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Proceeds of the 2005 festival, £3,100, are being used to sponsor
various projects in the Snakemoor Local Nature Reserve.
See the message from Robyn Thorogood at end of this page.
This is the entrance to Snakemoor.
The Pond at Snakemoor.
Looking towards the meadow.
The weeping willow - the nature reserve's largest tree.
One of many bird boxes. Chris Young is the reserve's bird man.
A message from Robyn Thorogood
The 2005 Haddenham Village Real Ale Festival adopted Snakemoor Local Nature Reserve
for its charity funding.
As a result a display board was installed on a corner of the meadow. This
includes a simple map, illustrations and words that impart information about
Snakemoor and where & when to see the different flora & fauna.
It enhances the enjoyment for the many visitors throughout the year.
Funding has also allowed the publication of a new leaflet about Snakemoor which is
available free from the Library and many local businesses.
Future projects include the creation of new habitats.
Every year has seen improvements at Snakemoor from the time a few volunteers started
taming a derelict tree nursery 18 years ago. It has received awards such as the Shell
UK Village Ventures Award in 1993 and was officially launched as a Local Nature
Reserve in 2001, a status awarded by English Nature. In 2002 the Haddenham Parish
Council purchased a lease for 125 years for the land to be used for the purposes
of a nature reserve. The variety of trees, plants and birds in this small area of
Snakemoor is considerable and a changing environment can be observed throughout the year.
Before 1987 the area was an abandoned tree nursery, very overgrown and out of control.
Between 1937 and 1969 the land was used for Haddenham's sewage works and was then
converted to a tree nursery in 1970.
An area called Snakemoor Green is identified on the 1881 Haddenham Pre-Enclosure Map.
This indicates that before 1825 the path out of the village followed the route of the ditch on the
northern boundary of Snakemoor. The wetland area by the pond was one of the few uncultivated
common grazing pastures.
Snakemoor depends on and has been developed by volunteers and local donations.
The support shown by the festival has given the project a real boost.
We are always pleased to welcome new helpers. If you wish to offer help in the future
please contact:
Robyn Thorogood 01844 291254
Michael Whitney 01844 290791
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