Beckingham Marshes

The wet grazing marsh habitat we are trying to re-establish provides ideal conditions for a host of wetland wildlife – particularly breeding wading birds, such as lapwings and redshanks – but also water voles, dragonflies and damselflies, amphibians and a variety of aquatic plants. Our wet grassland features flooded fields in winter, with wet scrapes and muddy edges in spring and summer, perfect for the wealth of wildlife that uses them.

The reserves hedgerows provide a home for our thriving colony of tree sparrows, as well as food for winter thrushes, nesting sites for small birds and mammals and habitat for a variety of insects. A mix of native hedgerow species such as hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel create ideal habitat corridors along the boundaries of the site.

Beckingham Marshes is a conservation project. We are working with the Environment Agency and a local grazier to re-establish the wet grazing marsh habitat lost after the Second World War.

From 2010 to 2015, the reserve completed a five-year wet grassland restoration project, combined with installation of trails, viewing points and signage. Generously funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project has been highly successful; setting up the long-term future of the reserve to support a variety of breeding wading birds, wildfowl, tree sparrows, water voles, brown hares, dragonflies, barn owls and aquatic plants. 

The engineering project started in 2010 with the creation of a series of new ditches and pools. These were complemented by the installation of three wind-powered water pumps in 2011 to enable the movement of water around the reserve. Our wet grassland is now managed by a programme of careful water level management, grass cutting and grazing cattle. Anti-predator fences, installed in 2015, have helped our breeding lapwings and redshanks to even greater success.

In 2016, we embarked on a project to convert three dry fields into hay meadows. These fields were sown with a mix of wild flowers, rich in pollen and nectar. This will develop into a thriving meadow, full of colour and buzzing with insects, providing food and habitat for small mammals and birds when mature. Light grazing in the spring, followed by an autumn hay cut and then further grazing will create ideal conditions for the wild flowers to develop.

Beckingham Marshes is helping to give nature a home along the River Trent floodplain. Although there is no visitor centre, The Old Willow Works across the road may be open. There is a visitor trail, leading to a raised viewing platform over one of the wet grassland fields, with information boards detailing interesting aspects of the site and its history. Along the trail, there are four "discovery domes" providing further information about the reserve.