A great opportunity for children and families to enjoy nature at their fingertips, there are many nature reserves and gardens in Bristol, all of which are free admission.
Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve, Sneyd Park
Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve offers grassland, woodland and a lake complete with ducks and moorhens.
It also boasts ancient oak trees, bugs and beasties such as butterflies, daytime moths and midges, plus wildlife such as deer, badgers, foxes and tawny owls.
- Read a Bristol Mum review of Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve
- Open at all times
- Free admission
- Enter via Glenavon Park, Sneyd Park, BS9
Located in Horfield, Bristol, this nature reserve & allotment area has friendly volunteers who welcome young & old to visit and even join in! The Garden is mostly flat with wide and level paths making it fairly pushchair-friendly. There is a pond which houses frogs and newts and a digging bed just for young children to dig and enjoy the mud!
The Golden Hill Community Garden is a great place to enjoy exploring. There is also a Green Parent & Toddler Group which meets weekly in term-time as well as activities for older children throughout the holidays.
- Read about our trip to Golden Hill Community Garden
- Open every Wednesday 10am – 4pm & on the first Saturday every month
- Free admission
- Horfield Community Garden, Monk Road (behind Horfield Prison), Horfield, BS7
- Contact ghcgarden@gmail.com / 07506 905 394
Callington Road Local Nature Reserve
Located in Brislington, Callington Road Nature Reserve was established by Bristol City Council and designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2009. It offers a dew pond and a green area for discovering walking and discovering wildlife.
Parking is available at nearby roads. It is pushchair friendly. However, if you have a pushchair or small children, access via the Imperial Walk entrance is advised against as there are very steep steps and the Callington Road entrance should be used instead.
- Open at all times
- Free admission
- Callington Road, Brislington, BS4 2LT
- Contact: bristolparks@bristol.gov.uk / 0117 922 3719
This is a relatively unknown nature reserve in north Bristol, estimated to be around 400 years old and which includes woodland and areas of meadow through which the River Trym runs.
Pushchair friendly with level, well-laid paths throughout with no steps. If you have a double pushchair, however, it is recommended that you access Badock’s Wood through the Doncaster Road entrance rather than the Lakewood Road entrance due to the gate being a bit of a tight squeeze.
- Open at all times
- Free admission (parking available nearby)
- Badock’s Wood, Lakewood Road, Southmead, BS10
- Contact: 0117 922 3719 / bristolparks@bristol.gov.uk
St Andrew’s Park Nature Reserve
This is a very small nature reserve with a pond located in St Andrew’s Park, Bristol. Despite being small this nature reserve is the home to many species of insects and plants so is an interesting place to visit with children, nonetheless. This nature reserve is not pushchair-friendly.
- Open at all times
- Free admission
- St Andrew’s Park, Effingham Road, St Andrew’s, BS6
Located in Brislington and formerly farmland, this nature reserve offers woodland, ponds and lots of wildlife. However, the nature trail is not recommended if you have a pushchair as it is steep in certain places.
- Open at all times
- Free admission
- Wyndham Crescent, Brislington, BS4 4SP
- Contact: 0117 922 3719 / bristolparks@bristol.gov.uk
Located in the BS2 area of Bristol, Trinity Community Garden is cultivated and maintained by volunteers and all are welcome to visit.
- Open at all times (though visits are recommended between 9am – 6pm
- Free admission
- Trinity Road, BS2 ONW
Bristol Mum 