Conygre Mead

As it name implies (Coney means rabbit), the Mead at one time provided rabbit meat and fur for the monks of the Abbey. Another method of food production used by monks was to create artificial fish ponds (“stew ponds”), and indeed there is evidence of this on the Mead (map of 1831). Since the area at that time was low-lying and marshy the ponds were probably made by redirecting the flow of the river.

In the 1800s the Mead provided the source of water for Malmesbury. Wells were dug and a conduit connected them to the pumping station (now a small public garden) on Holloway. Dr Voelcker commented in 1864 “We are pleased to see these works rapidly progressing and trust soon to realise the great boon a supply of pure wholesome water will prove to us all". (W&GS, 8th October).

In 1877 the railway came to Malmesbury, a tunnel being dug under Holloway, the line crossing the river and passing through the Mead to what is now Station Yard. Some of the brickwork of the bridge is still visible close to the river, and the built-up track-bed now forms part of the River Walk path.

Apart from the construction of the railway the basic landscape of the Mead remained close to a natural state up to the 1960s. However, a drastic change then took place with a decision by Malmesbury Borough to use the low-lying area adjacent to the river as a rubbish tip, resulting in the destruction of the ponds, marshes and winter water courses and ultimately raising the level of the land by several feet.

By 1972 tipping must have ceased because the land was then sold with outline planning permission for housing.

The battle over housing development

The history of the securing of this land, Conygre Mead, for the people of the town to enjoy in perpetuity is a fascinating one. Had the permission for housing proceeded with normal despatch the Mead would undoubtedly by now be covered in roads and houses. However, for various reasons the permission was allowed to lapse and by the time the developer reapplied in 1985 the policy of North Wiltshire District Council towards development within the river valleys had changed significantly. The reapplication led finally to a Public Inquiry in 1988, when various local organisations including the Town Council, Civic Trust, Residents’ Association and Wiltshire Trust for Nature Conservation got together to make representations in favour of retaining the Mead as public open space. The developers’ appeal was turned down and the immediate threat to the Mead was defeated.

By this time a head of steam had built up as a result of the close involvement of the various organisations and local people, and a series of meetings was held to examine the possibility of purchasing the Mead and thus safeguarding it for ever. After long and tortuous negotiations with the owners, a group formed from the various interested parties  finally managed, in late 1992, to buy the Mead for the sum of £25,000. Generous contributions of £10,000 from the District Council and £3,000 from the Civic Trust made an excellent start to making up the sum required. To enable the paying-off of the additional bank loan and to provide continuity into the future the group formed itself into a Registered Charity under the name of Malmesbury River Valleys Trust.

Conygre Mead – nature reserve and educational area.

By the time the Mead was safely purchased an outline management plan had been produced, pointing future development firmly in the direction of a Nature Reserve for quiet recreation and for educational use. Obviously access to a path alongside the river was to be a key aspect of the reserve, and this was made possible by the agreement of NWDC to sell to the Trust the strip of riverside land, which had remained in their possession throughout, for a nominal fee.

Today the Mead plays a part in the natural and historical tradition which is Malmesbury, alongside the ancient walls and the Abbey.

 Walk along the top of the Mead at the height of Summer and watch the swifts and house martins careering overhead. See the spectacular view of the town, much as it has been for several hundreds of years. Descend to the river and catch a glimpse of a water vole and perhaps a kingfisher, or later, a bat swooping to catch insects.

Malmesbury is very fortunate in having such a  place so close to its ancient centre.