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In medieval times it is believed it once consisted of large ponds used to provide carp and other fish for the nearby Abingdon Abbey.
Now those ponds are have dried out and have been replaced by a well managed nature reserve which has smaller ponds, that are no longer suitable for farming fish, but are ideal for aquatic insects such as damselflies and dragonflies - which will emerge later in the year:
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As well as the ponds there is a small stream running through the centre of the reserve - which eventually joins the Thames at Barton Fields.
The shallow water, steep banks and sympathetic management mean it is ideal habitat for water voles and with enough patience and a bit of luck it is possible to see one lurking at the edge of the stream.
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Proving the interconnected waterways, streams and ditches make Abingdon one of the important areas for water voles in county - if not the country.
