Stowey Green Spaces

Stowey Green Spaces expanded from an initial interest in 2016 in the Recreation Ground hedges and trees.  Although primarily a place for sporting activities and for children to let off steam on swings and slides, the Recreation Ground is also a place for walking and quiet contemplation of the countryside and its wildlife. The open grassland, hedges, stream, trees and distant views across farmland to the hills combine to create a landscape for all to enjoy.  Further environmental plans are under way.

The Recreation Ground is managed by the Nether Stowey Village Hall & Recreation Ground Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Millennium Wood, 0.49 hectares (1.21 acres) in size, was planted by the community as a millennium project on land licensed to the Group by Somerset County Council in 1999. 

The site (formerly used for dumping rubbish) was cleared in 2000, and about 800 trees were planted in 2000/2001 by local residents including saplings grown from seed by the children of our primary school.  In 2023 the very successful tree growth was thinned by the Quantock Landscape Partnership’s “Young Somerset” apprentices.

The Diamond Jubilee Extension (0.31 hectares) was added in 2012 when land to the north and west of the original wood was planted with 300 more trees, and a further 400 were planted in the Platinum Jubilee extension to the woods over the winter of 2022/2023.

The woods are managed by our volunteers to benefit our community as well as biodiversity. We are grateful to Nether Stowey Parish Council, the Forestry Commission, Sedgemoor District Council, Wessex Water, Quantock Hills AONB and the many local people who supported and continue to support this community project.

Records show that Stowey Wood and its watercourse, date from 1700, maybe earlier still.  Some of the plants that grow here, such as opposite-leaved Golden saxifrage, Wood anemone, Wood melick and Wild Service-tree are indicators of Ancient Woodland – defined as any area that’s been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD.

The appearance of the wood has changed often over the years. For example, the ponds arose from excavated workings, and an area of the wood was once used for hazel coppicing.  In 1970 the Forestry Commission cleared two-thirds of the wood and planted Sitka Spruce, about half of which was felled from 2014 by forestry students from Bridgwater College.

In 2018 the then Somerset County Council licensed the wood to Stowey Green Spaces Group to manage for the benefit of wildlife and the community and replanting with native broadleaf saplings began. Further Sitka was removed by horse-logging in 2021 with funding via the Quantock Hills National Landscape (QHNL) from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.  In 2015 a project was begun to restore the eutrophic ponds, funded by Wessex Water and HPC through Somerset Foundation and the Greater Quantock Landscape Development Fund through the QHNL and helped by Over Stowey Parish Council.

With a spectacular 360-degree view from the top, The Mount contains remains of the Norman motte and bailey Stowey Castle, an Historic England Scheduled Monument.   In 2018 it was placed on the Heritage At-Risk Register because bracken and gorse had invaded much of the site.   

Thanks to support from Historic England and The Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme, our volunteers enjoyed working with the landowner to help clear the bracken and gorse and re-fence the land, allowing a flock of Herdwick sheep to graze and keep the vegetation under control.  The site was removed from the At-Risk register in 2022.  Wildflowers and insects abound.

The area is open to the public – with a request to keep dogs on a lead.

Further Historic detail is available at Nether Stowey Parish Council