%20Rita%20Gries%20(Warwickshire%20Wildlife%20Trust)_JPG.jpg)
Discover
The Tame Valley Wetlands stretches between Tamworth and Birmingham, following 29 km of the River Tame – a unique and hidden landscape on the doorstep of over one million people.
As you drive from Birmingham to Tamworth on the motorway, you would be forgiven for thinking this is an essentially urban environment with little to offer in terms of landscape or nature.
But take the time to explore, and a hidden landscape exists of 1000 hectares of lakes, rivers and canals appears. These are the Tame Valley Wetlands, unified by the passage of the River Tame, the largest area of interconnected wetlands in the Midlands, offering havens for wildlife, beautiful vistas, and tranquillity, despite their proximity to towns and dense business development.
The Tame Valley Wetlands Nature Improvement Area hosts key habitats, crucial for the survival of local wildlife, including many threatened species.
Through the extraction of coal, clay, sand and gravel, industry has played a crucial role in sculpting the landscape and shaping its communities and economy. This influence continues today. Road, rail and canal routes snake across the Tame Valley Wetlands, shaping it and creating strong connections from north to south.
From prehistoric times, the area has sheltered communities – interweaving people with the landscape and providing benefits like clean water, fresh air, natural flood storage and a place to enjoy.