Work Begins on the Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve!

Constable Philip Porter digging the first turf.

The Trustees of The Town and Manor of Hungerford are delighted to announce that work has begun on delivering the landscape at the Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve.

Planning Permission was achieved in 2025, the Pre-commencement Planning Conditions were signed off in August 2026, fund-raising has been going on all the time and on Wednesday 27th August 2026 Constable Philip Porter lifted the first turf from the wetland site.

The prime contractor, Ecolibrium, was chosen after a rigorous tendering process. They come highly recommended for their experience and agility and have undertaken a number of similar projects for Action for the River Kennet (ARK) and The National Trust. Their work will include working with the morphology of the site to dig out different depth scrapes, ponds, reedbed and marshy areas. The progress on site will be captured using drone footage and aerial photographs that we will be sharing as the project progresses.

This wonderful project is the biggest project undertaken by the Town and Manor in over 150 years and can only be delivered when the necessary funds have been raised. So much work has been going on ‘behind the scenes’ to ensure this project is delivered and this includes fundraising. The fact that we are able to start the work on the wetland landscape in September is a reflection of the support for this project and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated whether it be a £1 or more, we could not be in a position to start the work without your support and that of trusts, grants and foundations. Recent grants from North Wessex Downs National Landscape Partnership has ensured we can start the work on the wetland development.

There is still some way to go in raising the necessary funds to complete this project with boardwalks, car park and access, bike racks, gates etc and then the Education & Information Centre so we will continue to be looking for ways to generate the necessary funding to bring this project to Hungerford.

Header photo:

Trustee Chris Scorey, Constable Philip Porter and Bellman Julian Tubb at the ceremony marking the commencement of the landscape delivery.

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