About the reserve

A restored farmland on the banks of the River Wey, Manor Farm has an interesting and diverse history.

The site has links with the Black Prince, who owned the nearby Manor, from which the reserve takes its name. During the 1600’s Manor Farm was part of an enclosed deer park.

The wet meadows towards the River Wey were ploughed following WWII as part of the “Dig for Victory” campaign and a gun tower was constructed on the site in preparation for possible invasion.

After the war, the site was used as a market garden until 2006 -growing salad crops including beetroot, carrot, leeks, lettuce and parsley, which often went for sale at Covent Garden.

The Trust acquired Manor Farm in 2009 and began the process of restoring the site to a natural state, bringing wildlife back to the area.

The site now consists of areas of wet meadow, improved grassland and a series of hedges, which attract species such as skylarks, pied wagtails, barn owls, linnets and roe deer. The dotted fan foot moth - thought to be locally extinct in Surrey -  has also been found on the reserve.

The network of hedgerows create important natural corridors across the site, as well as providing food and shelter for insects, invertebrates, birds and small mammals. 

An old pump house next to the Wey has been turned in to a bird hide. to access the hide, please call the Trust on 01483 795440.