Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton


Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton is an 11 acre biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Bristol, England, on the north bank of a lower, tidal stretch of the River Avon, 1.9 miles downstream from the Avon Gorge, and just east of the village of Shirehampton. It was notified as an SSSI in 1999.

Description

The site consists of a wooded cliff and a narrow salt marsh. The underlying rocks are Devonian sandstone and Carboniferous limestone, overlaid with Triassic dolomitic conglomerate.

Biological interest

Wooded cliff

The site's principal interest and the reason for its designation as an SSSI is the presence of a population of the True Service-tree growing on the cliffs. This tree is nationally rare in Britain, and this site hosts the largest known population in England. Other notable species of Sorbus here are the whitebeams Sorbus eminens and Sorbus anglica, both of which are also nationally rare in Britain. The nationally scarce Large-leaved Lime also occurs, and herbs include Field Garlic and Pale St. John's-wort.

Saltmarsh plants

The saltmarsh vegetation, which lies at the base of the cliff, is predominantly made up of Sea Aster and English Scurvygrass. There are however two nationally scarce vascular plant species here as well – Slender Hare's-ear and Long-stalked Orache.

Wreck of the ''Kron Prinz''

On 1 April 1874, the German grain ship was under tow up the Avon, laden with 7,000 quarters of grain. There was an adequate depth of water, as it was approaching high tide, but on the narrow channel through Horseshoe Bend she grounded on the outer bank. As the tide soon began to ebb, the ship settled onto the steep mud bank and then fell over. The cargo was lost and to avoid blocking the navigation channel, the ship was demasted. Nearly three weeks later, on 20 April, she was refloated and taken to Bristol for repairs, at a cost of £34,000.
The grounded ship was photographed and there is a well-known photograph of her on her side, taken from across the Avon. This was later published as a postcard by local photographer Fred Little, although it was not his photograph, as he had been born in the same year.
The ship was later renamed the and was lost in the North Sea in 1899.