Rack Marsh
Rack Marsh is a 4-hectare (9.9-acre) nature reserve in Bagnor, on the north-western outskirts of Newbury in Berkshire. It is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[1] It is part of Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain, which is a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest,[2][3] and a Nature Conservation Review site.[1] It is also part of the Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain Special Area of Conservation.[4]
Rack Marsh | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Type | Nature reserve |
Location | Bagnor, Berkshire |
OS grid | SU452694 |
Area | 4 hectares (9.9 acres) |
Managed by | Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust |
Geography and site
Rack Marsh is an old wet meadow.[1] A thick layer of peat has developed on top of the deposits of alluvium and gravel which the river has spread over the chalk.[1]
History
There is evidence of prehistoric activity in the area: a prehistoric canoe was discovered in the layer of peat by some labourers who were digging a ditch to form a boundary of a garden.[5]
In 1996 the discovery of the rare Desmoulin's whorl snail on the reserve meant that the Newbury bypass was almost stopped, but the high court ruled in the developers' favour.[6] The decision to continue with the construction of the road meant that the nature reserve was cut in size, losing half its area.[7]
Flora
The site has the following flora:[8][1][2]
Plants
References
- "Rack Marsh". Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "Map of Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- "Designated Sites View: Kennet & Lambourn Floodplain". Special Areas of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
- "The History and Antiquities of Newbury and Its Environs: Including Twenty ... - Google Books". Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- Matt Weaver and agencies. "End of the road for protected snail | Environment". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- "The Newbury bypass 20 years on: A road to environmental ruin or recovery? | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust". Bbowt.org.uk. 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- "THE WALKER'S GUIDE : DONNINGTON, SNELSMORE & BAGNOR" (PDF). North Wessex Downs. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- "Rack Marsh gets an Owl Box | the Natureheads blog". Natureheads.wordpress.com. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rack Marsh. |