Action for the River Kennet (ARK) and BioCap worked with the Sulham Estate to create more than two hectares of new wetland habitat in a former arable field next to the railway line near Pangbourne. It will become the home for a huge diversity of wildlife. The areas around the new ponds have been planted with wet-loving grasses and other suitable native plants. The wetland will change as water levels fluctuate throughout the seasons. providing suitable habitat for a variety of species, from dragonflies to wading birds. The project was funded by Mend the Gap and Partnerships for Nature.
Partnerships for Nature was funded by Defra’s Species Survival Fund and administered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The programme restored and enhanced a range of important habitats for rare and vulnerable species throughout the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, and ran from 2024 until early 2026.
Transformation of an arable field
This wetland creation project is a vital component of a landscape-scale vision for the Sulham Estate to transform over 130 hectares of existing arable land into a mosaic of habitats, taking advantage of poor yielding soils to establish species-rich hay meadows and pasture.
The wetland was created by stripping the topsoil from the previously arable area and digging a complex of shallow-profile pools before re-instating the topsoil and planting or sowing the margins and surrounding field with appropriate wildflowers and grasses. Cattle have been introduced to graze the surrounding pasture and encourage plant diversity. In addition to the wetland, a strip of the ex-arable field will be cultivated annually to promote the growth of rare arable plants, after Dwarf Spurge was recorded in a botanical survey.
The project was supported by volunteers from ARK who planted hundreds of native wetland plants.
Image: New plants which survived the dry 2025 summer
Providing vital habitat for wetland birds
Lapwings, with their tumbling display flights and distinctive ‘peewit’ call have been a welcome sign of spring in this part of the Thames Valley for centuries. Sadly, lapwings have suffered a steep decline in populations as the habitats they rely on, like wetlands, have been lost. The new wetland and wet grassland provide vital habitat for these birds, helping conserve this iconic species for future generations.
There are positive early signs of success. In the first spring after the wetland was created Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover bred and fledged chicks on the wetland area.
Image credit: Barry Stalker
Find out more
Find out more about the other projects in our Partnerships for Nature programme here, partners Mend the Gap and Action for the River Kennet
The Partnerships for Nature programme is funded by Defra’s Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
