Riverlands: working to restore Cumbria's waterways

04 September 2025

Construction Starts at Common Farm

This week work begins on Common Farm and in Common Wood as part of our Natural Flood Management (NFM) project in Windermere. Natural Flood Management (NFM) is all about increasing the amount of water which can be stored upstream of flood risk areas and slowing the flow of that water into the main rivers. We’ll be creating ponds and wetlands on the wettest areas of the farm – by storing water in these features in the landscape we’ll slow the flow of water into Mill Beck, which flooded parts of Windermere town during Storm Desmond in 2015.

The work will also benefit nature, creating new wetland habitats and supporting the wider nature restoration efforts on the farm, and once established the ponds will be sources of drinking water for the cattle. Wetland is also a fantastic carbon store, locking away more carbon than an equivalent area of woodland.

Work will be taking place throughout September. Machinery will be on site - please follow safety signs if you're in the area.

Our thanks to the Environment Agency for funding this project through their Natural Flood Management Programme.

27 August 2025

Exciting progress at Acorn Bank

Yesterday was an exciting day for the Acorn Bank weirs project, as the failing weir on Crowdundle Beck was finally removed. The culmination of years of work, the team oversaw the weir replaced with a nature friendly solution, which protects the water supply to the Acorn Bank Watermill, while also creating better conditions for river life in one of the region’s most important river systems.

The weir has been replaced with a natural boulder cascade, which will allow fish to move more easily up the river whilst safeguarding the supply of water. The cascade was built using over 800 tonnes of gravel, cobbles and boulders which have been carefully placed along a 45m stretch of river to create a series of cascades and pools. This will better meet the needs of various species' including salmon, trout and the UK's only native freshwater crayfish, the White-clawed crayfish.

The pools and shallows provide resting, hiding and spawning places for salmon and trout swimming upstream. The project also makes an upstream stretch of river more accessible to the fish. Navigating weirs can leave fish injured and exhausted.

The removal was overseen by both an ecologist and archaeologist, ensuring any significant heritage finds were recorded, and that the works did not cause damage to the river environment while they were being carried out.

This project was funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. 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.

18 August 2025

River Liza restoration complete

We’re delighted that our work in Ennerdale to restore the River Liza is now complete.

Whilst the majority of the river is wild and unrestricted, the final stretch was historically straightened and simplified. Throughout July and August, our Riverlands rangers were hard at work reinstating natural features into this downstream reach, including riffles, dead wood, and lowered embankments.

This will reconnect the river to the delta, creating ideal habitats for a range of species to thrive, and particularly supporting Arctic Char and the lakeshore SSSI. In this photo, you can see the river already spilling out into the delta, where new wetland habitats will form.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on how the river responds in the next few months, and are excited to see how the area develops. Keep checking back for updates!

11 August 2025

Work begins at Acorn Bank

We’re delighted that approval has been received to start work on our project at Acorn Bank.

The project will replace the failing weir on Crowdundle Beck with a boulder cascade, restoring nature and protecting history by facilitating fish passage for the first time, and continuing to supply the mill with water to turn the wheels to grind flour.

Work begins today and will continue into September. The Acorn Bank estate will remain open, but you’ll see and hear diggers and construction machinery in and around the river.

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. 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.

15 July 2025

Progress on the Liza

We're approaching the half-way mark of the River Liza project in Ennerdale and our ranger team are making excellent progress. They’ve lowered several stretches of embankment wall below Irish Bridge, retaining the stone for the creation of the riffle features later in the project. The riffles will be placed slightly downstream of the lowered embankments, pushing water out of the straightened channel and into the palaeochannels across the delta during higher flows.

Palaeochannels are where the river used to meander before it was straightened and the ones in the Ennerdale delta are still wetter than the surrounding land, visible by the difference in vegetation. Reconnecting the palaeochannels will develop the wetland and deposit gravels on the floodplain, developing new habitats for fish and invertebrates.

01 July 2025

Work Starts in Ennerdale

This summer we’re taking action to restore the River Liza in Ennerdale. While the majority of the river is wild and unrestricted, the final stretch as it enters Ennerdale Water has been historically straightened and simplified.

Our Riverlands rangers will be introducing varied natural features into the final downstream reach of the river, including lowering some sections of embankment and including riffles, pools and dead wood. Reinstating these features will create ideal environments for a range of animals and plants to thrive and encourage water to spread out across the delta so a diverse wetland habitat can develop, providing resilience for the lakeshore Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) plant communities.

We’ve worked closely with the Wild Ennerdale Partnership, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Forestry England and specialist archaeologists to develop an approach which allows the work to take place whilst protecting the existing habitats and landscape.

The construction will be taking place throughout July and August. Plans are in place to minimise disruption to our neighbours and the footpath network, but there will be machinery across the area so please follow the instructions on any safety signs if you’re visiting the valley.

Our thanks to the Wild Ennerdale Partnership and the Environment Agency for funding this project.

23 June 2025

Partnership working in Newlands Valley

Recently we’ve been working with West Cumbria Rivers Trust and the Woodland Trust on a project to support nature-friendly farming on land in Newlands Valley.

The farm, which is privately owned, has been incorporating various approaches to working with nature over the last few years with the support of WCRT and the WT. This year our Riverlands rangers were invited to lend their practical expertise to the project with the creation of a series of ponds.

These new features will boost biodiversity, provide reliable water sources for both wildlife and livestock, and contribute to natural flood management through storing more water in the landscape and slowing the flow into Newlands Beck.

It was also a great warm-up for our team as they head into a busy summer of practical project delivery!

16 June 2025

A Piece of History

Today we've unveiled a new trail at Acorn Bank based on our recent oral history project focusing on Crowdundle Beck.

We've conducted interviews with some lovely participants, and their stories paint a vivid picture of the cultural and conservational significance of this river in the Eden Valley - from childhood memories of fishing and swimming to flood management, stories of wildlife and the historic watermill. Participants include local schoolchildren, farmers, conservationists, artists and more, with the oldest interviewee being born within earshot of the beck in 1929!

Clips of the recordings are dotted around Acorn Bank’s estate, on ten ‘listening posts’, each with a theme connected to Crowdundle Beck, and related oral histories clips. Visitors can use the wind-up handle to generate the power needed to play the clips out loud. Excitingly, a virtual reality headset will accompany the listening posts, so visitors can experience the scenery around the beck whilst they listen. This VR experience will include video footage of inside the historic watermill, giving visitors who cannot access this space a chance to have a peek.

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. 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.

28 May 2025

Artistry at Acorn Bank

This large piece of oak is part of a tree which was felled at Acorn Bank by one of last year’s winter storms.

The Riverlands project recently commissioned local artist Frazer Burley to create this beautiful piece inspired by Crowdundle Beck and its place between the natural and industrial landscape of Acorn Bank.

It is now in place at the top of the path down to the Beck and will form part of the upcoming oral history trail which will be launching soon!

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. 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.

18 April 2025

Back to Barrow Bay

We’ve spent a bit of time recently visiting past projects and checking on their progress. As well as the visit to Armboth Fell a couple of weeks ago we were also over a Barrow Bay where we took down some embankments last year and installed a boardwalk along the lake shore. 

The boardwalk has been a real success, keeping feet dry whilst allowing Barrow Beck to move more naturally across the lakeshore. Giving the beck more space to move reduces unpredictable burst banks and also takes some of the energy out of the flow, meaning it drops sediments such as these gravels before it meets the lake. This is great habitat for insects and other small species who gain protection from predation by hiding amongst the stones. On this visit we managed to find mayfly nymphs and a stone-cased caddisfly under the first couple of stones we turned over! 

05 April 2025

Armboth One Year On

It's always great to visit past project sites to see our labour bearing fruit and nature recovering.

The Riverlands rangers were up on Armboth Fell above Borrowdale last week to look at some areas which have been worked on over the past couple of years, and have already noticed some promising improvements, such as sphagnum mosses starting to colonise many of the pools. This is a key species for peat restoration due to the amount of water the plants can soak up and store.

The site has also been a great source of education, being the training site for three intakes of Riverlands apprentice rangers (such as Yves here) as well as other ranger teams and volunteer groups.

We look forward to watching the peatland here continue to improve, storing carbon, holding water in the land, and creating important habitat for wildlife whilst being a source of joy to rangers and visitors alike.

19 March 2025

Working with West Cumbria Rivers Trust

This year we’re delighted to be working with West Cumbria Rivers Trust to support their Youth Panel. The Panel is open to 14-18 year olds and provides opportunities for volunteering and to provide input to help shape future conservation and regeneration projects. 

We’ll be offering them various activities across our projects as part of their annual programme, including invasive non-native species management in Borrowdale, participating in the Big River Watch, and plug planting around newly constructed ponds. 

We are also providing funding from the Government's Species Survival Fund. 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. 

19 February 2025

Catching critters

On a recent visit to Goldrill Beck we undertook a kick sampling survey on Eden Beck, one of the smaller streams which comes down the fell to join the main river. This beck used to pour through a plastic culvert which was removed as part of the restoration work in 2021, and it now flows into a wetland on the bank of the river.

We spotted a range of critters including leeches, freshwater shrimp, caddisfly nymphs, and a water scorpion (pictured). Fortunately for us the scorpion doesn’t have a stinger like its namesake, but actually breathes through its tail!

27 January 2025

Dropping in on Snowdrops

Two weirs sit within the grounds of Acorn Bank, raising the river level to supply our historic watermill, operated by the Acorn Bank Watermill Trust. The main weir has been eroded by the river and suffered repetitive storm damage, leading to it being undercut and risking collapse. It is also a barrier to migratory fish which is a particular concern as the river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). 

Since 2023 we’ve been working with stakeholders to develop a solution which improves the river for fish and other species, maintains the supply of water to the mill, and respects the heritage value of the structure. We’re in the final stages of design for the project and are hoping to undertake the required engineering works this summer with funding from the Government's Species Survival Fund.

You're invited to join us at Acorn Bank on Sunday 23rd February and Saturday 8th March during their snowdrop weekends where we'll be hosting drop-in sessions to share our plans. We'll also be sharing more details here over the next few months.

16 December 2024

Reflections on 2024

2024 has been a mix of delivery and forward planning for the Riverlands team. We’ve completed two projects to improve visitor access with Phase 3 of work on Armboth Fell and the creation of a boardwalk at Barrow Bay, restored wetland at Blea Tarn in Langdale, and kicked off our Species Survival Fund programme with an oral history project at Acorn Bank. 

We’ve also continued to deliver on Goldrill Beck, reconnecting two more stretches of the beck with the floodplain. This brings us to a total of 2.4km of the beck restored between Brother’s Water and the lake, bringing both flood resilience and benefits for nature. We’ll be continuing to work in the valley as part of our (Award Winning!) Ullswater Catchment Management Partnership. 

We've also been planning projects for Crowdundle Beck, Windermere, and the River Liza, and reviewing the outputs from our 2023 river audit. We’re looking forward to a busy 2025! 

15 November 2024

The National Lottery's Anniversary

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the National Lottery, who have funded several of our projects through their Heritage Fund grants. 

We are grateful to have received funding for our Green Recovery Challenge project in 2021/22 giving us the opportunity to develop our engagement programme with West Cumbria Rivers Trust and our award-winning partnership with Ullswater Catchment Management CIC, and we were delighted to be chosen as a recipient of the Lottery’s Species Survival Fund earlier this year, enabling us to continue these partnerships and supporting our projects at Acorn Bank.

Every Lottery contribution, large or small, has had an important and often game-changing impact on our places and how we share them now and for the future – we say a profound thank you and happy 30th birthday to the National Lottery.

01 November 2024

Reconnecting Floodplains

Earlier this summer our contractor removed a section of embankment along a stretch of Goldrill Beck in Ullswater. The project team visited recently to see how things are getting on having had a couple of months bed in.

We were delighted to see the embankment breach working exactly as we had hoped, allowing the beck to spill over onto the floodplain during high flows before re-connecting to the main river further downstream. We’re looking forward to seeing how the wetland and wet woodland develop here over the winter and into the spring.

10 October 2024

Youth Panel recruitment

Are you aged 14-18? Do you want to get involved in protecting Cumbria's beautiful rivers and lakes? We want to hear your voices, ideas and opinions on a range of issues.

Join our Youth Panel with West Cumbria Rivers Trust and have your say in the future of our precious waters. As a panel member, you'll dive into hands-on conservation - from tree planting and site visits to creating films and meeting with top decision-makers. Whether you're into the outdoors or like to be behind the camera, this is your chance to shape real change for the environment. Expect 6-8 epic activities per year, plus some online brainstorms to bring your best ideas to life!

To find out more come along to the West Cumbria Rivers Trust office, Keswick, CA12 4BY, on 2nd November, 11-1.30, to chat to existing Youth Panel members.

01 October 2024

Freshwater Community Grant Launches

The National Trust’s Freshwater Renaissance programme has announced a new Community Grant Fund seeking to support community initiatives looking after, and engaging people with, freshwater habitats in Cumbria, Cheshire, Devon, Somerset and Norfolk. 

Freshwater Renaissance is a 2-year programme of work that sits at the heart of our vision for the future of freshwater, supporting the work of our existing Riverlands programme. It aims to restore a functioning network of freshwater habitats including small and often undervalued headwater streams, ponds, flushes and ditches; boosting biodiversity and increasing resilience to climate change at a landscape scale. 

Grants for £500 - £5000 are available for activities taking place within 20 miles of either Cockermouth or Acorn Bank, Penrith, which will create, look after or improve freshwater habitats and provide opportunities for people to connect with nature. The fund particularly welcomes applications from organisations who seek to deliver activities with, and for, those who are under-represented in conservation. 

For more information, and to make an application, see the Freshwater Renaissance page on the National Trust website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/freshwater-community-grant-fund  

The fund is part of the National Trust’s Freshwater Renaissance programme which is funded by the Government’s Species Survival Fund. 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.  

20 September 2024

World Rivers Day 2024

World Rivers Day has been celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September since 2005. It’s a day to celebrate the beauty of our rivers, highlight the benefits they bring, increase public awareness of the challenges they face, and encourage improved stewardship of all rivers around the world.

Cumbria is home to many rivers, from becks that rush down steep fell sides carving out ghylls and ravines as they fall in breathtaking cascades, to steadily meandering valley-bottom rivers which feed wetlands and deltas teeming with nature and we are privileged to be able to play our part in protecting them.

Why not celebrate this weekend by taking a watery walk or finding a little moment of calm alongside your favourite spot.

06 September 2024

The Big River Watch

The Rivers Trust’s Big River Watch is taking place again this week and seeking citizen scientists!

First launched last year the Big River Watch invites participants to share observations on their local rivers to build a better picture of river health across the country. By downloading the Big River Watch app and spending 15 minutes making observations at your favourite spot you can contribute to a national dataset which will help the Rivers Trust and other environmental organisations, such as the National Trust, and community groups make the best decisions possible to protect our waterways.

The Big River Watch takes place every six months. This autumn it runs from the 6^th to 12^th September 2024.

29 August 2024

Sharing stories at Acorn Bank

We’re recruiting participants for an exciting new oral history project based around Crowdundle Beck near Penrith.  

The beck runs through the grounds of Acorn Bank before joining the River Eden, and powers our historic watermill cared for by the Acorn Bank Watermill Trust.   

We are looking for individuals and community groups who are willing to share their stories of Crowdundle Beck and the surrounding area to help us create a living record of the connections between people and their local waterways. These will form the core of a new oral history installation to share with visitors to Acorn Bank. 

If you are interested in participating, or would like any more information, contact the team at lakes.riverlands@nationaltrust.org.uk

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and it's Arms-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

06 August 2024

Further restoration of Goldrill Beck

This month our contractor, Tom Lindsay, has been busy working to reconnect a section of Goldrill Beck with its floodplain. This has included lowering sections of embankment, blocking drainage ditches and creating ponds. The connection supports the upstream remeandering project undertaken on Goldrill Beck in 2021.

Reinstating these features will support the development of a diverse wetland habitat, creating an ideal environment for a range of plants and animals to thrive. It will also provide some flood resilience by storing water and sediment on the floodplain, slowing the flow into Ullswater.

22 July 2024

Puss moth caterpillars

The Riverlands team were visiting the pond creation project at Dunthwaite last week, and spotted these puss moth caterpillars making their homes on one of the black poplar trees. These rare wetland trees were planted on the Dunthwaite Estate as part of the project. The favourite food of puss moths are the leaves of poplar and willow trees. 

Luckily, the trees seem to be doing well despite the unwanted attention and are enjoying their new wetland habitat. 

10 July 2024

Work complete on Barrow Beck

We’re pleased to announce that the project on Barrow Beck along Derwent Water lakeshore is now complete. Here, the Riverlands team worked with local contractors, Catchment Designs, to re-naturalize the river to help with local flooding and to make the area more resilient to climate change.

Work began in early June with the creation of a new boardwalk which will protect the surrounding wetland habitat, whilst making sure visitors can continue to enjoy the site by making the walk easier and dryer. A section of embankment was removed later allowing the water to reconnect to the flood plain. This is now forming a natural alluvial fan connecting to Derwent Water, where the water will spread out across the field corner. This will filter the water before it enters the lake, improving water quality. It will also provide some flood resilience to neighbouring properties by encouraging the water into this area.

We’re delighted with how the project has responded to the first rainfall event, and are excited to see how it develops. Keep checking back for more updates!

27 June 2024

The difference a day makes

Work has been moving swiftly at Blea Tarn, with our rangers taking advantage of the dry weather to try and complete the main ditch blocking work this week.

It has been amazing to see the almost immediate impact that the project is having on the surrounding wetland – this photo shows the water being held behind one of the blockages just a day after being installed.

Not only is this restoring the wetland around the ditch, with many of the side channels now flowing again, but it’s also creating wonderful pool habitats. And we’ve already spotted lots of fish using the pools, clearly delighted to have somewhere to keep cool during the hot weather!

Once the digger work is finished, the rangers will be working with volunteers to install the final blockages by hand, made up of much lighter timber and brash bales. Keep checking back as we share more updates on progress.

20 June 2024

Barrow Beck project underway

Work has started on the Barrow Beck project along Derwent Water lakeshore. Here, the Riverlands team are removing a section of embankment as the river meets the lake. This will allow the water to flow out across the fields and encourage a natural alluvial fan to develop. Alluvial fans are a rare feature in the Lake District.

Because taking down the embankment will make the footpath around Barrow Bay wetter (and it’s already hard to cross in wet weather, with the path regularly underwater), we are also installing a section of boardwalk to keep the route open.

In early June we started construction on the boardwalk. This is now well underway, and the embankment removal will soon follow. Keep checking back for more updates!

10 June 2024

Liftoff for Blea Tarn project

The project at Blea Tarn is off the ground, as the Riverlands ranger team oversaw a series of helicopter lifts to bring materials to site.

Tonnes of rocks and timber were brought to the site by helicopter and will be used later in the summer to block channels and ditches running through the wetland, with the aim of slowing the flow of water across the site. Using a helicopter to move materials not only saves time, but also prevents heavy machinery movements damaging the fragile wetland habitats.

By slowing the flow of water through the wetland and encouraging the water to spread out across the landscape, the project will encourage a healthy, resilient wetland to develop. Pools and wet areas will provide habitats for a variety of plants, invertebrates, and amphibians. Heathy wetlands are also an important means for capturing and storing carbon, supporting climate change mitigation.

We’ll be posting more updates on this project across the summer – keep checking back to follow our progress.

Thanks to our fundraiser, The Millward Charitable Trust, for supporting this project.  

20 May 2024

It’s Invasive Species Week!

Invasive Species Week takes place this year from 20^th – 26^th May, and is an annual national event to raise awareness of both the impact of invasive non-native species and the simple things we can all do to prevent their spread.

Problematic invasive non-native species in Cumbria include New Zealand Pigmyweed, a freshwater plant which grows very quickly and forms a dense mat on the surface of the water, smothering other aquatic plants and wildlife.

Invasive species can be easily spread between water bodies on damp equipment and clothing. So, this year, the Riverlands project is highlighting the importance of the #CheckCleanDry approach to preventing the spread of invasive non-native species in our freshwater habitats.

By checking your equipment after the leaving water for any mud or plant material, cleaning everything thoroughly, and drying it before using it elsewhere, you can help prevent the spread of invasive species.  

22 April 2024

Work complete on Armboth Fell

This winter the Riverlands team commissioned a series of footpath improvements across Armboth Fell. The aim was to protect the surrounding peat bog habitat from erosion from walkers, who are increasingly straying off the existing paths in search of drier routes.

In total we have completed 680m of footpath improvements, as well as restoring the damaged peat along the footpath corridor. Work began in November 2023, and despite challenging conditions through a very wet winter, was finished by the end of March 2024.

15 April 2024

Species Survival Fund success

We are delighted to be part of the Trust’s Freshwater Renaissance programme which was recently awarded £2.97million from the Government's Species Survival Fund.

The fund, developed by Defra and delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has awarded grants to projects across England for habitat creation and restoration, including Riverlands.

In the Lake District, the grant will support our work to tackle Invasive Non-Native Species, improve the connectivity of water habitats, and deliver an engagement programme.

And we’re really pleased to once again be working with our long-standing partners at the Ullswater Catchment Management Community Interest Company and West Cumbria Rivers Trust to deliver the project.

8 April 2024

Hydrosere – the forgotten habitat?

Riverlands is at heart a catchment restoration project. Although often focused on restoring rivers themselves, our remit includes restoration of the water environment at catchment scale.

Having previously explored peat and pond restoration across catchments, this year we are exploring a new area of the landscape; the hydrosere. The hydrosere is the transitional habitat on lakeshore edges, where the water environment becomes a terrestrial environment. Historically we have lost much of our hydrosere habitat in Cumbria, as land management utilised all available land right up to lake edges.

So, Riverlands has commissioned a feasibility study to explore the possibility of restoring a more natural hydrosere habitat in four locations across Cumbria. We hope that the options identified in the in the study will lead to opportunities for hydrosere restoration, both at the specific locations being studied as well as other similar locations across Cumbria. 

21 March 2024

Finalists for the UK River Prize!

Exciting news, we have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2024 UK River Prize!

In partnership with Ullswater Catchment Management CIC and supported by many others, including the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy, we have been working hard to restore habitats around Ullswater. The partnership has delivered 282 individual projects, resulting in 843ha of habitat restoration. Projects include over 13km of river restoration, 46ha of pond creation, over 16km of hedgerow creation and significant areas of wood pasture, peat and wetland restoration.

It’s fantastic to be recognised for the work we have been doing together, we think Ullswater is a great example of how you can have natural rivers, thriving wildlife habitats and farming existing happily together for the benefit of everyone involved.

The 2024 UK River Prize winners will be announced on Wednesday 24 April, wish us luck!

11 March 2024

Moving materials on Armboth Fell

Our Riverlands ranger was up on Armboth Fell recently, receiving materials by helicopter lift to continue with the Armboth peatland restoration project. The work site is too remote for materials to be brought in by vehicle, so helicopter is the only option here. It certainly makes for a dramatic workplace!

100 meters worth of heavy slabs of stone were brought up for footpath improvements. We’re really pleased to be working with local contractor, Lake’s and Dale’s Countryside and Landscaping Services, to complete the installation of the flagged path. This trail around the delicate peat will protect it from trampling feet so it can continue to store carbon and support wetland habitat.

19 February 2024

Visiting the Liza River in Ennerdale

The Wild Ennerdale National Nature Reserve is home to one of the last truly wild rivers in the Lake District; the Liza. But even the River Liza has not completely escaped historical modifications, and has been significantly simplified and straightened over the final 1.5km of its course before it enters Ennerdale.

We are delighted to be working on a design to set this final stretch of the Liza free, which will result in wild and natural river, from the source deep in the Ennerdale National Nature Reserve all the way to its end at the lake. This summer, in a first for our Riverlands project, our own team will hopefully carry out the work. It’s always a pleasure to spend time in this stunning valley, and an honour to be trusted with an iconic river.

12 February 2024

Caring for Crowdundle Beck at Acorn Bank

There have been some significant changes to Crowdundle Back at Acorn Bank this winter. The Riverlands team have been working at Acorn Bank for a while now to find a solution to the damaged weir, but we’ve also been exploring options to help manage a section of rapidly eroding riverbank downstream of the Mill.

If you’re interested in learning more about the two issues we’re working on, and the options being considered, the Riverlands team is holding a drop-in session at Acorn Bank on Sunday, 18^th February. We’ll be available from 11am until 3pm to talk to visitors and locals about how we plan to care for Crowdundle Beck. We hope to see you there.

25 January 2024

Making progress on Armboth Fell

Despite the run of poor weather this winter, we’ve been making good progress with our footpath and peat restoration project on Armboth Fell. Our contractors have been working hard since November to complete the first section of footpath repairs, from High Tove to the Pewits.

The next task is to organise flagstones to be delivered to site, which will be used to repair a section of path from High Seat top Ashness Fell. Given the remoteness of the location, the flags will be delivered via helicopter, which is always a complex and dramatic event. Weather permitting, the heli-lift will happen at the end of February – keep an eye out if you’re in the area and you might just spot it!

14 December 2023

Looking back at 2023

2023 has been a different sort of year for the Riverlands team – having become accustomed to delivering big projects over the last few years, this year had a distinctly different theme. The focus has been less about delivering projects on the ground (although there has still been some of that!), and more about planning what the next few years of work will look like.

To that end, we’ve surveyed and audited around 200km of rivers in the Lake District to understand their condition and the opportunities they present; we’ve held conversations with colleagues across the county to understand their ambitions for the water environment in their care; and we’ve been busy planning the next big projects that will be coming to fruition in 2024 and 2025.

So, a different year, but a busy year nonetheless! And the team is looking forward to what 2024 will bring.

29 November 2023

One year anniversary of the RiverPrize win

A year ago today, the Riverlands team, along with colleagues from the other organisations that make up the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy, found out the incredible news that they were the collective winners of the European RiverPrize. It was an incredible moment, honouring all the hard work put in by the CRRS partners to improve the health of the rivers across the county.

One year on, we’re all still working hard to restore and protect our rivers and their catchments. We’ve got new projects in the pipeline, new colleagues on the team, and are working in new places. But the commitment remains the same; to restore and protect the rivers in our care, for the benefit of people and nature, now and forever.  

22 November 2023

Phase 3 starting soon on Armboth Fell

This winter, the National Trust's Riverlands project together with our partners will be working on Phase 3 of the Armboth Fell restoration project, to continue restoring the damaged peat and repairing the footpath network across this important peatland habitat.

The works are being carried out by several partners and projects including the National Trust Riverlands project, Fix the Fells, Cumbria Wildlife Trust as part of Natural England’s Nature for Climate Project and supported by United Utilities.

The focus for the Riverlands team this winter is delivering 680m of new path surface across the Armboth Fell ridgeline. This addresses the problem of fell users straying off the aging footpaths in search of a dryer route, and inadvertently causing damage to the surrounding habitat. By providing a clear and resilient line through the peat bog, the new path surfaces will allow an area of 3.3 hectares of damaged and at-risk peat to recover. Work is planned to start in mid-December and will be completed by March next year.

Healthy peatlands are vital to the fight against climate change. They are the UK’s largest carbon store and work to keep water in the land, protecting the landscape both during times of flood and drought. The habitat they provide is home to specialist fauna and flora which are becoming increasingly endangered. A large proportion of England’s peatlands are now damaged by drainage, heavy grazing, burning and recreational use.  Once damaged, the peat dries up and washes away, releasing its carbon stores into the atmosphere.

27 October 2023

Options at Acorn Bank

Over the last few months, we’ve been developing options for the weir at Acorn Bank. There are lots of factors to consider, including the current poor state of repair of the weir, the need to preserve the water supply to the watermill, and the barrier that the weir poses to fish and other riverine species including White Water Crayfish. So, the Riverlands team commissioned Jeremy Benn Associates as external experts to help us understand what our options might be.

JBA have come up with a broad selection for us, ranging from the full removal of the weir, through to options for fish passes or rock ramps. Each option comes with a series of pros and cons, and the next step for the team and stakeholders will be to decide on a preferred solution. It’s certainly a tricky balancing act! So, we’ll be carefully considering all the options to find the one which delivers the best outcome for both nature and heritage in this special landscape.  

21 September 2023

World Rivers Day and the Big River Watch

This Sunday is World Rivers Day. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday in September, it’s a day to highlight the many values of our rivers, increase public awareness of the challenges they face, and encourage improved stewardship of all rivers around the world.

In the UK, the Rivers Trust is marking World Rivers Day by launching The Big River Watch to help build a picture of river health across the country. Simply by downloading an app, and spending 15 minutes observing your local river this weekend, your observations can be uploaded into a national data set that will help the Rivers Trust and other environmental organisations fight for healthier rivers.

Search ‘The Big River Watch’ to download the app and find out more about how to collect data about your local river, or visit worldriversday.com to explore other events happening around the world.

11 September 2023

‘Raindrop to River’ exhibition comes to a close

Tomorrow we’ll be returning to Keswick Museum to take down our temporary exhibition, ‘Raindrop to River’. Produced in partnership with West Cumbria River’s Trust, the exhibition has been on display in the Community Gallery for 6 weeks, telling the story of rivers in the Lake District from their very beginnings as the rain touches the felltops to their end at the sea.

To accompany the exhibition we’ve run several events, including a lunchtime talk, family river-dipping, and guided sessions with the augmented reality sandbox. It’s been fantastic to see how engaged visitors to the museum have been with our exhibition, and especially lovely to see the sandbox on it’s first outing since 2020 – it’s gone down particularly well with all the young visitors to the museum over the summer!

Our thanks go to the team at Keswick Museum for inviting us to be part of their Community Gallery exhibitions, and supporting us through the run.

28 August 2023

River Audit Field Surveys Complete

In April, we announced that the Riverlands project was commissioning an audit of all the rivers on our landholdings in the Lake District. We want to understand how much the rivers in our care have been simplified from their natural form, how resilient the river systems are and how easy (or challenging!) it would be to restore them to a more natural state.

After walking along around 200km of river over the summer, our consultants have finally completed the field studies of all the rivers being assessed. It’s been a huge task, taking 13 weeks to complete, and a vast amount of data has been collected along the way. The next step is to begin processing the data into a useable and accessible format, to help spark conversations with colleagues, partners and tenants, and decide where to focus our attention next.

We’re expecting to start receiving the reports at the end of Autumn – keep checking back as we share our findings.

14 August 2023

Announcing a new project at Acorn Bank

The Riverlands team is delighted to be working on an exciting new project at Acorn Bank.

Crowdundle Beck, which flows through the grounds at Acorn Bank, features a weir which feeds water to the mill downstream. But the weir is being gradually eroded by the river, and we need to take action to stabilise it. It’s also a significant barrier to migratory fish who travel upstream each year to reach their spawning grounds in the headwaters.

So, we’re working with partners to develop a solution to these two problems. It certainly won’t be an easy fix! But we’re looking for a sustainable solution which benefits both people and nature; continuing to supply water to the historic mill while improving the habitat and health of the river.

4 August 2023

'Raindrop to River' at Keswick Museum

Come and visit our temporary exhibition, ‘Raindrop to River’, in the community gallery at Keswick Museum, and join in with our series of free, fun activities.

Brought to you by the National Trust's Riverlands project and West Cumbria Rivers Trust, we explore how humans influence rivers and their wildlife, and how rivers influence our lives and communities. Featuring the interactive ‘augmented reality’ sandbox, you can also have a go at making your own river!

The exhibition runs Sat 5 August to Sun 10 September, and is free to enter (please note normal admission charges apply if you would like to visit the main museum galleries). Find out more at keswickmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/community-gallery

31 July 2023

Today is World Ranger Day

Today is World Ranger Day which celebrates the work of rangers across the globe. It is estimated that there are half a million rangers supporting nature, wildlife and public access. The Riverlands Team is incredibly lucky to not only work with the amazing rangers in the National Trust, but also to have our very own ranger on the team.

We couldn’t have delivered the Riverlands projects without our ranger colleagues – from planting trees to digging ponds or leading guided walks, they are the keystone that holds our projects together. So it’s with heartfelt thanks that we wish them all a happy World Ranger Day!

23 July 2023

It's World Bog Day!

Bog Day is celebrated around the world every year on the fourth Sunday in July. This year it's on Sunday 23rd July. The aim is to celebrate the importance of bogs, fens, swamps and marshes, and it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the threats they face and the ways we can all help to protect them.

Peatlands are wonderfully wild places, home to a rich variety of plants, birds, and insects. They also provide a wide range of services to society, including drinking water, carbon storage, flood prevention and a historical and cultural archive.

Working with partners at Natural England, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, United Utilities and Fix the Fells, the Riverlands project has already restored nearly 90ha of peat bog on Armboth Fell above Borrowdale. And this year we’ll be supporting the work of the Great North Bog project on Armboth, by improving the footpath network across the fell to protect the restored peat, which is easily damaged by walkers straying off the path in search of a dryer route. 

30 June 2023

Bone dry rivers in the Lake District

The rivers in Borrowdale valley – famously England’s reputed wettest location – are in serious prolonged drought conditions. For the third year in a row the River Derwent which flows through Borrowdale has dried up almost completely – and it’s not the only river which is suffering in this summer’s prolonged drought. Across the Lake District, rivers are drying up and lakes are shrinking.

Often watercourses like the River Derwent dry up in drought because they have historically been altered from their natural course. Returning rivers to a more natural state can help make them act less like drains and hold on to more water, which also has benefits in times of extreme rainfall as it slows the flow downstream.

Becky Powell, Riverlands Project Manager says: “The Riverlands project has been working hard to deliver strategies which increase the resilience of our environment and communities to climate change. We have delivered projects across the Lake District, including in Ullswater where Goldrill Beck used to run dry, but is now still flowing despite the dry conditions. This not only helps the river and all the plants and wildlife which rely on it, but it also provides sustainable drinking water for livestock. Storing water in the landscape in this way not only makes it more resilient to drought and wildfire, but to flooding also.”

12 June 2023

We’re celebrating Great Big Green Week!

Running from 10-18 June, Great Big Green Week is the UK's biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. To celebrate the Riverlands team are putting on two guided walks this week, taking a closer look at some of our projects and exploring how they can help mitigate against the impacts of a warming climate.

Taking in our peat restoration project on Armboth Fell and the pond creation project at Dunthwaite, the project team will explain how important it is to slow the flow of water through the landscape. Slowing the flow will protect us, and nature, against the impacts of both drought and floods - which we know will both become more frequent and intense in the future. Check out greatbiggreenweek.com to find an event near you.