Foxhill parks: public consultation

Contents

• Introduction and policy background
• The parks we are consulting about
• Entry Hill Open Space
• Springfield Quarry
• Hawthorn Grove
• Springfield Park
• Backstones Open Space
• Have your say
• Project timeline

Springfield Quarry

Springfield Quarry is a peaceful, wooded space which is ideal for dog walking and enjoying nature.

This site was once the largest open stone quarry in Bath, where the characteristic golden Bath stone was mined. The original mine entrances have been blocked off, and it is now a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS). 

View a Google satellite image of Springfield Quarry

Select a topic below, to view photos of this space, read about its character, and the ways in which we would like to improve it.

Improving access

The steep-sided quarry walls and single site entrance make it a peaceful place to go for a walk, despite being near the heart of the city. They also mean that it is less accessible than other local green spaces, and is unsuitable for the sorts of recreational and play facilities which we are proposing on other sites. 

Springfield Quarry is not well known. Because the site is secluded and little used, it has also attracted antisocial behaviour.

Potential improvements

Install a new stepped entrance to the north side of the site from Hawthorn Grove. This will create a new walking route and help to better link Springfield Quarry to other nearby open spaces, including Hawthorn Grove and Entry Hill Golf Course.

Install more seating, to make the quarry more suitable for picnics, or for people with more limited mobility to enjoy

Install new entrance signs to welcome visitors and make it clearer that this is a public open space

Enhancing the natural environment

Much of the space is wooded, offering the potential to be an excellent space for wildlife.

Potential improvements

• Create a well-defined woodland walk, with an improved, designated path and signage, to encourage public understanding and engagement with the woodland habitat, geology and local wildlife
• Enhance the site for wildlife by creating a pond and log piles, and restoring native plants
• Encourage responsible and safe natural play (using examples from Rainbow Wood for ideas)
• Promote the site as a venue for Forest Schools and other organised nature-based outdoor activities where children can learn about and reconnect with nature

Visitor safety

Its layout and quarrying history make this a space which is not suitable for children to play in unsupervised, and somewhere which requires further work to improve safety for all visitors. 

Potential improvement
Install fencing and signs to discourage visitors from venturing close to quarry walls. Carry out tree management works to improve visitor safety and enhance the woodland habitat for plants and wildlife

Looking after the site

Like other small nature reservices, improving responsible access and encouraging more people to help take care of the space should help reduce incidents of littering or vandalism

Potential improvement
Designate the site as a Local Nature Reserve and develop a Friends group, to help with habitat conservation activities

Summary of proposals

Our proposed improvements for this green space include:

• Designating the site as a Local Nature Reserve, and developing a Friends group to do conservation work
• Creating a woodland trail
• Adding features to encourage more wildlife and native plants (such as a pond and log piles)
• Encouraging natural play
• Creating a new entrance from Hawthorn Grove
• Installing more seating
• Improving signage
• Work to improve the safety of the site