Folly Farm

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Folly Farm

Area of Search	Avon
Grid Reference	ST607604
Interest	Biological
Area	19.36 hectares
Notification	1987
Location Map	English Nature

Folly Farm (grid reference ST607604) is a 17th-century farm with traditionally managed, unimproved, neutral grassland, flowery meadows and woodlands with splendid views run by Avon Wildlife Trust. Much of Folly Farm is designated as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The SSSI comprises two adjacent areas, the meadows (19.36 hectares) and Dowlings Wood (9 hectares).

It can be found near Bishop Sutton in the Chew Valley, just off the A368.

This site is situated on a curved ridge of land on neutral soils derived from the underlying Keuper Marl. The soil is of the Ickneild Association with dark brown, moist but moderately well-drained clay.

It attracts a wide range of birds including Marsh tit (Parus palustris), Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). The pasture is of a kind now rare in the area. In summer the site has a wide variety of flowers such as betony (Stachys), Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and heath spotted orchid (Orchidaceae). In late summer, it is covered with drifts of black knapweed (Centaurea) and devil's bit scabious (Scabiosa). Many butterflies can be seen throughout the summer, including Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurina), Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) , Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) and Marbled White (Melanargia galathea).

A number of scarce species of fly are listed from the site in Gibbs (2002). The cranefly Atypophthalmus inustus was recorded in Folly Wood in 2001 and the cranefly Ormosia bicornis was found in both Folly Wood and Dowlings Wood in 2000–2001. Prior to these records there had been no previous published records from the county of Somerset. The fungus gnats Keroplatus testaceus, Macrocera pusilla, Megophthalmidia crassicornis, Exechiopsis dumitrescae and Exechiopsis membranacea have all been recorded, the first four in 2000 in Dowlings Wood, and the last at Folly Wood in 2001. Other species recorded at Dowlings Wood in 2000 were Platypalpus mikii, a member of the family Hybotidae, and the hoverfly Volucella inflata, while the soldierfly Oxycera pardalina was recorded from Folly WOod in 2001. Finally, the picture-winged fly Herina palustris and the hoverflies Criorhina ranunculi and Orthonevra brevicornis were recorded at Folly Farm in 1999.

Plans by Avon Wildlife Trust to build an environment centre at the site were referred by Bath and North East Somerset to the Secretary of State following an appeal by a local resident, during 2005–2006 which awaits resolution.