The Water Meadows (SSSI)

Fen Meadow, Wildflife, Flora & Fauna
🦦🌾🍄🌿🌳🦋🐝🦗🦊🦌🦡🐭🦔🌼🌱🦖

The meadow adjacent to Nuns Walk, is a medium sized unimproved valley bottom fen meadow & swamp complex, located on the north-western edge of the Winnall Moors Meadows SSSI, in the valley of the River Itchen, Winchester. 

It was traditionally managed by seasonal cattle grazing, with a hay cut & aftermath grazing regime, re-established recently with the help of The Hampshire & Isle of White Wildlife Trust.

Recent surveys by the Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre has shown the meadow retains an excellent variety of species & communities typical of the Winnall Meadows SSSI complex (details below).

On Going Work & Restoration

The meadow was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England in 2006.

Sadly following a long period of miss management by the previous owners, the meadow is currently classified as "unfavourable (declining condition)" - so without appropriate management the site will never reach the desired favourable or recovering condition.

We are therefore working under the guidance of Natural England to protect and manage the site, to try to return it to a "favourable" status- i.e. where habitats & features are in a healthy state and are being conserved by appropriate management.

 Some felling and scrub management is required in order to reduce the encroachment from the fringe, on the habitat & species it is protected for (in particular Willow Trees, Bramble & Himalayan Balsom).

We have been given consent from Natural England and the Forestry Commission to carry out this work (see below). 

Grazing 🐴🐮🐑

As the land has not had grazing management for some time we will be introducing Cows & New Forest ponies at first and when it gets shorter Sheep may be possible.

Bee Keeping 🐝

We will be installing a few hives near the meadows as part of a local community group. So if any of you are keen bee keepers and would like to get involved, maybe even set up a hive please let us know.

The River Itchen - 2000227 is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of international importance for its:

Flora & Fauna Species Record 🌾🌼:

List of present species (link to more into):

Taxon Name / Taxon Common 

Natural England Consent:

Forestry Commission Felling Licence:

Nuns Walk & Stream

Fencing, Driveway, Footpath & Ecological Enhancements

The Barns (Winchester Farm)

Waste clearance & Barn Restoration Project