‘Sweet chestnut’ Paradise Bottom, Leigh Woods, Bristol

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)

Sweet chestnuts can live up to 700 years, reaching vast girths. The world’s oldest known chestnut tree grows on Mount Etna in Sicily and has a circumference of 190 feet. It is said to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. Native to southern Europe, the sweet chestnut was previously thought to have been brought here by the Romans. Archeobotanists are now questioning this and the oldest sample so far has been dated to 1640. Whilst some are undoubtably older than this, the evidence for Roman-era sweet chestnuts is slim. The sweet chestnut’s flowers are an important source of nectar and pollen for bees and other insects, and micro-moths feed on the leaves and nuts. The chestnuts themselves are a rich source of vitamins C (the only nut that is) and B, and minerals including magnesium, potassium and iron. Their high level of starch is similar to that of wheat, and twice as high as the potato. A tasty and nutritious mid-winter treat when roasted on the fire! Alexander the Great and the Roman army planted sweet chestnut trees across Europe to ensure a staple food source for their troops. The timber is waterproof and flexible, does not rot easily and is and resistant to parasites.

Symbolism: Stability and kindness during difficult times. Brings back the light and joy to life, dissolving the darkness. A trustworthy and reliable provider, it was nicknamed ‘acorn of Zeus” among the Greeks. The Celts regarded the sweet chestnut as the guardian of men and animals, providing sustenance until the new year.

About the Tree:

If you ever feel really stuck and in a low, dark place, I recommend spending time with an ancient sweet chestnut. I drew this tree in 2018 and the sense of solace and inspiration that it imbues is palpable. Whilst utterly wonderful in summer, when the light comes through the bright green leaves with their striking parallel veins, I really wanted to capture the sculptural beauty of this tree in winter. Sweet chestnuts have a wonderful twist to the trunk, and in its gnarly forms you can see animal faces and all sorts of sprites! According to the notice board in the car park this pollarded tree is circa 1650. Pollarding is an ancient form of tree management. Trees were grown within grazed pastures and the tree’s crown was regularly cut at around eight feet high, well above the browsing height of the stock below, providing useful timber. I recently revisited this tree, and due to the felling of surrounding plantation trees, brambles have now grown up in the spot where I sat, and the tree is much more difficult to access.

About Leigh Woods:

Leigh Woods is a National Nature Reserve and part of the Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and situated on the outskirts of Bristol near the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It is an ancient broad-leaved woodland, with ancient coppice and veteran pollards. An exceptional number of Nationally Rare and Nationally Scarce plant and insect species are found here. It is known for its limestone rock flora and it is the richest site for white beams in the world, with three endemic species. It also includes historic wood pasture with many veteran oak pollards. Together with Ashton Court Estate, of which it used form a part, this area has one of the largest populations of veteran trees in the South West. It also contains the ramparts of Stokeleigh Camp, an Iron Age hill fort. At the northern end of Leigh Woods is Paradise Bottom. This included the Leigh Court Estate and was part of the ground laid out by Humphry Repton. An interesting area for trees with some of the first planting of the giant redwood, imported in the 1860s. The valley bottom has a number of pools and a stream banked with slopes of bluebells in spring.

Directions:

GPS: ST 54565 74697

What3words: verbs.offers.powder

For a hand drawn walking map click here:

Bike or walk:

From the Bristol docks area the River Avon Trail follows the river downstream, under the suspension bridge and up into Leigh Woods. Go through the first tunnel after the bridge and ascend via Nightingale Valley (It is hard to get a bike up here so if cycling you’d be better accessing Route 41 from the gorge at the far end of the wood - see below)

From Clifton go over the Bristol suspension bridge and turn left into North Road. Follow the road round and enter Leigh Woods via the wooden gates.

***Once in the woods you will need to use my map to head to Paradise Bottom via the National Cycle Network 41. Continue on the main track as it sweeps left downhill towards Leigh Court (instead following route 41 through the woods to the gorge). The track will turn right with a pond on your left and after the green metal barrier you will see the entrance to Paradise Bottom valley on your right.

From the Paradise Bottom information board take the footpath down the valley. You will pass a yew tree on the left and a very large moss and lichen covered tree stump hanging out of the bank on your right. Just past this, go up the steps and at the bench at the top look across its length and you will see the sweet chestnut. My view of it was from up the bank a bit and this is unfortunately now obscured by scrub; but it is possible to get through from the bench side and spend some time with it if you are determined!

From the A369 take Pill Road. At the end of Pill Road take the right hand fork and you will see a sign for Paradise Bottom. From here follow the instructions above.

From the gorge: Access route 41 from the gorge at the Pill end of the woods and turn right onto the main gravelled track at the top of the hill. You are now on the main track mentioned in the directions above (***).

Bus:

Take the X4, Bristol-Portishead bus from Bristol Bus station, or by the Harbourside on Anchor Road and alight at Sandy Lane , Abbots Leigh. From here you can enter the wood via Pill Road (signposted to Brackenwood Garden Centre) and follow the directions from the A369 above.

Car:

Park on North Road or access the main car park from the A369 by going through The Gateway to the end of the copper beech-lined Coronation Avenue. From here you will need to walk down the hill on the National Cycle Network 41 track to get to Paradise Bottom as described above (***).