Church Lane Flood Meadow Local Nature Reserve

 

Size: 3.25 Hectares

Grid Reference: TL 494 047

Owners: Epping Forest District Council 

LNR Declaration: 13 May 2002

Access: Open public access via public footpaths only. There is no designated car park for the nature reserve. Please park on Vicarage Lane. The land is obviously prone to flooding and can be very wet under foot. Click here for location.

Background: In 2009 Church Lane Flood Meadow LNR celebrated its 20th birthday! The site has been a major engineering and habitat creation project that started way back in 1989. Today, it's hard to believe that the meadow was once created from an arable field boasting as it does over 180 species of wild flowers and supporting an impressive array of birds, butterflies and dragonflies.

A wet grassland meadow and large stream fed pond were created within the confines of the flood bowl and around the outside over 2,500 native deciduous trees have been planted at the toes of the slopes and on the sites boundary. These are slowly developing as hedgerows and small woodland strips and hedges.

The site is managed for its primary role, flood defence in partnership with the Council’s Land Drainage Section. However, uniquely the remit also allows for massive environmental gains and management specifically for nature conservation. In 1992, the meadow was entered into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, under a 10-year management agreement. This is now supervised by DEFRA and a new agreement was signed in September 2002. This will run until 2012 and help with more hedge planting and management.

In June 1999, the meadow was designated as a Local Wildlife Site by the Essex Wildlife Trust and in May 2002 it was declared a statutory Local Nature Reserve by the District Council. To date over 180 species of herb, grass and tree have been recorded on the meadow.

The grassland was created from a wildflower seed mix and from green hay from Hundson Mead and the Roding Valley Meadows, both Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The resulting wet grassland community contains important species such as Ragged Robin, Devil's Bit Scabious, Bugle and Marsh Cinquefoil. The pond edge community contains species such as Purple Loosestrife, Yellow flag, Lady’s Smock, Water Crowsfoot, and Common Reed Mace. In wet summers areas of the meadow can remain saturated all year round and are developing as small marsh areas dominated by sedges and soft rush. Common Spotted and Bee Orchids have now begun to colonise the grassy banks.

In addition to the flora, over 16 butterflies and moth have been recorded on the site along with over 10 dragonflies and 60 bird species. There is also a significant amphibian population with frogs and toads.

Church Lane stands as a prime example of what can be achieved to solve the problems of flood defence and promotion of biodiversity.

Click here for engineering information about the reserve.

The majority of the habitat management works on the LNR are done by Countrycare staff and volunteers. 

 

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