Manton River Habitat Restoration

Our volunteer team braved the winter weather in 2018 and continued through 2019 to restore a reach of the upper Kennet between the village of Manton and Preshute Church near Marlborough.

The work focussed on reparing bank erosion, through installing brushwood matresses and deflectors. Adding thousands of native marginal plants, such as flag iris, sedge and purple loosestrife will hold the riverbank together and establish good cover for spawning fish such as brown trout, grayling and brook lamprey. It will also be a natural corridor of food and cover for water vole; and flowers will be beneficial to pollinating insects including moths, butterflies and bees.