All about Rainham Marshes

Let's travel back in time, hundreds of years ago to 1320.

Rainham Marshes looked like this - a big area of marshy countryside, lying next to the River Thames as it flowed into the heart of the city of London.

Bit by bit, London grew and grew, gobbling up meadows, farms, villages and marshes in its path, until it became the mighty and famous place it is today.

But Rainham Marshes survived, because someone always seemed to find its open spaces useful. It was owned by The Ministry of Defence for a long time and used as a shooting range from the 1920s. This meant the land was uncared for and visitors were not allowed on it.

When the RSPB bought Rainham Marshes a few years back, the land was full of rubbish, with stuff like shopping trolleys and old tyres lying about. The RSPB has worked hard to make it a safe place for birds and wildlife to live.

2008: Now, all kinds of birds come here, including ducks, geese and swans, wading birds, and birds of prey.  This is because we've made a reserve where they they can find all the food and habitats they need.

We've cleaned out the ditches for water voles, frogs and toads, and left some of the grass to grow for reptiles and insects. Marshes like this are becoming more and more scarce - it's why the animals that live on them are becoming rarer. If we care about marshland-dwelling wildlife, we have to care about marshland as well.