The Bristol Downs and Avon Gorge are blessed with many local names such as "The Granny Down", "Jack's Hole", "The Dumps", "The White Tree", "The Seven Sisters", "Donkey Slide", etc. This map shows you where these places are located.

The latest Management Plan was presented for consultation in March 2009. It contains part of the longer term proposals for the Avon Gorge set out in the 2006 Management Plan, and limits itself to the more immediate concern of pushing through plans for the Goat Pen.

The 2006 plan was very full, with voluminous Adobe pdf files, and was thus very difficult to follow. We present a synopsis, summarised in the map and also an associated spreadsheet. BCC have now withdrawn their 2006 documents.

This map presents the opinions of Downswatch and our interpretaion of the current state of the BCC/NE Plans. The yellow line represents areas of woodland at risk from tree felling. Green icons places where there are particular threats.

The Council have decided to keep goats on the Downs in this area. Walcombe Slade contains a significant number of Wilmott's Whitebeam, found only in the Avon Gorge. There can be no doubt that the future welfare of these trees will be at risk.

The Google Earth view of the north side of the Gully and Walcombe Slade illustrates the way in which a beautiful tree canopy was destroyed back in 2006. This will be repeated on the south side if BCC/NE have their way.

BCC is allowing parking on the ancient grassand depicted in the map. All the proposals for management of the natural environment claim the importance of grassland species. Here, there is parking on prime ancient grassland.

Observatory Hill is the site of an Iron Age Fort. BCC would like to cut down all the vegetation and the surrounding site trees to expose the Fort. However the effect on Clifton Green would not be pleasant.