Hawley Meadows

About

Hawley Meadows, a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is an important river floodplain site with a wet grassland habitat. It is one of the few sites in the valley that shows what the landscape may have been like over 100 years ago. It serves as a natural flood defence with the fields often holding water after heavy rainfall. This traditional floodplain meadow has been the focus of extensive landscape and habitat improvement work. During the construction of the A331 much of the existing grassland flora was lost. Local conservation volunteers have worked to restore the grassland and the site is now flourishing. The presence the red heads of great burnet indicator of long established wet meadows in a flood plain. This plant is rare in Hampshire. The Blackwater Valley Path runs through the site. It can be accessed by parking in the car park off the A331 and crossing the river via the bridge. Or you can follow the path from Frimley Business Park in the south or Blackwater Park in the north. The River Blackwater flows through the site and the reasonable stocks of fish in the river here provide good sport. Cove Brook also joins the River Blackwater at Hawley Meadows. Hampshire County Council leases the site to Hartley Wintney Angling Society. Fishing is for members only, no day tickets available.
Find the main entrance and the free car park on the A331, Camberley, opposite the Watchmoor Business Park, nearest postcode GU15 3YL. Grid reference SU 86057 59133. What3Words: curving.inflating.ethic.

About The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership

The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership (a partnership project between Hampshire County Council, other local authorities and community organisations) is working to improve and maintain the River Blackwater and the many open green spaces alongside.