The Wallingford Brooks Project

In our newsletters last year, we reported that many of our members had attended a consultation event in May 2025 about the Mill Brook (from source to the Thames), the perceived issues and what could be done to improve the catchment. The event was organised by Mend the Gap with Thames 21 and the Environment Agency amongst others.

A report of the consultation can be found here: https://mendthegap.uk/enhancement-projects/projects-we-have-supported/the-mill-brookcommunity-consultation/

Further to this, James Hubbard has been appointed as a Project Manager, funded by Mend the Gap, to take things forward. As part of this, Anita Prosser and I went on a one-day course to learn about ‘River-fly monitoring’. It was put on by ARK (Action for the River Kennet) on the River Kennet. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful location, and very instructive (see photo). We’re now looking for a suitable location (in the Mill Brook in Blewbury) to undertake monthly monitoring to record what riverfly groups are present and their abundance. The project is giving us waders and suitable monitoring kit. We also intend to do some sampling in the stream next to Quaker Wood, but the size of the watercourse here may limit what we can do. In June, we went on a follow-up day to learn how to do simple water quality monitoring, which we will also utilize in the village.

Anthony Stiff