The valley of the River Stour around Stodmarsh was for centuries a series of flood meadows used primarily as pasture for cattle and horses. At the beginning of the 20th century, Chislet Colliery was established by the Anglo-Westphalian Coal Syndicate, from where a layer of coal-bearing rocks beneath the valley was mined, which eventually caused subsidence of the surface above. By the 1930s, extensive shallow lakes had formed between Fordwich and the confluence of the Stour and the Lampen stream, causing a cessation of farming in this area. The coal company used some of the land on the south side of the river for dumping spoil from the mine. The presence of large water bodies and stands of reedbed, combined with the relaxation of grazing, created a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife.
