Kingsmead Marsh
| Kingsmead Marsh | |
|---|---|
  Location in Staffordshire | |
| Location | Stafford, Staffordshire |
| OS grid | SJ 925 234 |
| Coordinates | 52°48′29″N 2°06′46″W / 52.8081°N 2.1127°W |
| Area | 6 hectares (15 acres) |
| Designation | Local nature reserve Site of Biological Importance |
| Website | Kingsmead Marsh |
Kingsmead Marsh is a local nature reserve near Stafford, in Staffordshire, England. Its area is about 6 hectares (15 acres), and it is designated a Grade 1 Site of Biological Importance.[1]
History and description
The marsh is a remaining part of a large area of marshland, to the north and east of the later town; this and the River Sow, to the west, made the location defensible. Stafford is said to have been founded about AD 700 by Beorhthelm (or Bertelin), a Mercian prince, who established a hermitage here. The Burh of Stafford was subsequently established in AD 913.[1][2]
In the medieval period there was a mill, owned by the king, for which a mill pond, known as King's Pool, was created. The site later returned to marsh, and, known as Kingsmead, was probably used more recently for summer grazing of livestock.[1]
The site was designated a local nature reserve (LNR) in December 2003. It supports a variety of flora and fauna, and there are plants not found locally such as purple loosestrife and brown sedge. The site is managed in order to protect and improve it; this includes coppicing of willow scrub which is encroaching from the edge of the site.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Kingsmead Marsh" Stafford Borough Council. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "History of Stafford" Stafford Borough Council. Retrieved 6 June 2020.