Dates for your diary ….
We are holding a Bioblitz on Brown’s Piece on Sunday 7 June.
Come along to explore how we are managing the site and find out about it’s fauna and flora!
Our AGM will be on the evening of Friday 17 July.
Take the opportunity to find out what we have been doing and ask about things you want to know more about.
Watch this space for more information.
Rough Sleepers
March 2026
You may recall that a few months ago we asked visitors to Brown’s Piece to take particular care because a small number of people were rough sleeping on the land. At that time, we highlighted concerns about the safety and safeguarding of our visitors, volunteers, and the individuals involved, as well as the potential impact on our nature conservation and public access objectives.
Since then, the Committee has been working with the relevant authorities and support agencies to try to find a constructive solution. Our aim throughout has been to support the individuals concerned in accessing appropriate accommodation and specialist help.
We have also heard from a number of members and local residents who have contacted us to express concerns about the ongoing situation on the site.
Despite our best efforts to find a solution, no options have been identified that are acceptable to all parties and as such the situation has continued to persist. In light of our responsibility for the safety of visitors and volunteers, and for the protection and management of Brown’s Piece, the Committee has therefore taken the difficult decision to instruct bailiffs to remove the encampment.
This has not been an easy decision, and we've been working since November last year to find an alternative way forward. We remain concerned for the wellbeing of the individuals involved and hope that they will choose to engage with the support services available to them.
If members of the community wish to support a longer-term solution for people experiencing homelessness locally, we would encourage you to contact Stroud District Council to urge continued efforts to find appropriate accommodation and support.
In the meantime, we ask visitors to Brown’s Piece to continue to be mindful of their own safety and respectful of others using the space.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of Brown’s Piece and the work of Wotton Community Land Trust.
Knotweed update
March 2026
If you have ever had Japanese Knotweed growing in your garden you will know what an invasive and dangerous plant it is; particularly because it can actually grow through concrete so it represents a real threat to buildings. We knew when we bought Brown’s Piece that there was an extensive stand of Knotweed in the centre of the site and that we would need to tackle this as soon as possible. The good news is that we haven't found any growth near the boundaries so it isn't posing a threat to neighbouring properties.
This is definitely a job for professionals as it is the rhizomes growing under the ground that allow the plant to spread and these rhizomes can easily be broken off. Each one can then become a new plant so the knotweed has to be treated with a systemic chemical that goes on to the leaves and travels down to kill the rhizomes.
The company that WCLT have contracted to take on this work are called Japanese Knotweed Ltd and you may see their operatives around over the next couple of weeks as the first job is to come in and cut back last year’s canes (which are now dead). This has to be done before this year’s growth (which has already started) gets too tall. Once the plant is well grown in the summer they will come back and spray at least once and possible twice. This will then be repeated next year and possibly the following year. They will then keep a watching brief on the plant for the next eight years and treat as necessary! Hopefully at the end of this we will have an area where we could plant some trees to make it more attractive and welcoming rather than a forest of 10 foot high impenetrable canes!
What our volunteers have been up to
February 2026
Its been a busy winter for the newly formed volunteering group at Brow'n’s Piece with work parties most weekends when the weather allowed. Most of the work has been in support of the bigger infrastructure projects we have had professional contractors in to undertake. I don’t think anyone can have failed to spot the lovely flat, mud free footpath that now runs along the top of the land and the volunteers were instrumental in the preparation work to allow the contractors to get on with the heavy lifting with a lot of hacking away at brambles and clearing vegetation back. The footpath work itself was supported by the National Landscapes Fund 'Access for All' and we had very helpful support from the team there and the Gloucestershire County Footpath Officer.
There is also the clearing work that has gone on adjacent to the stream where some dangerous willows have now been removed and our volunteers got stuck into felling small shrubs, building wood piles and clearing back undergrowth. We can now see where the spring that is marked on the OS map empties into the stream so we are hoping to create a little wetland area with native wetland plants like Brooklime.
Then there have been a whole host of clearing jobs from raking the mud off the steps, planting shrubs along the hedge line down the side of the steps, picking up litter and opening up the other public footpath across the land that had become overgrow
We also had a volunteer party from Aviva come out for a day and they did a great job clearing back some scrub in the meadow to open up the top bank which is likely to be where most wild flowers are found. This work was supported by the Cotswolds National Landscape team who came and did some mowing in the field to take off the most tussocky grass. This will give the wildflowers more of a chance and our volunteers helped to rake up the cut grass to make sure it didn’t smother the plants underneath.
One of the last activities of the winter was a group of children from Blue Coat who came out one afternoon to sow a grass and wildflower seed mix along the edges of the new footpath. The seed came from the Cotswolds National Landscape project 'Cotswold Glorious Grasslands' so hopefully we will have a very natural grass and wildflower border along the edge of the path .... we just need to cross our fingers for some warm sunshine and soft refreshing rain!
Over the summer and next winter we are planning to create a bit of a wildflower picnic area with some benches beside the footpath and to carry out some hedgerow maintenance work along the boundaries.
Everyone so enjoys getting stuck in with these projects and we all get an immense feeling of satisfaction from seeing projects completed. If you would like to become part of the volunteering team; even if you just want to do an occasional litter pick, please do get in touch.
Cleared area showing the spring rising up
The Aviva team taking a well earned break
Brown’s Piece, secured for the community — forever
09/09/2025
Wotton Community Land Trust Ltd is delighted to announce the successful purchase of Brown’s Piece, a cherished green space on the edge of Wotton-under-Edge. This marks a major milestone in local conservation and community action.
Brown’s Piece is now safeguarded in perpetuity - never to be built on, and protected for the benefit of nature, wildlife, and the people of Wotton and surrounding areas. It will remain a haven of biodiversity and a place for reflection, connection, and stewardship for generations to come.
“This is a victory for community spirit and environmental care,” said Dom Driver, Chair of the Trust. “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, volunteered, and believed in this vision.”
While many generous donations have made this purchase possible, the Trust still faces a shortfall and must repay the loan that enabled the acquisition. Further financial gifts are warmly welcomed and can be made on wclt.org.uk/donate
In addition, membership is open to all - for just £1 for life, wclt.org.uk/membership, residents can become part of this legacy and receive regular updates on:
🌱 Volunteer days and community events
🌼 Land care and conservation efforts
🦋 Grant-funded projects to support local flora and fauna
Join us in protecting Brown’s Piece - not just for today, but for tomorrow. Together, we’re building something lasting, rooted in care, connection, and community pride.
Opportunity to buy a limited edition print by artist Daniel Murley and raise funds for the campaign.
04/04/2025
Members may know that “do it for our swifts” has been a theme of the campaign. Dom Driver our Chair fantasies that a scream of swifts will fly over our first community meeting on site or perhaps as the first volunteering party rests in the early summer evening following a day’s productive work on site. With the purchase proceeding at pace, this might just happen.
Artist Daniel Murley has joined this inspiration by creating this beautiful image of a swift in flight. He is selling a limited edition print at his Etsy site and kindly donating all proceeds to our campaign. This is your opportunity to purchase this beautiful artwork, resonant with our campaign and help raise funds to buy and care for Browns Piece, above which the swifts will feed each year.
Thank to the very talented Daniel Murley for his support.
Wonderful news, our offer to purchase Brown’s Piece has been accepted, subject to contract.
28/02/2025
An email has been sent to each pledgee requesting payment. The emails are from our Treasurer Steve Mackay. If you haven't received one please check your spam/junk folder. If it is still not apparent please contact us via email: info@wclt.org.uk Thank you.
Time for an update – we are still in the hunt!
14/11/2024
Since our last email where we announced we’re now in a position to proceed, we have continued negotiations with the vendors, as there remains a question on terms (given the initial discussion was some two years ago) but we hope we’re now incredibly close to shaking hands.
We appreciate it’s frustrating that we can’t provide any further update at this time but please keep everything crossed for positive news this side of Christmas, when we will next be in touch.
Excellent show of support at our AGM
12/06/2024
Over 60 people attended our AGM on Tuesday, thanks to all of you for your support and KLB for hosting! A few key points were:
Chair of Wotton Community Land Trust Dom Driver and our newly elected Treasurer Steven MacKay explained our current position and confirmed that Brown’s Piece is still on the market.
We are now a charity in law, so we are better placed for accessing grants, which we are actively pursuing.
Our membership is now in excess of 200 and we have over £61,500 pledged, more with Gift Aid which we can now claim.
Please become a member – a large and diverse membership helps massively with fundraising applications – thank you to all of you who have signed up since the AGM.
Membership of WCLT does not incur any further commitment, or imply any liability, but gives you a say and a vote on decisions made by the Trust and helps us form the vision for Brown’s Piece when we purchase it.
Please pledge to help us purchase Brown’s Piece to save this vital land in Wotton for nature and wildlife.