This area encompasses all the gravels pits at the north end of the Loddon Valley between Winnersh and Twyford and includes various areas of adjacent land with woodland and grassland habitats. The area extends northwards to include riverside land that floods regularly including land within Oxfordshire.

Joint Character Area: Thames valley

Geology: Mainly on alluvium and River Terrace Sand and Gravel.

Topography: Flat riverside land.

Biodiversity:

• Standing water: extensive areas in gravel pits including Lavells Lake LNR and Sandford Lake at Dinton Pastures Country Park and Loddon Nature Reserve. The whole area is important for wildfowl and other other birds.
• Wet Woodland: Includes Lodge Wood SSSI, Alder Moors LNR and Sandford Fen and small areas associated with the gravel pits.
• Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland: Alder Moors is ancient woodland and has lowland mixed deciduous woodland as well as wet woodland. There are areas of more recent woodland at Dinton Pastures.
• Fen and reedbed: there are areas of marginal fen habitat associated with the gravel pits and remnants at Sandford Fen. In Oxfordshire there is an area of reedbed at Warren Wood and remnant fen at Shiplake Marsh.
• Other habitats: sites include Charvil Meadows and meadows at Dinton Pastures with remnants of grassland habitat and there is scrub at the edge of the gravel pits. 

Access: Numerous sites have access including Dinton Pastures Country Park, Charvil Meadows, Loddon Reserve, Alder Moors

Targets and Opportunities: Co-ordinated management of gravel pits to enhance biodiversity, management of Wokingham Council owned sites to enhance biodiversity, management of wet woodland habitat, re-creation of fen and grassland habitats.  Mineral extraction provides further opportunities to enhance biodiversity. Significant areas of land are managed by Wokingham Council.