Swamp

Haddon has a number of these within the park, bordering the River Wye in the low-lying areas between its meanders.

Swamps within a traditional farming landscape are quite rare, as they have been traditionally considered of low productive value and drained to gain more land usable for planting crops. But swamps play a significant ecological role and provide a variety of resources that many species depend on. Of most importance is that they provide a valuable source of fresh water throughout the year and the vegetation within them creates oxygen for all life, and provides soil stability to the land, preventing erosion and land loss. They also provide a lovely breeding ground for a wide variety of species and are an excellent natural form of flood management by absorbing excess water, preventing it from travelling and flooding surrounding areas.

Unquestionably, the swamps with the Medieval Park play a significant role in flood management but they also are a wonderful element of support for its biodiverse mix and within them can be found a wide range of vegetation including Greater Pond-Sedge, Reed Canary Grass, Common Reed, Reedmace, Meadowsweet, Great Willowherb, Hogweed, Common Nettle and Bramble.