Gadespring Cress Beds, Hemel Hempstead

Gadespring Cross Beds is currently sitting on a farm that was initially known as Watercress, in the Boxmoor & Chaulden area of Hemel Hempstead. It is surrounded by rugby pitches and the Grand Union Canal which it runs parallel with. It is also next to the Old Fishery Lane, off Chaulden lane and is overlooked by the railway & A41 by-pass to the south. After its acquisition by the Box Moor Trust in the year 2011, the four-acre site has been benefiting its visitors and wildlife at large which happened to be Box Moor Trust’s aim.

Gardespring’s environment is mainly consisted of wet woodlands & reedbed with marshy ponds and scrapes that are often submerged by shallow water. It also has a river that flows through West to East, known as River Bulbourne. It is a chalk stream, a typical feature of the Chilterns and a major habitat to many creatures. However, the water levels are very inconsistent during periods of wet weather and this prompts the pumping out of the extra water, from artisan wells on site, into the beds and there are plans underway to change the initial inlet from the river to help with this too.

Gadespring also hosts a number of different varieties of wildlife, including the only known colony of bloody-nosed Beetles in Hertfordshire, a huge beetle that spits red ‘blood’ from its mouth in case it feels threatened by a predator. It is also one of the only sites that Water Voles are seen after their huge decline in the whole country. Dragonflies and Damselflies can be found in large numbers at this site and it has been known to be a very important area for ‘riverflies’ too, specifically Cinnamon Sedge Caddisflies.

The beds containing some crystal-clear water also provide nice habitats that hold shoals of Three-spined Sticklebacks, while toads and Smooth Newts can be found all over. Birds that live in woodlands also find their peace here and build their nests around the canals adding to the area’s beauty and ecology.

The public has always been welcome to the site since its launch and the park is of no doubt a place to visit and enjoy nature.