Dan Norris (Metro Mayor for the West of England) is visiting the Smallcombe Nuttery on Wednesday 8 November at 2.30pm to see how it has benefited from recent improvements.
In June 2023, Transition Bath was awarded a grant from the West of England Combined Authority’s Community Pollinator Fund, because the Nuttery had been neglected during the pandemic and needed some attention. Since receiving the funding, activities have included doing a site survey (with the help of Bath Naturalists) to identify any interesting plants and wildlife and ensure that they are not damaged; volunteers clearing brambles from the lower end and scything the top end of the Nuttery; and getting advice from an Avon Wildlife Trust Community ecologist about what can be done to plant/sow in the more open areas to attract pollinators.
The Community Pollinator Fund is a key priority of the Metro Mayor, Dan Norris, and he is visiting to sow wildflower seeds, plant bee-friendly bulbs and to do some foraging, led by one of our volunteers.
Smallcombe Nuttery has trees and plants including cobnuts, almonds, sweet chestnuts and walnuts as well as quince, medlar and mulberry, a fruiting hedge, blackcurrants and gooseberries. The nuts are grown for community use and anyone is invited to come and take a fair share when they are ripe (generally from August to September). The nuttery is right next to the Bath Skyline Walk, and there is easy pedestrian access from Horseshoe Walk.
WECA is contributing to tackling the ecological emergency by providing £1 million to promote and fund community-led ecology projects that enhance biodiversity and pollinator habitats across the region and empower and engage communities to take action.
You can see a scrapbook history of The Nuttery here.