Grants bring new nature reserve car park to life
WALKERS will be able to drive in in style thanks to a new car park extension.
Earlier this month, members of the Moor Green Lakes Group (MGLG) in Finchampstead welcomed the chair of Finchampstead Parish Council to open the new facility.
He was joined by a group of supporters including Finchampstead South councillor Simon Weeks.
The group had been planning to extend the car park for a while but had to wait for grants to come good from both Finchampstead Parish and Wokingham Borough councils.
And it wasn’t just a case of laying in some tarmac and hoping for the best: the group had to lay a protective honeycomb mesh below the car park surface to prevent damage to the tree roots.
There are around 35 spaces and the nature reserve is ideal for ramblers thanks to the circular walks around the lakes.
Cllr Weeks praised the group’s work and said that he loved the area.
“It’s very peaceful and the nature reserve has a couple of bird hides.
“There are working parties here on Sunday and Tuesdays and around 15-20 people come along, giving up their time for nothing.
“The vegetation grows like crazy due to the constant water supply [from the lakes].
“When MGLG took on the land [it used to be a quarry] it looked like the surface on the moon. Soil that was taken off was reseeded and it soon reverted back to countryside very quickly.”
And Cllr Roland Cundy, chair of Finchampstead Parish Council, said: “We’re very pleased that the donation we’ve given to Moor Green Lake Group has paid off so successfully in providing facilities for the public to enjoy. It’s an excellent place.”
Professor Adrian Hobbs, who chairs the MGLG, said: “This is the best nature reserve in the Blackwater and it’s free to visitors. We do ask people to notify us if a group is coming.”
The car park closes at 5pm in winter and 8pm in the summer.