About our wonderful wetland

Why was it made?
In 2007, Pershore suffered devastating summer flooding.  Unlike the floods that come in winter, these were not just caused by the Avon bursting its banks, but by sudden and prolonged heavy rain hitting the town and overwhelming small watercourses and drains.

In response to this, local people, Wychavon District Council and Pershore Town Council came up with idea to create a wetland that could soak up and store some of this excess surface flood water, and Avon Meadows was the perfect location.

Why a wetland?  
Wetlands are a disappearing habitat. It’s estimated that since 1945, the UK has lost 40% of its reed beds and wet meadows and those that are left have become increasingly isolated from each other in a fragmented landscape.  These natural wet areas perform a vital function, they act as buffers from flooding, soaking up and slowing down flood water as well as helping to clean contaminated water before it can get back into our streams and rivers.  They are also home to some rare and threatened plants and animals, so increasing the amount of wetland habitat and linking them together is good for people and great for wildlife too.

After months of community consultation and investigations, the diggers moved in. Ponds, pools and scrapes were dug, new ditches were excavated and old ones cleared out. Pipes that used to transport water from surface water drains straight into the river were diverted into the wetlands to allow this dirty water to be filtered and cleaned before heading back into the natural environment.


The following spring and summer, hundreds of local volunteers and school children came and planted almost 50,000 reeds to help create a new wetland habitat.  A new boardwalk was built to allow everyone to walk through the wetlands and enjoy the birds, butterflies and dragonflies that soon began to colonise their fabulous new home.

The Friends of Avon Meadows were formed by local people to support the management and care of the wetlands and to encourage more people to explore and enjoy this green gem on their doorstep. To find out more about the Friends of Avon Meadows and how you can get involved, see the About Us page in the left hand menu.

All of this work was made possible with funding from Natural England through the Wetland Vision scheme, Pershore Market Town Partnership, Pershore Town Council and Wychavon District Council.