We’ve been improving the health of the River Bollin catchment in Cheshire. Since 2024, we’ve restored habitats at Dunham Massey, Hare Hill, Alderley Edge, Quarry Bank and Lyme as part of the Riverlands project.
At Quarry Bank we restored 12 ponds through dredging, felling and fencing, and created two new ponds, which improved 3.24ha of land. We also improved 4.379km of watercourses on the estate through rubbish removal, log jam installations, invasive species removal, planting, fencing and daylighting of the fish pass. A further 1.8km of the River Bollin was restored through our project partners Mersey Rivers Trust who engineered log jams.
Over 100 people joined our Rangers for walk & talks, 135 people joined our project partners Mersey Rivers Trust for a bioblitz, around 40 people took part in a Big River Watch survey, 89 pupils created poetry and music inspired by the sounds of ponds through school workshops with our partners Exeter University, and 5,600 people listened to their ‘Pond Beats’ silent disco and viewed our exhibition.
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.
The River Bollin was part of our national Riverlands Programme which had the following three key aims:
Throughout the project we restored 45 ponds and created 23 new ponds resulting in over 20ha of habitat improvement across Cheshire. We also improved 8.644km of watercourse and installed over 100 leaky dams. To complete this work, we had more than 1,830 hours of volunteering help and support.
We also worked 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. Across the project we engaged approximately 29,990 people through a range of workshops, events, and activity.
An investment of almost £1m from the Government's Species Survival Fund helped to support these projects, protect fragile ecosystems and create nature-rich landscapes. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It was delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
To find out more about some of our milestones across the project, look through the updates below.
August 2025
Over the Summer term Quarry Bank collaborated with pupils from local schools Ringway Primary, Dixons Brooklands Academy, and Piper Hill to explore the ponds at Quarry Bank and create spoken word poetry inspired by the sounds. To find out more about this work and to listen to the poetry follow this link: Pond Beats - RENEW .
This project was done in partnership with Exeter University’s RENEW team and the Poetry Society.
From red squirrels to deer and ancient trees to plants, the places we care for are home to a huge amount of diverse nature and wildlife. Give today and protect these green spaces and animals for years to come.
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.
Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England. They help to protect and restore our natural world.
The Mersey Rivers Trust is a charity working in partnership with all those interested in improving our local rivers and waterways.
A short-term programme to create and restore habitats and reverse the decline of species across England, delivered on behalf of Defra.
Supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery.
A research university in the West Country of England
Find out more about the National Trust's ambitious Riverlands project that aims to bring the UK's rivers, streams, brooks and becks back to life.
Find out about our work to improve the health of the River Bollin catchment at Hare Hill as part of the Riverlands project.
The working mill is the beating heart of Quarry Bank. Set in picturesque gardens and countryside, explore one of Britain's greatest industrial heritage sites.
Find out about our work to improve the health of the River Bollin catchment at Alderley Edge as part of the Riverlands project.
Find out about our work to improve the health of the River Bollin catchment at Lyme as part of the Riverlands project.
Find out about our work to improve the health of the River Bollin catchment at Dunham Massey as part of the Riverlands project.
