This wide expanse of open land lies in the valleys of the Beam River and Wantz Stream. It is part of a substantial area that extends over the boundary into Havering borough, where it is called Beam Valley South. The site has a variety of habitats, including the Beam and the Wantz, the open grassland and wet areas with ditches and hollows. There is free public access to most of the site.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Beam Valley South in Dagenham and the Wantz Stream
Borough: Barking and Dagenham
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 36.24 ha
Description
Wildlife
The River Beam has rather steep sides, and thus supports little vegetation on its banks. The Wantz, however, has more natural banks and supports good growths of watercress and fool's watercress. The ditches, hollows and other wet areas support a wide variety of wetland plants including lesser reedmace, celery-leaved buttercup, reed sweet-grass, yellow iris, marsh foxtail, common comfrey and trifid bur-marigold. Snipe are frequent visitors as they pass through on migration. The area is important for amphibians, including great crested newt. The large areas of drier grassland have some scattered hawthorn scrub. Together these support breeding skylark and linnet as well as meadow pipit. Tree sparrows are frequent visitors in winter.Facilities
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