Lyncombe Hill Fields

For more information please visit the Friends own website on this link. www.friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

Just a few minutes across the river and up the hill from Bath Railway Station lie some 10 acres of undulating pasture, just above Beechen Cliff with pedestrian access via Alexandra Park, Alexandra Road and directly off Greenway Lane.  Public footpaths cross this land, linking with a network of paths that give access to Bath’s southern slopes and valleys.  Although largely tucked away from close views, these fields are widely visible from further away and themselves offer beautiful views over the city and also out to Bath’s wooded skyline.

In all, this land, owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council, makes a real contribution to our city’s distinctive green setting and public access to the countryside: crucial components of Bath’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  But following horse grazing until 2018, the land’s maintenance has become a problem.

See the initial press release here Widcombe Association and Bath & North East Somerset Council

A new Community Interest Company

Hopefully no longer.  From the beginning of September the land is to be managed under licence by the Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields, a newly formed not-for-profit Community Interest Company (FLHF CIC).  The unpaid company directors live locally and their newly formed company is sponsored, at the outset, by Greenway Lane Social Committee, Greenway Lane Area Residents’ Forum, Widcombe Association and Bear Flat Residents’ Association, with support also from Friends of Alexandra Park.  If you wish to become involved or just to follow progress please register your interest at lyncombehillfields@gmail.com or visit their own website www.friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

Local community support

This is a community supported initiative and has the backing of four local residents’ associations plus a community group.  This is an important green space in Widcombe & Lyncombe and is a link from the City to the countryside.  More information can be found about some of the sponsors at widcombeassociation.org.uk, bearflat.org.uk and alexandrapark.org .

The Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields (FLHF) CIC is a separate Community Interest Company and is not part of the Widcombe Association.  The WA, as are four other local resident groups, a Subscriber to the new CIC and thus are supporting the company directors in taking forward the community -based management of these wonderful fields in Widcombe and Lyncombe. For more information visit their own website at www.friendsoflyncombehillfields.co.uk

FLHF Community Interest Company (CIC)

The Company’s aims are to manage and enhance the land for quiet public enjoyment, education and outdoor exercise while enhancing its biodiversity.  But first there is debris to clear and a cut of the overgrowth before winter sets in.  Company Director Maurice Tennenhaus said “There is some hard graft to come but then hopefully many years of pleasure for local residents and visitors, and benefits to wildlife.  A word of warning though, we will be looking for volunteers to assist.”

Zoom Launch Meeting Monday 19th October 2020

We’d like to give those of you who weren’t able to join the meeting on Monday a brief review of how it went!

It was an exciting launch, facilitated by Jeremy Boss, with 47 of the 70 friends of FLHF with us.  The technology even worked which is always a promising start!

The PowerPoint slides from the meeting are attached.Presentation for FLHF Launch Meeting

We will also put the slides onto our temporary website.  This is thanks to WidcombeAssocFriends of Lyncombe Hill Fields Community Interest Company (‘FLHF’) Notes froiation, http://www.widcombeassociation.org.uk/project/flhfcic/, and you find it by Googling ‘Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields’ or ‘FLHFCIC’, pending the creation of our own website.

We consider you all as Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields; no individual subscriptions are required at the moment as our initial costs have been under-written by the supporting Residents’ Associations.

We’re looking forward to meeting lots of you if you take up volunteering! Here is what’s on offer!

Opportunities for Volunteers – and not all volunteering means getting into your wellies!

Assisting the management of FLHF – additional roles will probably include:

  • Communications with volunteers, supporters and partners

  • Website and social media – thank you Ali Barrett for already considering you might support us here

  • Signage and maps project

  • Accounts

Opportunities for Active Volunteers (See Slide 4a for considerations)

  • Surveying and photographing what we’ve got at this point in time

  • Managing overgrown hedge boundaries and copses (not large trees), blackthorn, nettles and brambles

  • Managing the wildflower grassland (mowing regime, flower identification, scarifying and re-seeding)

  • Making and installing insect hotels, bird and bat boxes, branch ‘dens’ etc (who can teach us?)

  • Looking and counting – flora and fauna

We’re putting a Grid together clarifying what is needed in each area and will send it to you by the weekend.

We look forward to hearing from you! (Please let us know if you’d rather not receive emails from Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields).

Chris and Maurice, Company Directors

Lyncombe Hill Fields photos

With thanks to all those who provided photo’s