Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Bury Water Meadows Group have been working in partnership to enhance the River Lark and adjacent habitat in No Man’s Meadows, Bury St Edmunds. The two organisations started the partnership project in 2022 and the work was completed this Autumn. The project saw the creation of a backwater habitat connected to the River Lark and the re-digging of a grip system in No Man’s Meadows.

A backwater habitat is an area of still water connected to the main river which acts as a refuge for fish and river invertebrates and provides habitat for other river wildlife, such as the endangered water vole. The backwater was created by digging out an existing ditch, known locally as Police Station Ditch, which will now hold river water all year round.  A pond feature was also created at the end of the ditch. This work was accompanied by some sensitive tree clearance to reduce leaf litter and to allow sunlight to reach the backwater, encouraging wetland plants to grow. These plants will provide food and shelter for water voles, the target species for this habitat enhancement project.

A grip system is a series of shallow ditches which are designed to increase the volume of rain and floodwater retained on the marshes, benefiting a wide variety of aquatic life. The grips are historic features which can be seen on historic maps of the site.

These habitat improvements will benefit the endangered water vole, as well as other wetland wildlife. The water vole is a much-loved British mammal, known by many as ‘Ratty’ in the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows. Unfortunately, water voles have suffered huge declines mainly due to habitat loss and predation by American mink. Once a regular sight in ditches, streams and rivers across the UK, water voles are now absent across much of the country. Parts of Suffolk remain a stronghold for water vole but there is still more we can do to help protect these important mammals.

A water vole survey undertaken by Suffolk Wildlife Trust prior to the habitats works at No Man’s Meadows, identified some evidence of water vole activity nearby on the River Lark but by creating the new backwater and enhancing the riparian habitat, we will help them thrive and potentially spread to new areas.