Marshland is an important habitat for many birds and other animals, for instance as a breeding area for frogs. It is a habitat that is constantly developing. As plants grow and die, the marsh becomes less wet, and eventually dry land. This is one reason why marshes are a threatened habitat. Another reason is that they have been drained over the centuries to provide farmland or, as with the local flood plain of the River Wandle, to provide space for houses and factories. One other reason is that exotic plants such as Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam are over taking many native plants.

How it was created
The Marsh is really an extension of the pond, and was made in 1989, with high-density polyethylene liner. We manage the marsh by digging out about half of the plants each year, in the winter when they have died back and most of the animals are dormant. This stops it from completely drying out.

What happens there
The Marsh is too overgrown for pond-dipping, so it is more of a refuge for wildlife. It is ideal for frogs and newts to breed in.