Nature has largely taken its own course at Swillbrook but not without some help from man and from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in particular, which manages the reserve. Willow scrub and brambles are cut on a regular basis and other areas are kept under control by grazing.

The result is an environment in which wild flowers abound and, with them, a host of insects, notably dragonflies and damselflies on the edges of the lakes.

Birds whose shrill song fills the air in summer include the nightingale, together with reed and sedge warblers.

The lakes attract a variety of ducks and some of the quieter areas have become havens for swans.