Project

River Bollin Riverlands Project at Alderley Edge

View of the trees with the sun glinting through the canopy — Alderley Edge | © National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor

As part of a national programme to improve the health of rivers across England and Wales, we've launched the River Bollin Riverlands project. The project will include Alderley Edge, Dunham Massey, Lyme, Quarry Bank and Hare Hill.

Where is the River Bollin?

The River Bollin and its catchment meander through Cheshire and the southern fringes of Manchester, flowing by many places along the way, including Quarry Bank, Dunham Massey, Alderley Edge, Hare Hill and Lyme. The largely rural and agricultural nature of the catchment gives way to the city of Greater Manchester to the north.

What is the Riverlands project?

The River Bollin is part of our national Riverlands Programme which has the following three key aims:

Rivers and catchments that are healthy, clean and rich in wildlife.
Rivers and catchments that are easily accessed, valued and loved for their heritage and beauty.
Sustainable long-term care for rivers and catchments.

We’ll also be working with local communities to help them rediscover and reconnect with their rivers – as spaces for leisure and activity, to socialise, or simply take a walk beside the water and clear their minds.

A new investment of almost £1m from the Government's Species Survival Fund will support these projects, protect fragile ecosystems and create nature-rich landscapes. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Riverlands Bollin is a part of the Freshwater Community Grant Fund. This fund supports community initiatives to restore freshwater habitats in England. In partnership with Defra's Species Survival Fund, the scheme aims to award a total of £75,000 to local initiatives. Applications are now open for community groups to submit bids for this funding. You can find out more about the Freshwater Community Grant Fund by clicking here.

On this timeline, we'll be posting regular updates of the work we're doing on the project, so keep checking back in to stay up to date.

Latest updates

7 March 2025

Stop, snap and share: Help us track habitat changes

Join in with a citizen science project that will help us to better understand the Bollin landscape and track changes in its habitat. As a dedicated visitor or someone local to Alderley Edge you may have seen many changes in the landscape over the years. Next time you visit, please stop, snap and share pictures from the fixed-point photography point that has been installed at Alderley Edge.

We have installed the fixed-point photography point next to a pond we are restoring in Windmill Wood. Ponds are amazing freshwater habitats and provide a home for a variety of plants, insects and animals. They’re also vital in making the environment more resilient to drought and flooding during extreme weather events by holding water on the land for longer. At Windmill Wood we are removing willow and deepening the pond to hold more water.

Demonstration of how to use the fixed-point photography point | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Glossary of key terms

Catchment – the geographical area that supplies water to a main river or lake.

Culvert – a pipe or tunnel that moves water underground. Often this water would have naturally flown overground.

De culverting – removing the pipe or tunnel to allow the watercourse to return to a more natural state.

Ghost pond – an old pond that no longer exists because it has been filled in either naturally or by people.

Landslip – material that falls down a slope, usually smaller than a landslide. At Lyme, this material is man-made litter.

Tributaries – a river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake.

Watercourse – a stream of water (e.g. a river or a brook).

A close up of a kingfisher with a fish in its mouth perched on a branch

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Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England. They help to protect and restore our natural world.

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Environmental Agency is a public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, working to create better places for people and wildlife, and support sustainable development.

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The Mersey Rivers Trust is a charity working in partnership with all those interested in improving our local rivers and waterways.

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A short-term programme to create and restore habitats and reverse the decline of species across England, delivered on behalf of Defra.

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View of a woodland path next to the River Bollin

Article

River Bollin Riverlands project

Find out how we're delivering the River Bollin Riverlands project to improve the health of the river in Cheshire and Greater Manchester. The project includes Quarry Bank, Dunham Massey, Lyme, Alderley Edge and Hare Hill.