For the history of this project and further weblinks, please see the Background section at the foot of the post.
The monthly updates provided below do not necessarilly cover all the tasks which has been carried out on the project. It is the trustees’ summary of what are considered to the most important for people to be aware of, with particular focus on ones which involve public engagement (such as consultations or events).
March 2026 update
The Trustees are delighted to report that the application to discharge the Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve pre-commencement planning conditions (26/00335/COND), which relate to landscaping work, has been received and validated by West Berkshire Council’s planners. It is open for public consultation until 12 March with a determination deadline of 15 April. You can see the documents by clicking here and quoting the above reference.
We’ve also been spreading the word about this exciting development: presentations about the wetland project have been recently made to the Lambourn Horticultural Society and the Royal British Legion’s Women’s Branch.
Site work is planned for Tuesday 17 March when Paddock Geo Engineering will be undertaking ground investigations work on-site and near the entrance on Charnham Park. There will be some short disruption (for about an hour) on Charnham Park whilst the engineers use a five-tonne machine to test the mechanical strength of the access area. Traffic flow will be managed with cones.
Our first fundraising event is a Quiz and Curry Night on Friday 27 March at Hungerford Town Hall. Please contact claire.jones@townandmanor.co.uk for more information.
- For more information on the project generally, please visit the KVWR website.
- To donate to the project, please visit the KVWR’s fundraising page on The Good Exchange.
Background
In 2018, the Town and Manor of Hungerford (T&M) bought 16 hectares (40 acres) of ancient water meadow between the Charnham Park road and the River Kennet. The land has been unused since the 1970s and is, for farming purposes, of poor quality. The T&M’s plan is to turn this into a wetland area, to be known as the Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve.
The plan has a number of major advantages.
- A wealth of expert evidence proves not only that wetland habitats are of vital importance to the environment but also that they are seriously threatened: in 2020, The Freshwater Blog suggested that despite covering less than one per cent of the world’s surface, these areas support about ten per cent of all known animal species. The article also quotes the WWF as saying that thirty per cent of global freshwater ecosystems have been lost since 1970. Initial surveys by the T&M suggest that the site in Hungerford has great potential for this kind of regeneration. The project would also considerably increase the bio-diversity of the area.
- The wetlands will also act as a natural flood defence as it would involve the reconnection of the River Kennet to ancient flood plains. The land has since become detached from the river as a result of man-made alterations to the landscape and to the course of the river. Allowing the River Kennet once again to overflow into the wetlands will help to alleviate the risk of flooding further downstream, a significant benefit for towns such as Newbury and Thatcham.
- Finally, there will also be an education centre which will provide information on wetland and river ecology, conservation and climate change. Sitting on stilts above the flood level, the proposed building will be constructed using eco-friendly, sustainably-sourced and low-carbon materials. The design includes external platforms giving views across the reserve and ground-level access for visitors to enjoy pond-dipping and the sights, sounds and smells of nature close up.
After several years of preparation, in April 2024 a planning application was submitted for (a) outline permission for the Education and Information centre; and (b) full permission for the change of use and wetland creation. Due to various regulatory delays, approval was not granted until September 2025. The following month, the fundraising drive was officially launched and work on that continues.
The overarching goal is, as the project’s website describes it, “to create a wetland area rich in biodiversity that will help to restore both plant and wildlife, improve the health and wellbeing of visitors and the local community, inform and educate, and contribute to the improved health of the planet.”
In May 2025, a statement from the Town and Manor described this as “one of the largest and most significant environmental developments in the Kennet Valley for years. It will be open to the public during daylight hours and with no access charge. This will benefit not just the people of Hungerford but also many thousands of residents in the Kennet Valley and beyond.”
- The sections above provide from March 2026 a timeline of this exciting project as the work progresses.
- For more information on the project generally, please visit the KVWR website.
- To donate to the project, please visit the KVWR’s fundraising page on The Good Exchange.
