The Fen
Update on Habitat Restoration Spring 2026
The Watercress & Winterbournes (W&W) have funded a number of habitat restoration projects in our parish including some light touch work in Amport Fen agreed by the Parish Council, supported by the Pillhill Brook Association and carried out by the Wessex Rivers Trust.
The work started on 14 January when a team from Wessex Rivers Trust came to clear localised patches of semi-mature trees and scrub in the fen to allow a bit more light onto the woodland floor here. This was to give native plants, like the yellow flag iris, a chance to regain a foothold in the fen. You may have noticed large piles of wood-chip around the edge the fen much of which has now been spread out along the often boggy footpath in the fen.
The Trust came back on 17 April to spread woodland seed mix on the woodland floor to supplement regrowth. The seed mix contained the following wild flowers…..
The clearance work has been fantastic, opening up views of the fen and its water channel from Amport Green.
Even when water is not flowing in the narrow channel in the fen the ground either side can still be very soft and anyone venturing too close could easily lose a shoe or a welly! This is why partly some additional warning signs have been placed along this edge of Amport Green.
It’s quite difficult to pinpoint where the seeds have been spread but the map and photos below attempts to do that.The seeded areas are shown below. Please try to avoid walking on these areas to give these seeds the best chance of germinating …… which may not be this year.
