There have been rumours amongst some dog walkers in Stonebridge Meadow that adders have been moved to the meadow.
It was thought adders had been relocated there by Redrow’s ecologists from the Salisbury Road – or Marleberg Grange – housing development site.
Marlborough.news can now confirm that this never happened. However, Redrow have relocated some adders from the Salisbury Road site. But this happened in Summer 2018 and they were taken to woods in the Bristol area.
Redrow’s ecologists have moved slow worms, common toads and grass snakes to Stonebridge Meadow. Dog walkers may well have come across grass snakes as the meadow is the perfect habitat for them – they can even swim in slow running water.
Grass snakes are not venomous.
While adders – which are venomous – might have already been in Stonebridge Meadow, we have been told that Action for the River Kennet’s volunteers have never seen any there. The habitat they much prefer is woodland or heaths.