After the Reserve closure yesterday due to flooding and fallen trees, the level of the river has now dropped and High Batts is open once again. Some areas of the rides are very muddy, so please take extra care.
Reserve Reopening 22nd October 2023
Reserve Closure 21st October 2023
Due to flooding and fallen trees, the Reserve is closed until further notice. We will update the website when it reopens.
Making Hay (While the Sun is Reluctant to Shine)
At the Muck-In Morning on Saturday 16th September, we were raking up hay which had already been cut some time before. Leaving the hay to dry before removing it allows wildflower seed to drop and remain on the meadow. This
High Batts in the Guardian Country Diary
High Batts was the subject of the Guardian’s Country Diary earlier this month. Mark Cocker, who was guest speaker at the Reserve’s 50th anniversary picnic, wrote about High Batts in an article published on 4th July 2023. He praised High
50th Anniversary Picnic
Today we celebrated 50 years of High Batts, 1973-2023, with a picnic at the Reserve. Talk by Mark Cocker Guest of honour Mark Cocker, award-winning naturalist and author, spoke on the theme of volunteering. He praised the work of High
Muck-In Morning 10th June 2023
Eleven volunteers came to High Batts on 10th June 2023. The main task was bracken-bashing in the woodland clearings. The purpose of bracken-bashing is to reduce the vigour of the bracken which would, if left unchecked, smother other flora beneath
Muck-In Morning 8th April 2023
An elite unit (i.e. a small number of volunteers) came to High Batts for the Easter Muck-In Morning. There were two tasks. The first was to check and re-paint the marker posts which are set at 50m intervals to help
50th Anniversary Part 1
2023 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of High Batts. As part of our anniversary activities we have been collecting photographs of the Reserve from over the years, and we’ll post a selection of them in the next few
Muck-In Morning 4th March 2023
Thirteen volunteers came to the Muck-In Morning at High Batts on 4th March 2023. Tasks included tree-guard removal from the new woodland on Pennycroft, and pothole-filling on the track leading to the Reserve. Two buzzards flew past at the end
Muck-In Morning 4th February 2023
Nine volunteers took part in the Muck-In Morning on 4th February 2023. The task was using woodchips that had been made after coppicing work on the Reserve. We put them on the paths as a surfacing material. Limestone chips are