Plants of Broad Meadow

The plants in Broad Meadow have been selected to represent species that would have been there prior to the development and expansion of Bristol pre 1400’s. Some of these plants can even be dated back to Neolithic times by looking at records of plant macro remains and pollen samples from an 2005-2008 archaeological dig by Cotswold Archaeology.

Charli and Sylvia were inspired by the idea that Broadmead once stood for Broad Meadow and have referred to the official book from the dig to understand the landscape and type of Meadow and different plants that would have existed.

See below a few of the plants in flower you can expect to see in Broad Meadow this Spring.

Lesser Celandine

(Ficaria verna)

Photos by Charli Clark

Plant macro remains included Buttercups (Ranunculus acris/repens/bulbous), Docks, Mallows, Common Vetch, Vetchling, Self-heal, Gypsywort, Fescue grasses, Rushs, Cat's Ear, Hawkbits, Sedges, Yellow Rattle, large and small seeded grasses, Campions, Clovers, Common Knapweed, Lesser Spearwort, Stitchworts (Chickweeds), Brassicas and pollen samples included Buttercups, Meadowsweet, Bedstraws (Hedge and Lady) and Ribwort Plantain dating from 1100-1200’s.

There was also information of pollen sub-samples from geological boreholes which provided evidence from Neolithic times of an open wooded landscape and Alder Carr (wet woodland) in the wetter areas, with a drier woodland of Oak, Elm and Lime on higher ground, with further evidence of Hazels, Willows and Birches, with Blackthorn, Viburnum and Rose species living alongside wet meadow plants such as Bedstraws, Meadowsweet, Buttercups, Goosegrass, Sedges, Rushes, Plantains and Docks.

From this information, Broad Meadow has grown to revive the environmental heritage and consider what Broadmead once was, and could be in the future.

For more information on the history of Broadmead and the surrounding area, here are the details for Cotswold Archaeologies book, and is well worth a read!