Mapledurwell Fen and the Hatch Nature Reserve

Ragged-robin © David Kilbey

Ragged-robin © David Kilbey

Mapledurwell Fen and the Hatch Nature Reserve

A small fen teeming with rare plants

Location

Greywell Road
Old Basing
Hampshire
RG24 7JL

OS Map Reference

SU 678 523
A static map of Mapledurwell Fen and the Hatch Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
3 hectares
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Entry fee

Donations welcome
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Parking information

Park on the roadside near entrance

Grazing animals

Our sites are grazed all year by livestock. Please follow the signage on site.

Walking trails

There are no footpaths over this site.

Access

The site can only be accessed by permit. Please contact the reserves officer if you wish to visit. 

There are no footpaths over this site and it is wet. 

Dogs

Assistance dogs only

Guide dogs and Assistance dogs only

When to visit

Opening times

The site can only be accessed by permit. Please contact the reserves officer if you wish to visit.

Best time to visit

Visit in spring to see a beautiful display of wildflowers

About the reserve

Rare fen plants have found a haven at Mapledurwell Fen and The Hatch, the last fragment of what was once Mapledurwell Common. Flora like the delicate marsh helleborine, bog pimpernel and ragged robin are some of the reasons why this patch has been described by botanists as the 'richest half acre of Hampshire’.

This fen is only accessible with a permit, but the hatch is open access. The Hatch is a wonderful example of fen restoration and Mapledurwell Fen was once described by botanists as ‘the richest half acre in Hampshire’. 

From spring to summer, a succession of fenland plants come into flower, some  of which are very rare. They include narrow-leaved marsh orchid and marsh fragrant orchid.

Contact us

Alex Hutchinson
Contact number: 01256 381190

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Location map

Map key

Map Key