The Hurst Water Meadows are 25 acres of traditionally managed historic flood meadows at Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Stretching along the River Thame from its confluence with the Thames past the historic village of Dorchester and hamlet of Overy, the meadows formed part of a complex water-management system beside a medieval monastery, the surviving part of which is Dorchester Abbey.
Charity owned and managed with the involvement of the local community charity, the meadows are:
- yours to enjoy for free
- managed for ecological diversity
- preserved forever.
Our volunteers play a vital role in the management of our meadows. Come and join us in conservation and land-management tasks, undertake wildlife and habitat surveys, and do something important to preserve the environment on our doorstep. For the most part we use traditional and rural conservation skills such as scything and hedge laying. Whatever your skills, there’s an opportunity for you to volunteer including: mowing the footpaths, managing trees, scrub, hedges and ditcheslearning to scythe, coppice, pollard or carrying out wildlife and water surveys and monitoring specific wildlife.We provide the tools and training, you provide the graft. You will learn new, enjoyable skills. You will make new friends in a congenial atmosphere and you will be physically fitter. Above all, you will find that you have a personal involvement in the meadows and are aware of the changing seasons.If you would like to volunteer, or find out more about what is involved, please email: hurstwatermt@gmail.com
