The Watercress Wildlife Association (WWA) is a local nature reserve in St Albans (registered charity number 1011944). It occupies the site of old watercress beds and allotments, bounded by the River Ver, the Alban Way footpath and the houses of Riverside Road.

It is a peaceful, green place containing a number of important habitats, notably:

• a shallow lake that was once a watercress bed, now called The Mere
• a boggy area, also once a watercress bed
• a small orchard containing a variety of fruit trees
• a butterfly garden
• small wooded glades
• ponds

You are likely to see many birds, waterfowl and insects, and if you’re lucky you might see something more exotic, for instance a Kingfisher, Water Rail, Little Grebe or Muntjac deer.

The 2015-2021 management plan (2.4MB PDF) contains a full description of the site and the committee’s plans for its maintenance and improvement.

The previous 2009-2014 management plan (3.6MB PDF) is also available.