Charity buys meadow to protect rare river wildlife

A charity has purchased a water meadow beside a rare chalk stream, which it hopes to turn into a sanctuary for wildlife.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said it had acquired Court House Meadows alongside the River Meon, one of only 220 chalk rivers in existence.

The site covers more than eight hectares in the Meon Valley and will not be open to the public.

The Trust thanked its partners, the local community and its members for the thousands of donations that made the purchase possible.

It said the site will be managed to support wildlife and restore the river's natural floodplain to help reduce flood risk downstream and improve water quality.

Most of the world's chalk streams are in southern England and are known for their clear water and gravelly bottoms, which support wildlife such as Atlantic salmon.

John Durnell, senior director of operations at the trust said: "Securing Court House Meadows is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect an ecologically important site in the heart of the Meon Valley.

"With restoration work possible on both the land and the River Meon, this rare chalk stream site will be able to flourish, help restore the floodplain to a more natural state, strengthen wildlife connections in the surrounding area, and create a space where species can thrive again.

"We can give space back to species including our much-loved water vole, whose habitat has dramatically declined, which makes sites like this so crucial for their survival."

The new site strengthens the trust's landholding in the Meon Valley, which includes St Clair's Meadow, Bere Copse, Shutts Copse and Chappetts Copse nature reserves.

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.