Manor Garden

Manor Garden


Manor Garden in York Place is a community-led, wilded space in the centre of Clifton and is owned by the University of Bristol. York Place residents, led by a conservationist neighbour, have begun to manage the garden for pollinators.


The main aim with the garden is to provide habitat for insects on their journey around Bristol. By providing a diverse garden in Clifton, the York Place residents hope to increase the number of insect pollinator species and their populations, and increase overall biodiversity.


They also hope that the garden will improve the aesthetics of York Place, encourage people to enjoy their local greenspaces, and raise awareness of insect pollinators.


The garden’s main features are a miniature, species-rich hay meadow, a spring garden, woodland grassland and a hidden hedgehog house. The garden now has well over 50 species of plant and shrub.


The meadow has flowering species from spring to late summer, including birdsfoot trefoils, knapweed, lady’s bedstraw and yellow rattle, spring bulbs (with snowdrops, primrose and bluebells) and pollen/nectar-rich hedgerow.


The margins have been left uncut to allow tussocky grasses (such as cocksfoot) to grow. This will increase nesting opportunities for insects and small mammals and extend the available forage from spring to late summer.


The garden is always open to the public and adjacent to the street, so that you can see it over the railings as you pass. If you want to keep up with what's happening in the garden at any time, you’re welcome to visit or to follow the hashtags #WilderClifton or #DanWilderClifton on Twitter or follow @cliftonclimateact on Instagram.