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.
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.
Watch our short video to see how we’ve restored habitats at Dunham Massey, Hare Hill, Alderley Edge, Quarry Bank, and Lyme as part of the Riverlands project in Cheshire.
This video is hosted by YouTube
You can find out more about the activity that took place at each site by clicking the links below:
March 2025
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.
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.
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.
The Mersey Rivers Trust is a charity working in partnership with all those interested in improving our local rivers and waterways.
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.
From deer parks and grand estates to the rolling countryside and woodland, there is plenty of space for you to stretch your legs in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Discover Greater Manchester's heritage, through grand houses, deer parks, gardens, and cotton mills and enjoy the beautiful Cheshire countryside.
Glorious house, surrounded by gardens, moorland and deer park
A garden for all seasons, an ancient deer park and a house filled with treasures and stories.
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.
A tranquil wooded garden, surrounded by historic parkland, with a delightful walled garden at its heart.
Dramatic red sandstone escarpment, with impressive views
