[7] An area of 280 hectares (690 acres) is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

[2] This is described by Natural England as one of Britain's few remaining areas of washland which are vital for the survival of wildfowl and waders.

They reserve is also good for birds of prey including Western marsh harrier, Eurasian hobby and short-eared owl.

[8] The rich flora in ditches include uncommon species such as frogbit, water violet and flowering rush.

[7] There is also an important population of spined loach in the drainage channels in and around the washes, and the presence of this species is one of the primary reasons for the site's designation as a Special Area of Conservation.