A nature reserve with a variety of semi-natural habitats including scrub, grassland and salt marsh.
Lamplighter's Marsh lies at the mouth of the Severn Estuary, on the flood plain of the River Avon just above high water level.
The site is about 1km long and supports wildlife communities unusual to this area.
Overview
- Opening hours: Open at all times
- Admission is free.
- No public toilets, visit our public toilets page for local toilets
- Car parking is available at the end of Station Road opposite the Lamplighters Pub BS11 9XA or at the Portway Park & Ride BS11 9QE.
- A surfaced path ‘The Yellow Brick Road' runs along the entire length of the site and is fully wheel-chair/buggy accessible.
- Numerous seats and picnic benches are sited alongside the path.
How do I get there
Lamplighter's Marsh lies between the A4 (Portway) and the River Avon between Bristol and Avonmouth.
There are five pedestrian entrances to the Daisy Field, three off the Portway and two off Station Road. The area of Lamplighter's Marsh lying alongside the river is accessible to the public from an entrance at either end of the central footpath at West Town Road (beneath M5 bridge) and Station Road.
Address
Station Road, Shirehampton, BS11 9XA
Map
Community support
The Friends of Lamplighters Marsh are a group of local volunteers that run regular activity days and guided walks.
History
As low lying land by the river, the reserve was used as grazing marsh from the Palaeolithic era until recent decades.
West Town, a small brick-making village occupied part of the site in the 18th century, remembered now only in the street name, West Town Road.
At the start of World War I, a vast ‘remount' depot was set up at Shirehampton to import, train and send horses on active service. The depot occupied the land from Station Road all the way to the Portway roundabout, including all the land now known as the Daisy Field.
During World War II, barrage balloons were tethered on Lamplighters Marsh to protect the docks from bombing. Some of the concrete anchor blocks are still present on site. After World War II, part of the area was used as a landfill site. When this closed down in 1976, the area's regeneration began.
Site status
- Site of Nature Conservation Interest
- Local Nature Reserve