| Rack Marsh (Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain) | |
| Aos: | Bagnor, Berkshire |
| Displaymap: | Berkshire |
| Interest: | Biological |
| Coordinates: | 51.4202°N -1.3511°W |
| Area: | 4ha |
| Notifydate: | 1996 |
| Map: | DEFRA |
Rack Marsh is a 4abbr=offNaNabbr=off nature reserve in Bagnor, on the north-western outskirts of Newbury in Berkshire. It is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[1] It is part of Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain, which is a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest,[2] [3] and a Nature Conservation Review site.[1] It is also part of the Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain Special Area of Conservation.[4]
Rack Marsh is an old wet meadow.[1] A thick layer of peat has developed on top of the deposits of alluvium and gravel which the river has spread over the chalk.[1] The river Lambourn flows through the meadow.
There is evidence of prehistoric activity in the area: a prehistoric canoe was discovered in the layer of peat by some labourers who were digging a ditch to form a boundary of a garden.[5]
In 1996 the discovery of the rare Desmoulin's whorl snail on the reserve meant that the Newbury bypass was almost stopped, but the high court ruled in the developers' favour.[6] The decision to continue with the construction of the road meant that the nature reserve was cut in size, losing half its area.[7]
The site has the following fauna:[8] [9] [1]
The site has the following flora:[8] [1] [2]