Abstract
 This article explores the creation, management and wildlife of the RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve, in Somerset. Part of the Avalon Marshes, Ham Wall has been created over the last 24 years by the RSPB and forms part of a much larger wetland creation project. The work undertaken to restore old peat workings in the Avalon Marshes has demonstrated that targeted habitat creation on a landscape scale can be extremely effective in reversing the fortunes of declining habitats and species and, with careful planning, can strike a balance that combines wildlife spectacles with visitor access.