Members Site Visits Archive

Training > Events Archive > Members Site Visits Archive

 

This is the archive for all our previous site visits. Click here to look at this years site visits

___________________________________________  2023 ____________________________________________
Cynrig Hatchery, Brecon, Wales

2019 UK River Prize Finalist - River Otter Beaver Trial

 

20th September 2023
Cynrig Hatchery, Brecon

Flyer

16th May 2023
Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England

Flyer - Riverwiki - Blog

       
___________________________________________  2022 ____________________________________________

2022 UK River Prize Project-scale award Winner:
Swindale Beck, Cumbria

7th December 2022

Cumbria, England

Flyer - Video - Riverwiki - Blog

Garrell Burn, North Lanarkshire

River Nene catchment

26th October 2022

Scotland

Flyer - Riverwiki - Blog

18th October 2022

Northamptonshire

Flyer - Riverwiki - Blog

   

Turkey Brook, Albany Park, London

2022 UK River Prize Finalist

Natural Flood Management (NFM) in the North West

13th October 2022

London

Flyer - Video -
Riverwiki
- Blog

3rd August 2022

Smithills Estate, Bolton

Flyer - Website - Blog

   

Afon Merin, Ceridigion, Wales

Finalist in the 2020 UK River Prize

2020 UK River Prize Reach-scale award Winner: Allt Lorgy

4th May 2022

Ceridigion, Wales

Flyer

RiverWiki

Project video - Blog

13th April 2022

Allt Lorgy, Scottish Highlands

Flyer - RiverWiki - Blog - Project video

   
___________________________________________  2019 ____________________________________________  
New Forest Wetland Project

Tichborne Restoration Project

 

Winner of the 2019 UK River Prize

16th October 2019

New Forest

Flyer - RiverWiki

Project video

30th July 2019

Tichborne, near
Winchester, Hampshire

Flyer - RiverWiki

Photos - Blog

 

2019 UK River Prize Finalist: River Otter Beaver Trial

2019 UK River Prize Finalist: Love Your River Telford  

11th July 2019

Budleigh Salterton, Devon

Flyer - RiverWiki

Photos - Blog

Lower Otter Restoration Project

22nd May 2019

Shropshire

Flyer - RiverWiki

Photos - Blog

 
___________________________________________  2018 ____________________________________________

2018 UK River Prize Winner: Hills to Levels Project

River Ogwen Restoration Project

10th October 2018

Merriott to Lufton,  Somerset

Flyer - RiverWiki - Blog - Photos

20th June 2018

North Wales

Flyer - RiverWiki  - Blog - Photos

This Somerset-wide project aims to improve hydrological function of river catchments to reduce flooding, increase drought resilience and restore watercourses. The message is that “every field, every farm and every stream has a part to play”. This project won the 2018 UK River Prize and was awarded the Nigel Holmes Trophy at the Awards Dinner on April 24th.

This Hydro Ogwen scheme will utilise the water flowing in the Afon Ogwen using an intake weir across the channel. This is a 100kW scheme on the river above the waterfalls below Pont Ogwen, generating approximately 500,000Kwh per year.

   
___________________________________________  2017 ____________________________________________

Stroud River Frome Project

Healthy Rivers Project

1st November 2017

Gloucestershire

RiverWiki - Flyer - Photos

19th September 2017

Rivers around Caerphilly including the Rhymney River, South East Wales

RiverWiki - Photos -Blog - Flyer - Video

The Stroud Rural Sustainable Drainage Project, River Frome, aims to create a river catchment where water management is fully integrated into land management practices; and stakeholders work together to manage water within the landscape, creating valuable habitat for wildlife and people, and limiting flood risk downstream.

The Healthy Rivers Project aims to improve habitats to support native fish populations. The work carried out includes weir notching, baffle installation and flow variability structures, to provide habitats and fish passage, for improved biodiversity. The visit included a number of sites, looking at fish enhancement through a culvert, and flow variation structures.

River Avon Project

Pearls in Peril Project

27th June 2017

River Wylye & River Nadder, Salisbury 

RiverWiki: Wylye

Photos - Blog - Flyer - Videos

13th June 2017

Braemar, River Dee, Aberdeenshire

RiverWiki - Flyer

The River Avon Restoration Project was set up to restore the River Avon Special Area of Conservation to a naturally functioning river system to meet the government's obligations under the Water Framework and Habitats Directive. The visit included two sites - channel realignment on the River Wylye, and woody debris installation on the River Nadder.

Pearls in Peril (PiP) is a large and complex LIFE+ Nature project with 22 partners working together throughout Great Britain to restore river habitats for freshwater pearl mussels and their host salmonids.
 
___________________________________________  2016 ____________________________________________
   

Cumbria River Restoration Strategy

Allt Lorgy (Spey Catchment)

8th November 2016,

Cumbria

RiverWiki: Swindale Beck

Blog post

Photos

16th September 2016,

 Scottish Highlands  

RiverWiki: View    

Blog post

Photos - Paul Glendell

This visit included two locations - multiple interventions along Swindale Beck including naturalisation and river diversion; and embankment removal along the River Kent in Staveley. This project looked to reinstate natural processes on a river which was previously impacted by high banks which allowed little lateral migration and diversity. 
   

River Wandle

Holnicote Estate

25th August 2016,

London

RiverWiki: View

Photos 

6th July 2016,            

West Somerset   

RiverWiki: View    

Blog post - Photos 

Presentation

This visit was to the Carshalton arm of the River Wandle which has in the past been overwide, impounded and contaminated. It is now in much better condition thanks to this project. This project focused on the River Aller and Horner Water Catchments where natural flood management measures have been implemented to protect local communities.
 
___________________________________________  2015 ____________________________________________
   
River Wye

River Taw (CRF Project)

10th September 2015

Builth Wells, Powys 

RiverWiki: Irfon SAC

Photos    

14th July 2015

South Molton, Devon

RiverWiki: TRIP      

Photos

This site visit focused on the River Irfon, a SSSI and SAC protected tributary of the Wye. A number of issues were addressed including siltation, pollution, poaching, lack of in-stream diversity, over-shading and invasive species. This visit was hosted by the Westcountry Rivers Trust who have been working to improve fish passage within the River Taw catchment over the last six years.
   
Eddleston Water (UK River Prize winner)

Hogsmill and River Wandle (CRF project)

24th June 2015

Peeblesshire

RiverWiki: Eddleston 

Photos

30th April 2015

South London

RiverWiki: HogsmillWandle  

Photos

The Eddleston Water project took a catchment based approach to improve water quality, fisheries, biodiversity and recreation. Eddleston Water is part of the Tweed catchment that won the 2015 UK RIver Prize.

The River Wandle project improved river connectivity, reduced the impact of road run-off, enhanced habitat and channel diversity, and worked to engage the local community. The Hogsmill River Connectivity project addressed fish passage and river connectivity at 14 obstructions.

 

___________________________________________  2014 ____________________________________________

   

River Wensum

Eden and Derwent

17th September 2014

Tatterford               Norfolk         

RiverWiki: Wensum       Photos                         

19th August 2014

Cumbria

RiverWiki:               Barnskew, Whitbeck          Photos

This site visit focused on the River Tat which forms part of the River Wensum Restoration Strategy, winner of the 2014 inaugural England River Prize. The principal aim of this project is to restore favourable ecological conition to the SSSI and acheive the WFD target of Good Ecological Potential. 

The Cumbria river restoration strategy aims to deliver a wide range of restoration projects across all three key Cumbrian catchments. This site visit looked at the Barnskew project on Lyvennet Beck in the Eden catchment and the Whitbeck project in the Derwent catchment.

Spring Meadow

Test and Itchen

1st July 2014

Sheffield Park               West Sussex

RiverWiki: Spring Meadow   Photos

17th June 2014

Houghton                 Hampshire

RiverWiki: Test and Itchen    Photos 

The Spring meadow project aimed to reinstate the historic course of the river through the re-excavation of a visible meander. Natural flood management techniques were used and habitat provision was improved. The project was named the Professional category winner at the annual Wild Trout Trust (WTT) Conservation Awards 2013.

The Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy is a collaborative project between the Environment Agency, Natural England, local fisheries and riparian owners. To date more than 2km has been improved by bed raising, narrowing and ecouraging a change in management. Two restored sites were visted.

 

River Windrush and Sherborne Brook

Eddleston Water

1st July 2014

Sherborne           Gloucestershire

RiverWiki: Sherborne   Photos

13th May 2014

Cringletie                      Peebleshire

RiverWiki: Eddleston Water   Photos

The Sherborne Windrush Restoration Project is one of 42 Catchment Restoration Fund projects aimed at improving water quality and biodiversity. Works include increasing the availbility and quality of salmonid spawning gravel, introducing woody debris, removing bankside dredgings, addressing run-off problems and reducing livestock access by fencing.

The Eddleston Water project aimed to deliver on the main two objectives of habitat restoration for improvement of WFD ecological status and improved natural flood risk management. Areas of woodland have been planted and stretches of historically straightened river returned to a natural meandering course.