Big improvements at Pan Mill Meadows

Big changes are going on at the Pan Mill Meadows nature reserve in Newport. You might have seen us working, part of the area we’re working on is very visible from St George’s Roundabout by Matalan.

So what’s happening?

Gift to Nature has leased more land from the Isle of Wight Council and has also secured funding from the Suez Communities Trust, and Newport Parish Council.

This will extend the reserve and allow for the Freshwater firm of countryside professionals, Landscape Therapy, to carry out improvements. Work is expected to continue until spring 2017.

We have already begun restoring the grazing meadow at the Shide end of the reserve by cutting back grass and some trees, and we hope to get grazing sheep back on the field in 2017.

Following the floods in 2012 a lot of trees began to lean over, especially up by the Matalan end of the reserve. To make sure they don’t fall over we will be cutting down quite a few trees. This will look like a big change but these trees won’t be killed – they will grow back from the stumps. The woodland path around the back of the reserve is a lovely stroll, but not everyone can get through, especially in the winter when it gets wet. We will be making a path that is easy for everyone to use, and should be dry for most of the year. Lovely new gates and fences will be installed where needed.