River Bollin Riverlands project

View of a woodland path next to the River Bollin | © Derek Hatton

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.

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 was part of our national Riverlands Programme which had 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.

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.

Latest updates

You can find out more about the activity that took place at each site by clicking the links below:

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 restored nine ponds and created six new ponds. This resulted in the improvements of 11.02 ha of land.Find out more
Hare Hill: A picturesque informal garden nestled in the sweeping Macclesfield countryside. To improve riverland habitat here we restored six ponds, improving 3.03 ha of land. And restored 0.15km of watercourse at the cascades.Find out more
Alderley Edge: The dramatic red sandstone slope of Alderley Edge holds views over the Cheshire Plain to the Peak District. To improve riverland habitat here we restored 13 ponds, which improved 2.93ha of land.Find out more
Quarry Bank: The Bollin sits at the heart of Quarry Bank, turning the wheel of the mill that played an integral part in the Manchester Industrial Revolution. To improve riverland habitat here we restored 12 ponds, and created two new ponds, improving 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.Find out more
Lyme: A 1,400 acre estate nestled on the edge of the Peak District with a medieval herd of red deer offering fantastic walks and stunning views. To improve riverland habitat here we created three new ponds, de-culverted 1.735km of moorland watercourse, and installed around 50 leaky dams on the moorland.Find out more

Stop, snap and share: Help us track habitat changes

March 2025

Stop, snap and share: Help us track habitat changes

Join in with a photography project that will help us to better understand the Bollin landscape and track changes in its habitat at Dunham Massey, Quarry Bank, Lyme and 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 and share your pictures with us on social media.

Click through to find out where the photography spots are at each place.

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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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.

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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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