In September, the Trust secured a philanthropic loan to purchase Archers Green, a new nature reserve with flower-rich meadows, flanking the beautiful River Mimram. We are now fundraising to raise £500,000 to repay the loan, improve the site and to manage it to benefit wildlife.

So, let us tell you a bit more about this precious place and why it is in all our interests to protect it - not just for the wildlife that thrives there but also for future generations too.

An introduction to Archers Green

Archers Green sits in the Mimram Valley, near the village of Tewin in Hertfordshire, within a priority area for conservation action. It includes priority habitats, identified in Hertfordshire’s State of Nature report – lowland meadows, wet woodland, marsh and a chalk river – all of which support a great range of rare plants and animals. Such is the importance of Archers Green, that it has been designated as a Local Wildlife Site. Sadly, these habitats have been declining over recent decades and with them so have the species that call them home.

The River Mimram

The River Mimram flows through Archers Green. This is a chalk river and one of only 240 in the entire world, which makes this habitat as rare and as globally precious as a rainforest. Fortunately, this stretch of the river is in great condition with gently sloping banks meeting the clearest of water, gently babbling over gravel.

Meadowland at Archers Green

The grasslands at Archers Green are a thriving ground for rare plants and a paradise for pollinators.  The Trust plans to protect this habitat and such species as the Whorl-grass, Marsh Valerian, Harebell and Marsh Ragwort that grow there.

Wildlife at Archers Green

On the ground and in the air, Archers Green abounds with wildlife.

Birdsong at this unique site fills the air – tune in and you may hear a Yellow Hammer, Marsh Tit, Redwing, Grey Partridge, Skylark or Cuckoo. In the reedbeds, Water Rails and Snipe make their unique calls.

Stand on the bridge at Archers Green at dusk and you may be lucky enough to see some of the five bat species which have been recorded there – the Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Nocule, Leisler’s and Daubenton’s.

Otter, Water Vole, Grass Snake also reside here, as do a host of invertebrates, including three red-listed water beetles.

Connecting habitats

Archers Green forms part of a wildlife corridor connecting to other sites which are also vitally important for wildlife. It sits adjacent to Panshanger Park – a 1,000-acre site, and is just one mile from the Trust’s Tewinbury Nature Reserve. All three sites are connected by the River Mimram

Did you know?

Archers Green is on the route of the Hertfordshire Chain Walk. Whilst public access to the site itself is restricted to protect the sensitivity of the site and to allow conservation management, you can experience the sights and sounds from the public footpath and, in particular, the vantage point of the old stone bridge, which spans the Mimram and forms part of the route. Find out more about the route of the Hertfordshire Chain Walk here.

Looking to the future

Through a focus on conservation management, the Trust aims to improve the ecological habitats of Archers Green and see diversification of species and populations grow. If you can help by contributing to our fundraising appeal to secure the future of this special site, please click here.