Thrupp Lake at Radley
Last year the Northmoor Trust was appointed by npower, the owners of Thrupp Lake, to take on the day-to-day management of this magnificent green oasis on the edge of Abingdon. (Map)
| Radley Community Days at Thrupp Lake August 27th, October 8th and November 19th 10am - 3pm drop in any time Meet at Sandles building, Thrupp Lane, OX14 3NG Join us for practical conservation tasks at Thrupp Lake. Enjoy a few hours work in these gorgeous surroundings. All tools provided. Please be advised, there are currently no toilet facilities at Thrupp Lake. Please bring lunch if you would like to stay all day. For more information please contact Melati Cox |
New Community Shelter
Thank you to everyone who helped build our new community shelter at our recent open day. Over 50 people helped build the innovative shelter modelled after a water lily and constructed from eco-friendly wooden panels.
Read more in our News section >
Thrupp Lake - A Special Green Oasis
There is something truly special about a green oasis that has blossomed almost by accident and where you least expect it.
Radley Lakes are sandwiched between a busy railway line and the bustling town of Abingdon, hemmed in by an industrial estate and recent gravel workings. In this small corner of busy South East England sits one of the best places to see wetland wildlife that you could hope to find.
Thrupp Lake History
Thrupp Lake’s recent history has not been free from controversy. Only a year ago it was earmarked for ash disposal from Didcot A power station, and its future has been the subject of heated debate. But the latest chapter in its history is a happy one – the site has now been safeguarded, thanks to the tenacity of the local community and the sympathetic and imaginative approach taken by the lake’s owner, npower.
With the new arrangements, the Northmoor Trust will manage Thrupp Lake under a 25 year lease. We will be supported in this through a close partnership involving npower and local community groups in Radley and Abingdon, including Save Radley Lakes.
Welcoming Visitors
Our first priority is to make the area around the lake safe and welcoming. We have already taken down some of the unsightly structures and removed a lot of rubbish. In the next few weeks we will remove some redundant fencing and erect a small wooden shelter to provide space for visiting groups. We want the shelter to be eye catching, and the design we have chosen is inspired by the water lily. It will be fashioned from local timber, and we are inviting members of the local community to help us build it. Over the coming year we hope to establish a circular walk around Thrupp and neighbouring Bullfield Lake.
We are looking at options for installing a boardwalk around the north west corner of Thrupp lake to avoid people having to cross onto the road. We will be creating reed-beds, lagoons and shallows here and at other places around the lake edge.
A New Visitor Centre
Looking further ahead, we are developing plans to replace the derelict building at the entrance to the site with a new visitor centre. As well as fitting in with its surroundings, we want the building to be visually stunning and a testament to sustainability.
Over the next five years we have an ambitious programme of work. We have yet to raise the funds for the visitor centre and there’s a lot of hard work ahead. But right now it’s just wonderful to know that the sites future is secure, and that we have such a dedicated partnership behind it.
