About Roundhill
The conical shape of Twerton Roundhill was formed as the soft clays that once surrounded it eroded away, leaving a peak of Great oolite rock or Bath stone. All of the downs around Bath such as Odd Down and Combe Down were formed in the same way. Some people wonder why the hill is called Twerton Roundhill, when it is situated in Southdown. The answer is that the old parish of Twerton used to extend up as far as the Rose and Laurel Pub at Rush Hill. Until the 1950s the whole area that is Southdown was known as Twerton Hill. Another old name for Twerton Roundhill is High Barrow Hill.
Twerton Roundhill was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 1994. Its grassy open slopes boast some of the best limestone grassland in the city. The Roundhill also provides fantastic views over Bath and the surrounding countryside.
An attractive purple flower called Greater Knapweed is very visible among the grasses on Roundhill. The plant looks a bit like a thistle and is related to them. For insect life it provides a valuable source of nectar, attracting a variety of bees and butterflies.
A wild plant that flourishes all over Roundhill in late summer is called Agrimony. It grows from about 25 to 60cm tall and produces a spike of small yellow flowers. In times past, people thought that Agrimony could be used to heal all sorts of ailments. For example the Anglo-Saxons, who called the plant Garclive, considered it a cure for wounds and snake bites. Modern herbalists still use it to treat some internal conditions such as liver disorders.This page should also include: more info on geology, history, wildlife etc; hook into sections for "your stories" contributions, wildlife recording etc.