Welches Meadow

Welches Meadow LNR

Radford Road, Leamington Spa

OS Grid Ref: SP 325 657

Newly installed interpretation panel next to the River Leam bridge on Willes Road, Leamington Spa. 

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Welches Meadow Local Nature Reserve

Welches Meadow LNR

Radford Road, Leamington Spa

OS Grid Ref: SP 325 657

The reserve flanks the River Leam, a traditional flood meadow in existence for nearly 200 years. 

Many locals remember skating on it in winter, many moons ago. How lovely to return myself, on a bright crisp February morning, a mere thirty years later, no longer a teenager. I remember lazy slow summers along the river path, the deep soft buzz of dragonfly and silent Demoiselle. Open grassland, birds flock. Some things don’t change.

Met some lovely WWT volunteers, working hard to maintain eager bushes keen to colonise. 

The design work for the interpretation panel is complete and currently in sign manufacture production. It will be installed shortly. In the meantime, here is another preview illustration. The reserve is managed using traditional methods dating back to medieval times. The willow trees along the river bank are pollarded, as seen here. A means to maintain growth and longevity.

Willow Pollard and wagtails

  

Brown Hawker

Welches Meadow LNR

Radford Road, Leamington Spa

OS Grid Ref: SP 325 657

Brown Hawker – Aeshna grandis

A preview from an interpretation board to be installed on the reserve a little later this year.

The Brown Hawker flies between June and September. It hunts away from the water usually along woodland rides, so you should also explore the adjacent Leam Valley reserve on the other side of the river. Well worth tracking down, it’s flight is faster than any other and it flies backwards too.