Winnall Moors

British White cattle graze the hay meadows at Winnall Moors

Focus on... Winnall Moors

Nature thrives at Winnall Moors Nature Reserve in the heart of Winchester, but fi nding a balance that works for people and wildlife isn’t always an easy task. The Winchester nature reserves of St Catherine’s Hill, Barton Meadows, Deacon Hill and Winnall Moors, and the water meadows at St Faith’s and St Cross are all managed by the Trust. These areas reach into the urban fringes of Winchester, providing residents and visitors with places to experience wildlife and get outdoors. Most importantly, the nature reserves create vital homes for wildlife, and

Ragged robin grows on the wetter parts of the site

STEVE PAGE together they form an expansive network for nature. Animals can move safely between habitats as they look for food, breeding space and shelter.

A rich history

Winnall Moors is a real jewel in the city’s crown, and 2021 marks 40 years since it became a nature reserve. Its journey began in 1958 when Iris and George Whitfi eld bought the farm and much of the land that today makes up the nature reserve. Iris was unconventional, recognising the value of wildlife on her land and rejecting many of the pesticides and chemicals that were becoming widespread at the time. By continuing with the traditional practice of haymaking and grazing with livestock, she safeguarded the site’s rare fen meadows.

Over the years, the Whitfi eld family sold land to the Trust to manage, with additional areas bought by the Trust through the support of our members. Sections are also owned by Winchester City Council and managed by the Trust. The Council’s land was initially bought to house a ring road, which thankfully did not go ahead. The thousands of visitors and abundance of wildlife that use and value the nature reserve today are testament to how important this place is. Much of the nature reserve is kept as a sanctuary for wildlife, so the public footpaths are restricted to the south of the site and the edges. Winnall Moors contains chalk streams, wet woodland, fen meadow, pasture and reedbed, all of which need diff erent management approaches. It is this mosaic of habitats that led to its designation as a Site of Special Scientifi c Interest (SSSI).

Rachel Remnant has been Reserves Offi cer on the site for 12 years, so she knows the habitats and wildlife well. Previous wardens and others involved with the site in the last 40 years have passed on their knowledge to help her look a er this dynamic wetland.

Treasured meadows

The nature reserve contains the largest fragment of best condition fen meadow in Hampshire and is the only meadow in the upper Itchen Valley that is still cut for hay. This habitat was once common but much of it has been lost through drainage, intensive agriculture and development. Many rare wildfl owers are restricted to these damp areas, including the beautiful southern marsh orchid. The traditional

A profusion of meadow buttercups in the fen meadows

management technique of hay cu ing creates a nectar-scented profusion of early summer blooms and the herb-rich, nutritious hay feeds grazing animals through the winter. The rare habitats at Winnall Moors have become some of the last refuges in the county for the specialised wildlife that depends on them. Skills like haymaking, which conserve the habitat, are being lost. In many sites, cu ing has been replaced with grazing. Grazing produces a diff erent plant community, which may be causing the decline in breeding waders in the valley. Keeping traditional skills and techniques alive is intertwined with the preservation of wildlife in landscapes that have been heavily infl uenced by people. Winnall Moors has over 60 volunteers, who act as ambassadors for the Trust in their communities and help protect the site for the future. A visit this summer will mean plenty of wildlife. Many migrant birds breed on the nature reserve, including reed and sedge warblers and reed bunting. Some evenings you may even be lucky enough to hear a grasshopper warbler calling. Most years, a cuckoo will impose its chicks on some unfortunate bird’s nest within the reedbeds too. Listen to the buzz of insects across the Moors and look out for the fl ash of a scarlet tiger moth or the blue

streak of a broad-bodied chaser darting by. O ers swim in the river hunting for fi sh, and until recently, the plop of a water vole was o en heard. Sadly, predation by invasive American mink has caused the water vole population to dwindle, but surveys and mink control are underway to help them re-establish.

A balancing act

Being a fi ve-minute walk from the High Street, however, can take its toll. Managing the many pressures can be a balancing act which at times require creative solutions. Dogs are not allowed in Winnall Moors, which gives visitors closer encounters with wildlife. Lockdown saw a boom in years, a cuckoo will impose its chicks wild swimming, leading to on some unfortunate bird’s nest bank erosion and frequent within the reedbeds too. Listen disturbance to river wildlife. to the buzz of insects across the Recently, starlings have Moors and look out for the fl ash of abandoned their nests a scarlet tiger moth or the blue a er suff ering from disturbance below the tree they were using. While the Trust understands many people fi nd wild swimming benefi cial to their health and wellbeing, it is not

wild swimming, leading to bank erosion and frequent disturbance to river wildlife.

Recently, starlings have abandoned their nests a er suff ering from disturbance below the tree they were using. While the

Trust understands many people fi nd wild swimming benefi cial to their health and wellbeing, it is not Grasshopper warbler Grasshopper warbler

The River Itchen runs through Winnall Moors

DERYN HAWKINS

Rare habitats at Winnall Moors have become some of the last refuges in the county for specialised wildlife.

appropriate on our nature reserves. The rising popularity of outdoor recreation shows quite clearly that we need far more robust green spaces in and around our cities. These will help relieve the pressure on wildlife and support people’s wellbeing. The nature reserves around Winchester help form the backbone of a nature recovery network and joining them up could make them more resilient. The land surrounding our nature reserves is valuable to developers – but we know that the nature reserves are worth far more as refuges for wildlife and for people to enjoy. The wetlands are also vital for fl ood alleviation, soaking up much of the water that would otherwise overwhelm

residential areas. Recent research by the Floodplain Meadow Partnership has revealed how much these meadows can help as a natural solution to climate change. They are a precious carbon store that has previously been under-researched and undervalued. We hope that sites like Winnall Moors Nature Reserve can act as a template for other urban nature reserves, extending the reach of this wildlife haven well beyond Winchester.

LUCAS STEIGERWALK Southern marsh orchid