Things to see and do

Talk with friends or sit alone, take a moment away from your lectures or work to listen to the birds and watch local wildlife. More to see and do in these gardens: 

• Trees and plants 
• Wildlife and nature 
• Volunteer
• Instagram for our gardens

Trees and plants

Woodland Road boasts stunning magnolia trees. Priory Road is also quite leafy, with lime and horse chestnut trees lining the street.

Priory Road also features hidden gardens along the path behind the houses, with a rose bed at number 1 and a stunning corkscrew willow seating area at number 6. Magnolias, hydrangeas, and roses adorn the gardens, adding beauty and a touch of colour to the landscape.

We survey our trees annually, to monitor their health. You can see the name, location and detailed information about our trees, with photographs, on our tree map. Click or tap on a tree on the map for more information about it.

If you are in the garden, you use the QR codes on many of our larger or more unusual trees to access detailed information about them on the online map.

Wildlife and nature 

In urban back gardens like these, you'll often find a variety of wildlife. Birds such as sparrows and robins go between trees and bushes. Squirrels scurry along fences and rooftops. Insects buzz around flowers and plants, attracting butterflies and bees. Sometimes, hedgehogs can be seen at night, searching for food.

Volunteer

Students and staff can join organised volunteering sessions helping out the Gardens and Grounds team in our gardens.

Volunteering activities include:

• general maintenance including weeding and fence building
• bulb planting
• building and maintaining homes for wildlife.

To find out how to take part in volunteering activities:

• staff, contact us
• students, find University-organised volunteering opportunities on the events calendaror volunteering opportunities organised with the SU in the Students' Union's What's On events list
• students, if you want to volunteer with us regularly, join the Students' Union's Conservation Group

Instagram for our gardens

See what others are doing in the garden and add your own images #unibrisgardens or tag us in your stories @unibrisgardens.

Facilities

• Access
• Parking
• Bike storage
• Refreshments and toilets
• Seats and benches
• Code of conduct

Access

In the gardens, there are a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced paths with some uneven terrain.

Parking

There is no dedicated parking at Priory Road and Woodland Road. There is metered parking in the streets around the gardens.

Bike storage

You can store your bike near Woodland Road and Priory Road.

Students, find where you can park your bike on campus.

Refreshments and toilets

The nearest University Source Cafe is the Priory Road Source Cafe. 

There is a toilet at the Source Cafe. 

Find Source Cafe opening hours.

There is a water fountain in the Priory Road Complex.

There are several local cafes and shops on Park Street and around The Triangle.

Seats and benches 

There are several benches in and around the gardens. 

Code of conduct

These are public gardens, and we expect visitors to treat the space with respect and courtesy. 

• Take your litter home with you.
• Only assistance dogs are allowed; keep dogs on leads and clean up after your dog.
• Supervise children.
• Stick to paths, avoid disturbing wildlife, and don't damage property, trees, plants or lawns.
• No barbecues, fires, camping, skateboarding, or aggressive cycling.
• Follow additional safety instructions, if there are building works taking place.

History of the sites and the garden designs

Find out more about the history of the sites how the garden designs have evolved.

These gardens were originally the domestic back gardens for the Victorian house (villas) they are attached to.

On Woodland Road you can spot the remains of a concrete block in the front garden that was used as an anchor or tether point for a radio mast during the second world war. There is also a rather unique feature of a Pillbox set into a front wall where a soldier would stand guard.

Research in Priory Road and Woodland Road Gardens

Our gardens and green spaces are often used for research projects involving: 

• small mammals such as bats and birds
• larger mammals such as badgers and foxes
• insects such as moths and bees.

We welcome researchers and research projects from various disciplines, including archaeology, art history, biological sciences, geography and geology.

Learn more about doing research in our gardens.