Abbots Pool and woodland Local Nature Reserve (LNR)

Abbots Pool granted Local Nature Reserve status:

In 2012, Abbots Pool and its immediate woodland environment were granted Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status by Natural . An LNR is an area designated by Natural England for both people and wildlife. They are places with wildlife or geological features that are of special interest locally. They offer people special opportunities to study or learn about nature or simply to enjoy it. https://www.gov.uk/create-and-manage-local-nature-reserves The work to maintain and improve the environment around the Pool has bee carried out by North Council, the Pool Volunteers and the Abbots Leigh Wildlife Group. We celebrated this new status in June 21012 when the Abbots Leigh Wildlife Group ran a mini- BioBlitz in June 2012, supported by 20 local naturalists, who helped highlight the rich biodiversity of life in the pool and surrounding woodland. A BioBlitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period and at Abbots Pool, we surveyed for an 18 hour period on Saturday, 30th June 2012. A number of species were highlighted in the survey results including Hedgehog and the diverse amphibian population, Spotted Flycatcher and Goldcrest. The results of the Abbots Pool BioBlitz gave us a species count of 211 for the day. http://www.bnhc.org.uk/bioblitz/

Margaret Green, a long-time village wildlife watcher and Pool volunteer, opened the Abbots Pool BioBlitz joined by NSC Biodiversity Officer, Susan Stangroom, members of the Abbots Leigh Parish Council and Civic Society, Pool Volunteers and villagers.

Some of the volunteer naturalists who helped survey from 6am to midnight

Conflicts/issues faced by Abbots Pool are shared by many local nature reserves Fishermen’s discarded line/hooks Mountain bikers using areas not designated for the sport eg: steps and slopes damaging habitat Wild swimming disturbing the wildlife Litter after picnics, occasional anti-social partying and camping at the Pool Footfall from large numbers of visitors Dogs in the water disturbing wildlife and fouling around the woodland

Abbots Pool – a brief history: The word 'leigh' comes from Old English 'leah' being a clearing in a wooded settlement. Abbots Leigh was specifically the retreat of the Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey, , where now stands the Cathedral. The actual retreat or settlement site is unknown. Abbots Pool would have been created by damming the brook and natural springs. It was probably done for the Abbot as a fishpond, stocking fresh fish for the medieval cooking pot. In 1915, Melville Wills, the tobacco magnate, bought the site and had the Pool area landscaped during the 1930s. The work at Abbots Pool was carried out by Pulham & Son and is one of sixteen known Pulham & Son landscapes. Pulhamite, which usually looked like gritty sandstone, was used to join natural rocks together or crafted to simulate natural stone features. The recipe went to the grave with its inventor, James Pulham. An island on stilts, cascade and the cave-cum-boathouse were created. Sally Festing records that below the Abbots Pool there is 'an extended sequence of small trout pools separated by cascades' constructed from Pulhamite. Many ‘Pulhamite’ gardens have been identified in the southern half of England and these include Sandringham (1868-76), Buckingham Palace (1895-99) for the Royal Family, St James' Park (1895-99) for the Royal Parks

Bailiff and Bracken Hill (c.1917-27) for the Bristol tobacco magnate Melville Wills.

Local Parish Council meetings in 1955 indicated Abbot’s Pool was discussed in their minutes. It seemed that the owner Capt. Wills had offered the Abbots Pool to Bristol Corporation and the Parish Council resolved that they should lobby for the Pool to be kept for Somerset as a ‘beauty spot’. They realised that as a Parish Council, they could not accept responsibility for its acquisition or maintenance but it was hoped that Somerset County Council would find it was within its power to do so. Further discussions took place and it was learnt that Capt. Wills was prepared to make a free gift of the pool and the surrounding woodland approximately 6 acres to the Parish and that he was prepared to maintain the woodland. The timber would be reserved and only felled as and when trees were dying, dead, or dangerous. The clerk was asked to look into the public liability situation. Because of his findings, the Parish Council resolved that they should not take responsibility of acquiring and maintaining the pool. This was not a unanimous decision. http://www.abbotsleigh.org.uk/pdfs/PChistory.pdf (researched by Steve Livings)

This beauty spot is now under the care of Council. Fed by natural springs, Abbots Pool is a tranquil wildlife-rich oasis a mile from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, with mature deciduous woodland on the steep banks either side. The shallows are well established with water lilies, waterfowl nest on islands and the dam provides a deep area and cascade to lower pools.

References

Anon. 2001. Members' Letters, Contributions. Garden History News. 63.26.

Festing, S. 1984. 'Pulham has done his work well'. Garden History Society Journal. 25. 138-158.

Hitching, C. 2001. Preserving Our Pulham Heritage. Garden History Society News. 62 23-24. http://www.abbotsleigh.org.uk/pdfs/PChistory.pdf (researched by Steve Livings)

Hitching, C. 2012 Rock Landscapes: The Pulham Legacy

The Abbots Pool island is on stilts

Image credits: Thanks to Alex Rhodes, Sarah Pitt, Marcus Rhodes, Karin Rhodes and Tom Walmsley.