… a project to improve biodiversity and flood resilience
We have been working with West Cumbria Rivers Trust, an environmental charity aiming to improve watercourses for people and wildlife, on a project to re-naturalise Fornside Beck.
If you visited before 2024, you may have wondered why this stream was at a higher elevation than the surrounding field. A century or two ago, it was artificially straightened to speed the water away from the pastureland. This was common ‘improvement’ at that time, which had unintended consequences for flora and fauna and those living further downstream.
By recreating a more natural river channel with a wide wetland habitat, the water’s flow is now slowed in times of flood and a wide corridor of freshwater and terrestrial wildlife habitats is being re-created.
Colloquially known nowadays as re-wiggling, this type of project to kick start nature’s own processes of creating natural rapids, riffles, curves and pools has been successfully implemented in many spots around Cumbria, improving biodiversity and flood resilience. Two of the books we’ve recommended in previous newsletters, Wild Fell by Lee Schofield and English Pastoral by James Rebanks, describe in detail their similar projects above Haweswater and in the Matterdale areas. This short BBC clip demonstrates the transformation at Swindale Beck, a significantly larger project than ours, but with the same driving principles.
Our relatively small project is part of a wider St. John’s Beck project, linked to West Cumbria Rivers Trust’s Resilient Glenderamackin flood-risk reduction plan. It is also supported by the Environment Agency and Natural England. The groundworks were undertaken in spring 2024, with saplings being planted the following winter. The fenced-off areas have already produced fine displays of colour from wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies. It will be exciting to watch the area over the next decade or more, and enjoy what we hope will be a wonderful nature transformation.
Watch a short video about Fornside’s project here.
Project Plan
Groundworks
A temporary ditch was created to keep water away from the area that will be ‘naturalised’ during the digging phase. (April 2024)
Above: looking from the Farmhouse westwards, across the field towards the road as work started
Below Left: looking from the newly created wetland area up towards Calfhow Pike
Below Right: looking from the roadside hedge eastwards during the work
