SRA year in progress report 2025-26: Trees for Water Action Fund
Trees for Water is an SRA-backed Fund for tree and hedge planting that helps people across Somerset to reduce local flood risks arising from surface water run-off.
The project is led by Reimagining the Levels, working with the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest (FWAG SW). It’s now in its seventh year. It’s designed to suit small sites where local knowledge and expert analysis suggest that planting will make a difference.
Planting is usually carried out by landowners and teams of enthusiastic volunteers, many now very experienced, quite a few still learning. Sixteen schemes went ahead in 2025-26, with 1535 trees, 1415 shrubs, and 1386 metres of hedgerow planted and 1219 metres of fencing where there was a need to guard against nibbling and chomping by livestock and wildlife.
Trees for Water places in 2025-26 were:
- Ash Priors, Kerdon Farm
- Bruton, Gants Mill
- Charlton Adam, Blakes Cottage, Broadway Road
- Curry Rivel, Yeoman’s Copse, Hellards Hill Lane
- Glastonbury, Paddington Farm, Maidencroft Lane
- Haselbury Plucknett, Penwood, Claycastle
- Haydon, Lower Haydon Farm
- Knole (x2), Ciderpress Farm, and Knole Pit Meadow
- Langport, North Moor, land behind Moor Close
- Lydeard St Lawrence (x2), Pyleigh House Farm, and Pyleigh Bungalow
- Merriott, Lower Street
- North Curry, Moredon House
- Queen Camel, Wales Farm
- Staple Fitzpaine, Curland, by the Fivehead River
- West Bagborough, Tilbury Farm
