Sapperton Valley () is a nature reserve near Chalford in the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. The site is managed by the

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gl ...

under leasing arrangements with the Bathurst Estate, in place since 1964.Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust'

Location and habitat

The reserve is close to Sapperton and Frampton Mansell, and about two miles east of Chalford. It lies south of two other nature reserves: Siccaridge Wood and Daneway Banks, the latter a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

. The Sapperton Valley reserve is a long ribbon of canal bank, water meadows and woodland by the disused former

Thames and Severn Canal The Thames and Severn Canal is a canal in Gloucestershire in the south-west of England, which was completed in 1789. It was conceived as part of a cargo route from Bristol and the Midlands to London, linking England's two largest rivers for bett ...

. The River Frome runs parallel to the old canal and is the boundary to the reserve on its south side. The reserve is about a mile long. The canal was built originally to link the

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the Five ...

mills which supported the woollen trade, and was opened in the late 18th century. The length from Whitehall Bridge to Lechlade closed in the early 20th century. A road bridge is the western end of the nature reserve; access to the reserve is along the towpath. There is some space for vehicles south of Daneway Bridge. The canal construction included a long tunnel, deep locks, bridges, a loading basin and the Daneway Inn, built to accommodate the men working on the tunnel.‘Nature Reserve Guide – discover the wild Gloucestershire on your doorstep’ – 50th Anniversary, January 2011, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust The Sapperton Valley is considered to be an important wetland area, situated as it is between the Frome and the canal. There are a series of wet meadows and this area is damp, generally undisturbed and overgrown, supporting wildlife. A diversity of habitats are thus concentrated in a relatively small area and range from ancient woodland to wetland. The 2005 Stroud District Local Plan identified the valley as a Key Wildlife Site.

Woodland and plant life

The trees along the canal include pedunculate oak,

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

, crack willow and field maple. The area is colonised with common reed,

reed sweet-grass ''Glyceria maxima'' (syn. ''G. aquatica'' (L.) Wahlenb.; ''G. spectabilis'' Mert. & W.D.J. Koch; ''Molinia maxima'' Hartm.; ''Poa aquatica'' L.), commonly known as great manna grass, reed mannagrass, reed sweet-grass, and greater sweet-grass is a ...

and the more open areas support

marsh-marigold ''Caltha palustris'', known as marsh-marigold and kingcup, is a small to medium size perennial herbaceous plant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It flower ...

, yellow water-lily,

water dock ''Rumex hydrolapathum'', the great water dock, water dock, or giant water dock, is a species of perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plants in the genus ''Rumex'' native to fens and freshwater banks of Europe and Western Asia. It is the tallest ...

and

gipsywort ''Lycopus europaeus'', common names gypsywort, gipsywort, bugleweed, European bugleweed and water horehound, is a perennial plant in the genus '' Lycopus'', native to Europe and Asia, and naturalized elsewhere. Another species, ''Lycopus america ...

. Meadowsweet and

great willowherb ''Epilobium hirsutum'' is a flowering plant belonging to the willowherb genus ''Epilobium'' in the family Onagraceae. It is commonly known as the great willowherb, great hairy willowherb or hairy willowherb. Local names include codlins-and-cream, ...

flourish. There is also

common valerian Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attrac ...

purple-loosestrife ''Lythrum salicaria'' or purple loosestrifeFlora of NW Europe''Lythrum salicaria'' is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the family P ...

common marsh-bedstraw ''Galium palustre'', the common marsh bedstraw or simply marsh-bedstraw, is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. This plant is widely distributed, native to virtually every country in Europe, plus Morocco, the Azores, Turkey, Turkm ...

, yellow iris,

ragged robin ''Silene flos-cuculi'' (syn. ''Lychnis flos-cuculi''), commonly called ragged-robin, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. This species is native to Europe and Asia, where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and p ...

and marsh woundwort. Woodland flowers such as primrose, bluebell,

yellow archangel ''Lamium galeobdolon'', commonly known as yellow archangel, artillery plant, aluminium plant, or yellow weasel-snout, is a widespread wildflower in Europe, and has been introduced elsewhere as a garden plant. It displays the zygomorphic flower mo ...

and bugle thrive in a small wood near the tunnel entrance and under the towpath hedgerows. This wetland area supports a variety of fungi, liverworts and mosses.

Bird life

This is a reserve rich in bird life and recorded are moorhen,

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

, nuthatch, grey wagtail, marsh tit and blackcap. Mallard, moorhen and grey wagtail breed in the reserve. Herons and kingfishers are seen in the area.

Other species

There are good populations recorded of the

common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...

and common toad. Bats feed and roost in the area. Fallow deer are visitors to the reserve as is the

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

. Molluscs found include the uncommon land winkle and Rolph's door snail. Dragonflies forage in the area and the reserve supports good populations of butterflies and moths.

Conservation

The meadow areas are cut at the end of the summer to control the more dominant species. This practice supports the increase in the range of flowers.

Walks

There is a publication which details walks for recreation and observing wildlife in the Golden Valley. This includes information on Sapperton Valley and four other nearby nature reserves being Strawberry Banks SSSI,

Three Groves Wood Three Groves Wood () is a nature reserve in Gloucestershire. Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Tr ...

, Daneway Banks SSSI and Siccaridge Wood. The walk also includes other ancient woodland at ''Peyton's Grove'', Oakridge village, Bakers Mill and Reservoir, Ashmeads Spring, and part of the route of the old

.'The Golden Valley Walk', (undated), Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Publications

* Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust' * Siccaridge Wood and Sapperton Valley Nature Reserve – Ancient Dormouse woodland and luxuriant valley wetland', (undated), Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust * 'The Golden Valley Walk', (undated), Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust * ‘Nature Reserve Guide – discover the wild Gloucestershire on your doorstep’ – 50th Anniversary, January 2011, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sapperton Valley
at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust File:The Sapperton Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 787966.jpg, Sapperton banks and canal tunnel entrance File:Sapperton Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 898565.jpg, Canal banks and canal tunnel entrance File:Whitehall Bridge, near Frampton Mansell - geograph.org.uk - 1133827.jpg, Whitehall Bridge File:Thames and Severn canal. near Frampton Mansell - geograph.org.uk - 1133811.jpg, Canal at Frampton Mansell File:Thames and Severn canal looking south - geograph.org.uk - 465999.jpg, Typical habitat along the Sapperton Valley by canal Nature reserves in Gloucestershire Cotswolds