Beane Marsh

About the reserve

A small wildlife gem in the heart of Hertford, Beane Marsh is the Trust's newest nature reserve. The acquisition in July 2020 was made possible by a fundraising initiative by Save Beane Marshes, a group of residents, to secure the site for wildlife. 

The five-acre site lies next to the River Beane, one of Hertfordshire’s rare chalk streams, and is home to a variety of wildlife including rare marshy plants and a wide variety of butterflies and dragonflies. The River Beane has real potential to become a home to endangered water voles too. The floodplain grassland of Beane Marsh sits within the Beane Valley and provides a rare and valuable habitat as well as a crucial connection by river to other nature reserves such as Waterford Heath to the north and King’s Meads to the south. 

Although there is currently no public access, Beane Road boasts great views onto the reserve.

Help us transform Beane Marsh!

Save Beane Marshes, the local community group who had initiated the purchase, is now raising money to help the Trust install fencing around the site to graze cattle here in the future.

Conservation grazing is an invaluable part of wildlife conservation. It replicates the grazing regimes from the past and, thus, enables us to manage the habitat in a more sustainable and efficient way than by hand or machines. We will graze cattle for a few months every year at Beane Marsh to make it the best place for wildlife it can be.

Please support this fundraising initiative if you can!

Donate today