]> 2026-04-13T15:57:04+00:00 Case study:Kirkstone Beck River Restoration 500 en Approved Embankment removal Diversification of in-channel features Widening to allow wandering sections The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty Water Environment Grant National Trust Yes No Yes 20210805140055 IMG 0596.JPG Ust to Dst Hartsop Edited reduced.jpg Kirkstone Beck pre-restoration, a snarrow, single thread channel with revetments, embankments and little diversity The completed restoration of Kirkstone Beck, with a wider river channel and diversity of features 54.49991089164,-2.9275909414552 AliceJames Alice The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty James Embankment removal, Diversification of in-channel features,,Rejuvination of river delta, widening of river channel,Widening to allow wandering sections ,,partnership working with organisations including the EA, NE & LDNPA, as well as the tenant farmer; site visits hosted to share project success and lessons, 26981 Ust to Dst Hartsop Edited reduced.jpg 2019 2458484.5 Complete Located upstream of Brothers Water in the Ullswater valley, Kirkstone Beck runs through the valley bottom at Hartsop Hall Farm. The beck, and its tributaries, had been subjected to significant modifications, straightened and with large embankments completely disconnecting the channel from the floodplain. However, Hartsop Hall Farm is one of the few farms in the Lake District which still produces all its own silage and hay on-farm. With limited valley bottom land, every little bit of floodplain is therefore vital to the success of the farm business. In 2019 the National Trust’s Riverlands project, part of a national programme of river and catchment restoration work, began working closely with the tenant farmer to develop a river restoration design which allowed the development of natural processes within a confined area, protecting the meadows that are relied upon to feed livestock over winter. Other partners in the scheme design included the Environment Agency and Natural England. An interest in potential change was triggered by Storm Desmond in 2015, during which the only access bridge to the farmstead was damaged and a novel solution was sought. After consultation with the tenant farmer to agree which bits of land could be given over to the river, the resulting design aimed for a continuous thread of restoration along ~2km of channel. The aims of the project were to restore natural processes to this length of river, improve the SSSI condition of Brothers Water immediately downstream of the restored reach, and deliver a sustainable, flood resilient access solution to the farmstead. The project was delivered in 2022. Embankments were set back from the channel, retaining protection for the meadows but allowing the river much more space. T-junction style tributary confluences were restored to wide, wandering systems, and the narrow single-span bridge was replaced with a wider double-span crossing. In the fens of Brothers Water, the design took a process-led approach, blocking the existing channel with large woody debris to encourage the natural evolution of an anastomosing system across the delta. Initial analysis shows that the total river area has increased significantly, from 1,850m2 to 23,300m2; that’s more than 12 times as much river habitat available post-restoration compared to the baseline. Considering the level of compromise required on this project, these figures are impressive. Furthermore, flood events since construction have seen dynamic changes throughout the restored areas, with channels shifting through three large boulder wandering sections (semi-permanent gravel bar consisting of larger, boulder-type material). Large areas of open standing water have also been created, adding an important habitat which is so often missing from the landscape. Kirkstone Beck River Restoration kirkstone beck river restoration 2000 Rejuvination of river delta widening of river channel partnership working with organisations including the EA NE & LDNPA as well as the tenant farmer; site visits hosted to share project success and lessons Flood risk management Habitat and biodiversity Hydromorphology Water quality 500 - 1000 k€ 2024-01-17T14:00:19Z 2460327.0835532 2024-03-26T11:04:41Z 2460395.9615857 Kirkstone Beck River Restoration