Marshians are a collective of people who are interested in the marshes between the Kennet and Avon canal and the Holy brook in the south west corner of Reading.
Reading is very privileged to have several hundred hectares of floodplain that haven’t been actively managed for years.
The area has become a wild place, full of life, with an intriguing history and huge potential.
There is no formal management, the land is owned by many different people, and although there is a path network large areas are inaccessible, undisturbed and tranquil.
When the rains come the marsh floods and stores millions of gallons of water, protecting the town from flooding, and providing a habitat for huge numbers of birds in the winter. In the summer the area becomes home to birds that come here especially to breed.
It is teeming with wildflowers and butterflies. Otters live here now. Beavers might do soon. There are frogs and newts and snakes and much more.
There has long been talk of improving the landscape, for people, wildlife and the environment.
That’s all it’s been: Talk.
For a while a few folks have been actively working to improve it.
Those folks are Marshians.
Over a few years they’ve grown in number.
As they’ve grown they’ve learnt more about the area. This is a floodplain that is best known for the flooding that is visible from the road at the eastern end.
In the relatively recent past the area was farmed and ditches and drains proliferated. So the floodwaters soon disappeared and the land dried out. Good for grazing, but not so good for wildlife.
Now the area isn’t grazed and the rapid drying out is pointless. In fact stopping it from drying out is beneficial in many ways.
The marshes extend almost into the town centre. A ten minute walk is all it takes to get to the outer edges and there are paths that make for lovely strolls along the Holy Brook, along the old Coley Branch line and the Kennet and Avon canal and even a couple across the marshes themselves.
You can go for a peaceful walk in the countryside and still be in Reading!
Rather bizarrely there is no interest from the council or landowners to promote the area, or even to enhance it.
In response to the apathy of the authorities the Marshians appeared.
We value the land for its wildness, its biodiversity, its history and its potential.
We carry out practical work every week. In the last couple of years we’ve created pools of water that last even through droughts. We’ve planted thousands of trees to create wooded areas, and we’ve scythed meadows to encourage wildflowers.
We’ve removed tons of litter and tackled invasive plants.
We’ve taken on the management of the path network and built dams and bridges.
We’ve had picnics and led walks, created art and information, and made rustic furniture. And we’re going to do much more in the future.
All this and much more has been done with no money, no permission, no endorsement.
We’ve got so fed up with the apathy at the time when intervention is so important.
We cherish the opportunity to do something positive and productive when we are powerless to tackle many of the huge problems that face us elsewhere.
You can find out what we’ve done in our blog https://ruralreading.com
And have a look at some of the videos we’ve made on our YouTube channel
https://youtube.com/@fobneymarshians?si=15D8KW69WkO7lcGy
And if you feel so inclined you can join us.
We have no age limit and we actively support people who find access and participation in the outdoors challenging.
If you want to be a part of it email fobneymarshian@gmail.com
Rural Reading 