nestboxes.
- Birds singing defending territories such as blackbirds and summer's chiffchaffs.
- White pompom flowers of ramsoms, also called wild garlic, providing nectar.
- Bats emerging in the warmer evenings.
Peter McSweeney

Our YouTube Channel

After a lot of procrastination, we have, at last, launched out into YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/. Just a tentative dip so far, but watch out for regular new video material this summer. We will be uploading short pieces on what we are doing, and of course what you might be able to see, but we will be open to requests, with the usual caveats.

Everyone on any of our WhatsApp groups will get notifications of new uploads and links will be found on our website using the green button labelled "Short Videos".
Maurice Tennenhaus

The Nature Volunteer’s Companion

Almost from the very beginning of our adventure in these fields, we have been learning how to do things we have never attempted before. Just as important were the things we did, that we vowed never to repeat. With 5 years of mostly successful experiences, it seemed a good time to look back and scribble down what we did and how we went about it.

The vast bulk of our digital booklet involves the practical challenges of things like laying paths, building steps, mowing for wildflowers, planting trees, building benches and collecting and moving rainwater. There are a few construction projects which are explained step by step, with cutting lists and a list of the tools you might need.

Along the way we have bought an array of tools, most of which have been essential, and a few that are not so essential. There are sections on practical management and some of the legal stuff. We started with a very modest little booklet that soon ballooned into over 40 pages of A4. Hopefully other groups will be inspired to offer their experience, to ensure The Companion grows and develops.

If you want to find out more, go to our website (friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk) where you can find a green button labelled ‘Practical Manual’.
Maurice Tennenhaus

Our South Indian Connection

In our last Bulletin we told you about how one of our volunteers, Bharath Raman Ayyaraju (who recently completed an MSc in Advanced Wildlife Conservation in Practice at Bristol UWE), was setting up a volunteer-based nature recovery project in the South of India. He launched this with a seminar at Periyar University in Dharmapuri on 17th February, for which Maurice and Chris made a presentation by Zoom. This was apparently well received. Bharath calls this his Global Green Conservation Connect initiative (‘GGCC’).

GGCC now has acquired seven acres of land in Dharmapuri on which it proposes to create a Nature School (in a disused building) together with an initial tree nursery and wildlife pond, with potential to acquire a further 30 acres of land for a forest. In all of this he is drawing on FLHF experience, suitably modified for the circumstances, flora and fauna of South India.
Bharath has now returned to Bath but will divide his time in future between Bath and Dharmapuri. We plan to continue sharing our respective experiences, in the hope of achieving a productive collaboration.
Chris Kinchin-Smith

Photo Gallery

Please check out our website to view more photos selected by our Photo Team.

Donations to FLHF via Localgiving

If you’d like to support our work in the fields your donations are very welcome. Please do donate via Localgiving on our website friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

Remember there is an option to donate via direct debit so you may give a small sum every month, for as long as you wish, rather than a single larger sum. Donations to FLHF via Localgiving from UK taxpayers also enable FLHF to benefit from Gift Aid payments.

Volunteering

Typically around 12 people join us in the Fields for two hours on Sunday mornings, with slightly smaller numbers on Wednesdays. Our sessions are from 10.00 to 12.00 on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.

You can come as often or as infrequently as you wish. In doing so you will do your bit to improve the local environment and community, and improve your health. We will teach you new skills, and you will find that this is a very sociable activity. There are no fees; all it costs is your time. If you or any family or friends are interested in getting involved, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you in the fields
Very best to you all

Chris and Maurice

Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields
Our Wild Hilltop Paradise

Editor: Ruth Herrlinger

10/01/2026

Bulletin No 47 – January / February 2026
Welcome to our Latest Update

What to look out for in January and February
- Hard, black ivy berries providing important food for winter thrushes, blackbirds, wood pigeons and blackcaps.
- Male and female robins still defending winter territories with their strident song.
- The first green shoots of ramsons poking through the mud below the mature trees.
- Great spotted woodpeckers drumming as the weather warms.
- Hazel catkins extending and wafting pollen into the air, seeking the male red flowers.
Peter McSweeney

Who has been in the Inner Field?

As if we have been invaded by giant grass moths, you may have noticed some bare patches in the field that stretches almost end to end. The reasoning? To create floral diversity in the grassland. The National Trust provide us with something like 4kg (i.e. lots) of seeds collected around Smallcombe Vale. Of most interest in the general mix is the presence of Hay (yellow) Rattle. This plant, once established, predates on the roots of grass plants that surround it. The result is areas of bare ground in which wild flowers will (hopefully) grow. As an annual, it needs to flower and set seed each year if it is to survive.

In the past we have dug much larger areas, turned them over, weeded them and planted up with the same sort of mix. The results have been variable. It could be:
- The seed was not vernalised (subject to a prolonged period of cold).
- Soil chemistry was unfavourable
- Seed was not viable
We will be doing this in this one field for a number of years, as it is the one of our five fields that has the smallest natural profusion of wild flowers.
Maurice Tennenhaus

An International Partnership for the Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields

FLHF has many links to other organisations, providing two-way flows of ideas, information and expertise. This now includes an international link, aiming to build connections between conservation efforts in the developed and developing worlds.

One of our most enthusiastic volunteers, Bharath Raman Ayyaraju whose family home is in Southern India, has set up an organisation called Global Green Conservation Connect (GGCC). This was launched at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution on 29th November 2025. Bharath has a professional background in biotechnology. He came to Britain to deepen his understanding of current conservation practices, completing an MSc in Advanced Wildlife Conservation in Practice at Bristol UWE, and working with the Friends of Henrietta Park and More Trees B&NES as well as with FLHF.

Bharath has now travelled back to India where GGCC will host a two-day conservation seminar, to which FLHF’s Directors will contribute an on-line presentation about our work.
Chris Kinchin-Smith

Willow weep for me

Willows are so common they often pass our notice. Born to be wild (but can take over a small garden), they really come into their own in the winter and spring. Autumn leaves having fallen, their colourful stems can brighten up the drabbest corner. In the spring their catkins are a delight and provide welcome food to insect pollinators. If you sit on one of the benches with your back to the allotments, once you have had your fill of the views looking towards Solsbury Hill, turn around and you will see a crescent shaped structure which should become more prominent in the years to come. Willows have both practical uses and were often associated with the cycle of life. They became the subject of songs. A list of ones mentioned here and others is provided below.

Maurice Tennenhaus

Willow weep for me - Billie Holiday
Autumn Leaves - Mel Torme
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
Catkins - Raveloe
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Willow - Taylor Swift
Little Willow - Paul McCartney
Bury me beneath the weeping willow - The Carter Family
Willow - Joan Armatrading

FLHF Christmas Dinner

25 of our volunteers (including some partners) once again celebrated FLHF’s achievements of 2025 with an excellent three-course Christmas dinner at the Bear Inn in Bear Flat on Friday December 19th.

FLHF does not subsidise this in any way but it is a most enjoyable event – now in its fourth year. The original instigator and highly efficient organiser of this event is one of our Site Leaders – Dave Pegler.

Chris Kinchin-Smith

What is on the menu for the next couple of months?

- Completing the mowing and strimming of grassland slopes here and there before March.
- A large number of elder and buddleia that need to be pollarded to maximise flowering and to minimise disease.
- At least 2 more benches will be sited by the paths
- The blackthorn that threatens the path near Tiny Forest 2 will be cut back
- Laying the hedge in the Copse

Photo Gallery

Please check out our website to view more photos selected by our Photo Team.

Donations to FLHF via Localgiving

If you’d like to support our work in the fields your donations are very welcome. Please do donate via Localgiving on our website friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk
Remember there is an option to donate via direct debit so you may give a small sum every month, for as long as you wish, rather than a single larger sum. Donations to FLHF via Localgiving from UK taxpayers also enable FLHF to benefit from Gift Aid payments.

Volunteering

Typically around 12 people join us in the Fields for two hours on Sunday mornings, with slightly smaller numbers on Wednesdays. Our sessions are from 10.00 to 12.00 on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.

You can come as often or as infrequently as you wish. In doing so you will do your bit to improve the local environment and community, and improve your health. We will teach you new skills, and you will find that this is a very sociable activity. There are no fees; all it costs is your time. If you or any family or friends are interested in getting involved, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you in the fields
Very best to you all

Chris and Maurice

Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields
Our Wild Hilltop Paradise

Editor: Ruth Herrlinger

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BA24LN

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