Roadside verges are often overlooked as a habitat but with some changes to their management they can become wonderful wild spaces for animals and plants to thrive.
At present sixteen local verges have been selected as 'roadside reserves’. These verges don’t receive any treatment other than an adjustment to the cutting regime down to two cuts per year - early spring (cut) and late summer (cut and collect). The late summer grass cut and collect being the most essential to reduce the nutrients in the soil and reduce the dominance of the grasses in order for a greater diversity of wildflowers to become established. The maintenance is reviewed depending on the variety of plant communities that emerge. This takes a few seasons to assess but these verges are quickly becoming important wild spaces that can also provide some colour and interest for local residents to enjoy.
Signs saying ‘Growing Wild’ are placed on the verges to highlight the change in maintenance to both residents and our contractors.
Further information and precise locations can be found on RBWM Together.
The sixteen 'roadside reserves' are:
Windsor/Eton Wick
- Goslar Way opposite Vansittart Park (Windsor)
- Verge by St John the Baptist (Eton Wick)
- Verge opposite Clifton Lodge, Eton Wick
- Clewer Hill Road and Sheepcote Road (Dedworth)
- Clewer Hill Road and Dedworth Road (Dedworth)
Maidenhead
- A4/Bath Road (Boyn Hill - behind school)
- Harvest Hill Road
- Shoppenhangers Road
- Waltham Road (White Waltham)
- Dean Lane (Cookham)
- Warren Row Road (Knowl Hill)
- Harrow Lane & Queensway (Furze Platt)
- Ockwells Road (Cox Green)
- Stafferton Link junction with Forlease Road
- Gringer Hill
- Wootton Way - green adjacent to no's 10 to 20
For more information on our wildlife verges, please contact bnc@rbwm.gov.uk.