Welcome residents of Sandhurst! You live at the heart of the Blackwater Valley, a rich and varied landscape stretching out both North and South from your home town. There are meadows, woodlands and lakes to be explored, and a wide range of wildlife waiting to be observed!
The Blackwater Valley Countryside trust works with partners along the valley to protect and enhance our natural environment so we may all be able to enjoy what it has to offer!
If you are looking for places to visit with the kids, the dogs or just to decompress, there are plenty of sites easily accessible from Sandhurst:
Shepherds Meadow has pleasant walks along the Blackwater river and is filled with a variety of wildlife. We've recently helped with the grant application to install a new bridge over the river at XXXX.
Moor Green Lakes is a 90 acres site with circular walks around the lake front. For budding bird watches, the Moor Green Lakes group has a handy guide on what can be seen when here.
Hawley meadows and Blackwater park showcases what the area would have been like 100 years ago, with wet grasslands running along the river. It is an important flood defence in the winter but comes to life in the summer, with many rare plants providing rich hunting grounds for the pollinators! There are flat, circular walks to be had from the car park at XXX or from Blackwater station.
Our Rail to Trail walk takes in some of these sites, leaving Sandhurst on a gentle 6 mile stroll to explore the commons and return either via the Blackwater Valley path or on the train from Blackwater station. There is even a good pub half way??
Further afield there is more to be seen, with some of the sites being accessible from Sandhurst station. Check them out here!
Over the past 60 years, the valley has been transformed, from gravel pits and rubbish dumps to the thriving environment it is today. This hasn't happened without the tireless efforts of a number of volunteer groups across the area and we will continue to support these groups as their work becomes even more important. We're providing grants for new machinery, to help them plant trees and other plants and to erect wildlife boxes for Bats and Swifts.
In Sandhurst we
But to continue our work we need your help! For just £5 a year you can help us do even more in the valley. More trees planted, more wildlife boxes and more people enjoying the environment our area has to offer. If you'd like to become a trust member and be kept up to date with what we're doing, follow this line
