A Bristol nature reserve will once again close on New Year’s Eve this year to avoid large gatherings and the risk of litter and damage. Narroways Nature Reserve in St Werburghs is managed by a team of volunteers and is open at all times, barring three nights a year.
The popular stretch of land, located along Mina Road and split by railway cuttings, is a well-known picnic spot and viewing point featuring views across the city. It is owned by Bristol City Council and managed by the Narroways Millennium Green Trust.
In a Facebook comment, it was confirmed that the nature reserve will close on the night of News Year’s Eve due to the risk of large gatherings. In previous years, the nature reserve had been trashed and damaged due to huge crowds celebrating the start of a new year.
In previous years, the nature reserve closed at dusk on December 31. Narroways will reopen on the morning of January 1 when a volunteer will open it up at first light.
In 2022, Anna Spencer, who was the secretary for the Narroways Millennium Green Trust, told Bristol Live: “Last year [2021] on Bonfire Night the streets were jammed with crowds of people pulling up in taxis and carrying large crates of beers and drinks.
“The next day it was in the most awful state, everybody had just chucked away all their empty bottles and broken glass was everywhere. It was just horrible and all the grass was trampled upon, it looked like great herds of wildebeests had gone over it.”
The open space at Narroways was purchased by Bristol City Council in 1997, following a fundraising campaign to protect it from the threat of development. The hill now supports a thriving community of wildlife but volunteers said in 2022 that this is at risk due to the extent of the damage caused in recent years, when larger gatherings on the hill have taken place.
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