Project

River Bollin Riverlands Project at Dunham Massey

An aerial of the river Bollin meandering through the Dunham Massey estate — An aerial view of the River Bollin meandering through the Dunham Massey estate, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

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 Dunham Massey, Lyme, Quarry Bank, Alderley Edge and Hare Hill.

What's happening at Dunham Massey?

Nestled between the vibrant city of Manchester and the beginnings of rural Cheshire, Dunham Massey includes a 300-acre deer park, a historic house and buildings, and all-season gardens. To improve riverland habitat here we are restoring eight ponds, building eight new ponds and surveying peat.

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

1 February 2024

Environment Agency grant to fund peatland surveys

We'll be restoring lowland peat at three woodland areas at Dunham Massey over the next two years. A new grant of £64,667 from the Environment Agency’s lowland agricultural peat water discovery pilot (‘LAPWDP’) will allow us to carry out detailed surveys to better understand the extent and nature of these peat soils.

This will allow us to produce a wider water-management plan and provide recommendations focussing on the possibilities of re-wetting, associated methods and future management of the c.10 hectares of land.

Peatlands play a vital role in trapping carbon and also provide lots of wider benefits such as improved habitats and biodiversity, better water quality and natural flood management.

You can read more about the lowland agricultural peat water discovery pilot here.

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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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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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.