Rising waters | Rooted solutions
Reconnecting the floodplain – restoring Hauxwell’s landscape for flood resilience and wildlife
Ouswem has partnered with Hauxwell Estate to restore a meandering beck and create a new 9 hectares wetland. The project slows and stores water, improving flood resilience and habitats for wildlife.
Ousewem has partnered with Hauxwell Estate near Leyburn to create a new wetland habitat, reconnecting a watercourse to its floodplain and restoring its natural wriggles and meanders. For the first time in more than a century, this stretch of beck can move freely again.
Working with forward thinking landowners like Hauxwell is key to Ousewem’s mission to restore water storage and habitats that have been lost over time – helping to make our landscapes more resilient for farmers, communities and the environment.
Restoring what was lost
Across the UK, decades of land drainage and river modification have changed how water moves through the countryside. At Hauxwell, the watercourse was straightened, an ancient dew pond filled in and the land drained to enable grazing. Pipes of different ages run beneath the fields, carrying rainwater quickly into Brompton Beck. Despite this drainage, the area remained stubbornly wet and difficult to manage - too soft to take a silage cut.
Slowing the flow, restoring balance
Together, the estate and Ousewem’s delivery team, led by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, have delivered a series of natural flood management (NFM) measures that slow the flow, store water in the landscape, and enhance biodiversity across the estate. These include:
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380 metres of new meandering channel reconnecting Brompton Beck with its floodplain. Allowing water to spill out onto the riverbanks during high flows helps reduce flood risk downstream
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52 bunded scrapes and small storage areas capturing surface runoff during heavy rainfall
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Reprofiling the river bank from its artificial 45-degrees to a more natural 1-in-3 slope, improving access for wildlife and enabling water to spill out naturally
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One kilometre of new native hedge planting to slow water and improve infiltration
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Associated fencing, gates, and drinking troughs to protect the interventions from livestock.
These interventions help water linger in the landscape rather than rushing through underground drains and channels. As a result, we expect our modelling to show that flood peaks downstream are reduced and a new nine-hectare wetland habitat has been created.
A landscape that works for people, farming and wildlife
The project will store around 2,994 cubic metres of water – equivalent to 5,267,596 pints - more than an Olympic sized swimming pool! It also brings back the varied flows, vegetation, and shelter that straightened watercourses had lost – conditions that attract insects, wading birds, and amphibians.
"It’s been a real pleasure to work with Ousewem on this project. The new wetland fits perfectly with our ambition to manage the estate in a more wildlife-friendly way.”
– Kevin Birch, Estate Manager, Hauxwell Estate
“'The wetland will be transformational to the landscape and nature restoration in the heart of the estate and really enhances what we're trying to achieve with regenerative farming and woodland creation. The Ousewem team and Kevin have worked really hard to design and create a fantastic project and I'm very grateful for the opportunity we've had to do this'.”
– Will Dalton, Hauxwell Estate
Part of a wider effort
Hauxwell is one of several sites where Ousewem is working with farmers and landowners across the Swale, Ure, Nidd, and Ouse (SUNO) catchments to restore natural flow paths and re-create lost habitats.
“Hauxwell is a great example of what can be achieved across our catchments. By restoring the connection between land and water, we’re building natural resilience that benefits both people and nature.”
– Rachel Flood, Project Manager for Ousewem
Help us expand this impact
We are seeking farmers, tenants, and landowners in Hunton, Hawes, Bishop Monkton, Masham, and Arkengarthdale to join the Ousewem project. With twelve additional projects already in development and funding secured until 2027, now is the perfect time to get involved.
“The Hauxwell estate are really leading by example and its been a real joy to work with them to create this fantastic new habitat and deliver such a large scale NFM project,” added Amanda Crossfield, NFM Programme Manager for Ousewem at the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. “We’re keen to work with more landowners to create a landscape that’s better prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Interested in joining us? Contact our delivery team on [email protected].
Together, we can create a sustainable and resilient future.
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