Restoring Bartonsham Meadows - Fundraising Appeal

Bartonsham Meadows lie within the meander of the River Wye to the south east of the city and are a popular place for walkers as they are circled and crossed by footpaths. The meadows have been owned by the Church Commissioners for England since the 1850s and has previously been used for cattle grazing. From this spring, 2023, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust have been responsible for management of the site, having signed a long-term lease, and plan to restore the meadows for wildlife and for people.

We want to create a flagship urban Nature Reserve at Bartonsham Meadows which gives the local community and city visitors fantastic access to nature right on their doorstep. The Nature Reserve will become a green hub for the city linking to blue and green spaces through Hereford.

We plan to connect with diverse groups through the city from schools to community groups and collaborate with them to create a welcoming and accessible space for all. We will support group visits and run activities and events.

The floodplain meadows – a rare and very special natural landscape – will be restored to become rich in wildflowers and a home for wildlife including pollinators, birds such as barn owl and curlew and mammals such as voles and otters.

The restoration of the meadows also links to our wider work restoring rivers and floodplains throughout the county to recover nature-based services such as natural flood management, carbon sequestration and nutrient management. Bartonsham Meadows will therefore serve as an exemplar site for working with partners and for our land advice services.