Legend

Take a tour of the Hurst Water Meadow

You might prefer to print this web page before you start your tour.  We recommend you use a landscape printer setting.

The Hurst Water Meadow is on an island between the River Thame (one mile above its junction with the Thames) and the Overy mill-race and mill-stream. It is secluded, but has fine views of Dorchester Abbey and Wittenham Clumps.

The trustees own 18 acres (7.13HA) and will soon have access to a further 2.4 acres (1HA) of Buck Pool Spinney. These are coloured green on the map.  The meadow lies to the south of the village of Dorchester on Thames and is crossed by a public footpath from Manor Farm Road to Overy Lane.

Start the tour

Start from the Primary School in Queen Street. Go down Manor Farm Road to its end, then turn right down a track to the Long Bridge which crosses the River Thame. The bridge collapsed in 1997 and a new bridge was built in 1998. Details can be seen in the Picture Gallery.

Standing on the bridge, the far bank is protected by willow spiling. Live willow stakes are driven into the base of the bank, and then a wattle is made by weaving osier withies. This lined by hessian or geotextile and the earth filled in to restore the bank. The spiling on the left was done by the Environment Agency and volunteers in 1996, and that on the right by a contractor in 2000.  A coppice of osier trees has been planted nearby to provide withies for future work.

Go through the kissing gate and walk up the broad avenue (the Slips) between the River Thame and the old drain on the right. This used to be an additional course of the river, and was called 'the rushing stream'. This made the slips into an island.

There are trees on both sides of the slips, mostly crack willow, but occasional ash, sycamore and blackthorn. The willows have been pollarded to keep them safe. Some of the old willows have dropped their branches, but have stayed alive. These are being preserved as they look good. The brushwood from the pollards is turned into chippings. These can be used as a mulch for newly-planted trees, or put on muddy footpaths.

Willow pollards attract many insects and birds, and the other plants sprout from the crown, such as briars and holly. The river bank has many species of wildflower (see species list). A black poplar has been planted by the river (and another near Buck Pool).

On the right of the slips, the drain is crossed by two 'bunds' or dams. These help to keep the drain moist after rain or floods, which varies the habitat for wildlife. Crossing the second bund leads to the 'scrape'. This was dug in 1999 to vary the habitat for wildlife.

Looking towards the bypass from the scrape, the mature oak tree is a fine feature. Below it is a sandy beach, popular with anglers. Nearby is a plantation of scrub plants such as blackthorn to screen the meadow from the bypass and protect the river bank (see species list).

Approaching Buck Pool, try looking back to get a clear view of the meadow and beyond it there are Wittenham Clumps and Dorchester Abbey. Wildflowers are abundant in springtime on the meadow. To improve the quality of the meadow, while encouraging the wildflowers, the grass is cut for hay in July and then grazed by cattle until the end of October. Fritillaries and Cowslips have been introduced. A dry drain crosses the meadow, with some blackthorn. Two English Oaks have been planted in the gaps.

Buck Pool (named after a Buck which is an old Oxfordshire name for a basket to catch eels, or the frame by a sluice to which they are attached) is an outstandingly beautiful feature. It is different at every season.. The pool below the weir is very deep and unsafe for bathing. Spare soil from the scrape was used to make a causeway to a small island on the near side of the pool. This is very popular with anglers.

The footpath continues along the southern boundary of the meadow and across the public footpath near the stile to Overy. Fritillaries have been planted in this area, but will take time to show. Here the mill stream has badly eroded the river bank in a 'meander'. Live willow stakes have been driven in to the bank to help arrest the erosion. The footpaths are mown regularly to make it easier and drier for walkers, using the ride-on mower bought with a donation from the New Horizons Trust. The circular walk is completed by crossing the bund over the old drain and passing the 'presentation board which has information about the meadow.

A short way along the public footpath is the culvert over the 'rushing stream'. This has been repaired by volunteers. Upstream is a second scrape which sometimes has rare species of wildflower.

Link to Buck Pool Spinney map