Hinksey Meadows meanders now Official opening – photographs
Aerial photograph from Multimap.com
Hinksey Meadows Old Meander restoration is a very exciting wetland project behind Toys 'R Us off the Botley Road. The aim is to recreate silted-up old meanders of the River Thames which run through this meadow and encourage the reappearance of wetland plants and animals in seasonal pools.
The site was designated a Jubilee Wildlife Space in honour of the Queen's 2002 Golden Jubilee. The official designation was carried out by Hugo Brunner, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire.
Hinksey Meadows has been owned by the Oxford Preservation Trust since 1997, and will be protected from further development. Debbie Dance, secretary of the Trust, said: "We bought the field to protect the area, and we are delighted that it has been given this award. The northern boundary of the field runs along the back of the warehouses in Botley Road and there is great pressure for development – so the extra protection is a real bonus."
The site was chosen for its historic value by the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum, which aims to preserve wetland habitats across the county. Mike Bayliss of the West Oxford Wildlife Group, which is carrying out the work, said: we will partially dig the meander out to open up the stream and restore its profile in the surrounding grassland. This should ensure it stays wetter for longer periods, encouraging re-colonisation of diverse wetland species and hopefully attracting some specialist wetland birds."
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