David Attenborough’s new wildlife series features numerous beauty spots across Bristol area

Sir David Attenborough’s latest series will feature a number of beauty spots a short distance away from Bristol. Wild Isles courted controversy over the past week after claims the BBC pulled one of its episodes to avoid backlash from Conservative MPs.

But the legendary broadcaster has denied this happened, dubbing a Guardian exclusive on the matter “inaccurate”. The five-part series is going ahead, shining the spotlight on a number of places Bristolians may recognise including Prior’s Wood in Portbury and Tyntesfield in Wraxall.

Footage for the series was filmed over three years, delving into how the UK’s woodland, ocean, river and grassland habitats support wildlife. The first episode aired on Sunday (March 12) and investigated the strange Lord and Ladies plant at Tyntesfield.

The plant was captured on camera showing how it releases a foul-smelling odour that attracts flies, tricking them to enter its flower before the fly is held hostage. The plant then showers the fly with pollen before allowing it to flee.

In order to capture the unique footage, crews had to make tiny windows on the sides of the flowers. Episode one also heads to the River Isle in Somerset to investigate the “courtship” of Demoiselles dragonflies.

The bluebelles and badgers of Pen Hill Woods in Somerset will feature in episode two, along with the fungi of Tyntesfield. Sir David Attenborough said: “‘In my long life, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to almost every part of the globe and gaze upon some of its most beautiful and dramatic sights.

"But I can assure you thatnature in these islands, if you know where to look, can be just as dramatic and spectacular as anything I’ve seen elsewhere. The British Isles are globally important for nature.”

The series will air on BBC One every Sunday at 9pm and is available to watch on iPlayer.