Logan’s Meadow is a small reserve next to the River Cam. The site, formerly a grazing marsh, was neglected for some time before we designated it as a local nature reserve in 2005.

We extended it in 2016 and created a new backwater channel, reedbed and wet woodland.

The site is prone to flooding, but it is a wonderful place to experience nature near the city centre.

Animals and plants

The reserve is a haven for wildlife. The reedbed and backwaters provide vital habitats for a variety of species, including reed warblers, water vole, kingfishers, reed specialist moths and Daubenton’s bats.

The woodland areas are home to breeding sparrowhawks and great spotted woodpeckers. Smaller woodland birds including tits, bullfinches and robins, and larger blackbirds and song thrushes live on the reserve too.

Otters have been spotted on the site and we have created a holt (otter hole) to encourage them to rest or hopefully breed here.

Our work to manage and improve the reserve

The ponds, reedbed, riverside, backwater channels and ditches form a micro river-catchment landscape. They are part of a wildlife corridor that stretches north beyond Wicken Fen, offering a viable habitat for many wetland species.

We focus our efforts at the reserve on improving and sustaining these habitats. We use a cutting regime and restrict the growth of scrub and invasive weeds.

We have reintroduced pollarding in the woodland areas to help improve the life expectancy of the willow trees and allow light to reach the ground.

We are planning to extend the site again in 2022, to more than double the size of the reserve. The new area will increase the reed bed and open-water areas, and will also include a woodland belt along the boundary.

Access

You can enter the reserve from the end of Logan’s Way, where there is some on-street parking. You can also enter from the Riverside footbridge and Scholar’s Way.

The paths around the reserve are flat, although some areas can get very muddy in wet weather.

Facilities

The reserve has an outdoor fitness area and a small football pitch.