Badock's Wood was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in January 2008, in recognition of the importance of the site to wildlife and the local community.

We held an event to celebrate the new status for the wood, attended by members of the Friends of Badock's Wood, Bristol Parks staff, local Councillors and other organisations including Living Rivers, Grounds4Change and Forest of Avon.

Brief speeches were made by:

Alan Aburrow, Chairman of Friends of Badock's Wood

Local Councillors Peter Hammond and Jenny Smith

Peter Wilkinson, Head of Bristol Parks

Chris Hammond, Senior Community Parks Manager, responsible for maintaining Badock’s Wood

Sally Oldfield, Local Nature Reserves Officer for Bristol City Council

All praised the work of the Friends of Badock's Wood, in particular founder member Salim Allibhai.

After the speeches, guests were invited to enjoy the refreshments, whilst Year 1 children from Badock's Wood Primary School joined us to help plant some wildflowers in the meadow and under the trees. We planted red campion, agrimony and field scabious.

An excerpt from Alan Aburrow's speech follows:

”First, I would like to thank you all for coming here this morning to help the Friends of Badock’s Wood celebrate the formal declaration of Badock’s Wood being granted the prestigious status of a ”Local Nature Reserve“.

Back in 1905, local industrialist and Pro-chancellor of Bristol University Dr Stanley Badock owned Holmwood House (in Westbury) and its extensive grounds. In 1937 he gifted 15 acres of his woodlands to Bristol Corporation, in perpetuity, on condition that Bristol Corporation also gave 15 acres of their adjacent land for the same purpose. Following this transaction, ”Badock’s Wood“ came into existence.

Badock’s Wood is a small, semi-natural, woodland situated in a limestone valley with adjacent areas of grassland which includes a Bronze Age tumulus constructed in about 1300BC.

The woodland itself is probably at least 400 years old in parts, as indicated by the presence of ancient woodland flora.

This large area of green space within the confines of the City is important to, and valued by, local people for many recreational purposes. In recent years, various organisations have actively worked together to improve this important resource for the benefit of the local community and wildlife.

Friends of Badock’s Wood came into being around 1997 as a loose coalition of like-minded people with the objective of improving the Woods for the general benefit of the local community and wildlife. Unfortunately, at that time, the site had become run-down and vandalised and had deteriorated badly from its former glory as a pleasant recreational Public Open Space.

From these early days in 1997, one particular person must be credited with the inspiration to bring everyone together. That man was Salim Allibhai – a local resident and an ardent supporter of the area for recreational use. It was Salim who set about encouraging as many people as possible (including me) to become involved. He spent a great deal of time identifying ways of securing funds and assistance, all of which are now benefiting the area.

Tragically, Salim died in June 2004 without seeing the culmination of his efforts. However, he can rest in the knowledge that his early inspiration will continue to lead the on-going improvement of an area enjoyed by so many.

Therefore, it gives me the greatest of pleasure to welcome Diane, Salim’s widow, here today to witness the culmination of Salim’s efforts. Today we celebrate the granting of Local Nature Reserve Status to Badock’s Wood. Salim would have been proud, very proud!

The friends of Badock’s Wood, in conjunction with Bristol Parks, help by maintaining and improving the different habitats. In particular, this has allowed the woods to be used for educational activities by the local communities – especially Southmead and Badock’s Wood school in particular.

I don’t wish to take the words out of the mouths of others this morning by pre-empting what they may be about to say, but please look around you and observe at close quarters just what a wonderful natural resource we have on our doorstep.“