The Reserve

Withymead is special: an oasis of riverside wildness; a haven for plants and wildlife; a place where Thames-side boat building once thrived. The 13-acre reserve was established by Anne Carpmael, a keen naturalist who lived at Withymead for nearly 60 years. Anne bequeathed the site as a special place for the community, and to inspire an appreciation of nature especially amongst young people. Withymead is also home to an important part of our industrial heritage. Samuel Saunders was born at The Swan in Streatley in 1857 and built boats by the river Thames like his father and grandfather before him. He established the Springfield Works at Withymead in 1870. Remnants of the slipways and boat sheds can be seen within the reserve. It opened in 2004. It is owned and managed by The Anne Carpmael Trust CIO. It is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers including our resident wardens. Our current wardens are Pete Morton and Jade Van Der Merwe, appointed in September 2019. Volunteers are from all walks of life and support us with habitat management, welcoming visitors on open days, serving tea and cake from the study centre, repairing and conserving our built heritage, and many other tasks. Their support is invaluable, and we thank them all. We aim to boost local wildlife directly, with practical nature conservation; and indirectly, by inspiring people to enjoy nature and join in our quest to protect it. We have a management plan that informs our decisions and work on our sites. For example, the reedbeds are maintained on a 5-year cycle. Every year, one of the five compartments of reed beds are cut, and the reeds removed. This prevents the build-up of organic matter and the subsequent drying of the reedbed. Any willow within the reedbed is either removed or coppiced. The habitat for grass snake and slow worms has also been greatly enhanced with numerous new ‘tins’, hibernacula and sites for breeding. We have also improved the movement of water through the reedbeds.