Ashton Hill

Located on the outskirts of Bristol, escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre with a visit to Wraxall Piece. 

Enjoy a pleasant woodland stroll or leisurely dog walk in this peaceful woodland. 

The variety of woods, glades and wide sunny paths encourage a richness of wildlife and special plants including Bristol rock cress and Bristol onion. There are spectacular views over the Avon gorge.

Accessed via an avenue of copper beech trees, planted to commemorate the Queen's Coronation in 1953, the medium sized car park is the ideal place for starting off on a walk in these woods. There are also a number of picnic tables throughout the woodland.

Visit East Harptree to see the historical Smitham Chimney, a relic of Mendip's industrial past. The Cornish-style chimney survived when the site closed in 1875 and was saved from complete destruction in 1973 by The Mendip Society and Somerset County Council.

In front of the Chimney there is a pond where you can see dragonflies in the summer months. There are also fine views of the Chew Valley from the grassland area nearby.

Renowned for its nightjar and long-eared owl populations, there is no shortage of wildlife to see if you enjoy bird watching.

There is a medium sized car park, a small number of picnic benches and a circular easy access trail.