Wickham Water Meadows, Hampshire – Footpaths and River Bank Improvements (007435)

The project is to improve the resilience for Wickham Water Meadows, a public riverside open space, in response to a very large increase in visitor numbers which began in 2020 and has continued into 2021 due to Covid. Significant damage to the site occurred.with the large increase in footfall. The project aims to improve access and accessibility by rebuilding paths through the meadows and the steps from and onto the Meon Valley Trail, a 10 mile multi-user route. A formal point of entry into the river will be constructed to make it easier and safer to enjoy the water whilst encouraging visitors to stay away from the more fragile river bank areas. To prevent further damage to the river bank areas most at risk, they will be rebuilt using hardwood post and strut walls backfilled with chalk and planted with native species. Further downstream repairs will be using hazel faggots and planting which will both discourage entry to the river and strengthen the banks.