Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2012 | Page 104

COUNTRY LIFE

Fit for a

king fisher
- a new nature reserve
at Sandown Meadows
By Peter Hutchings
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Thanks to generous supporters and
an important legacy, the Hampshire
& Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has
recently purchased a magnificent new
nature reserve at Sandown Meadows.
On the southeast coast of the Isle of
Wight, the seaside towns of Sandown
and Shanklin provide a busy and
bustling atmosphere. Though many
come to experience the delights of the
beaches, you can find its best kept
secret if you follow the old railway
line from Perowne Way in Sandown’s
northwest corner. Here, nestled
between the chalk hills to the north
and the sandstone to the south, is the
valley of the Eastern Yar River – the
longest on the Island. The valley sits
on the deepest peat beds in southern
England and the sights and sounds are
a world away from Sandown beach.
Sandown Meadows is one of a number
of beautiful, undisturbed habitats
within the valley, and the Wildlife
Trust is delighted to have acquired it
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as their latest nature reserve on the
Island. With the river to the north and
the railway line to the south, the site
perfectly combines the two objectives
of the Trust’s Living Landscapes vision:
to enhance the countryside for wildlife
and bring people closer to experience
that wildlife.
The site – approximately 18 hectares
– includes wet meadows, reedbeds, wet
woodland and ditches, as well as part of
the river itself. These habitats provide
homes for nationally rare 7V6