Skip to content

Stream 'rewiggle' restoration project up for award

Andy Hay Common Sandpiper at Howgill Beck. The sandpiper sits on sticks and leaves above a stretch of water. The bird has a white underbelly, a speckled chest and a semi-long beak with a brown top coat. Andy Hay
Common sandpipers have nested at Howgill Beck after previously being "totally absent" from the site

A wetland restoration project which reintroduced bends and curves to a stream is up for an award.

Howgill Beck at RSPB Geltsdale was straightened before the 18th Century but a recent scheme had it "re-wiggled", improving wetland habitats in the area.

Birds including snipe, curlew, oystercatcher, lapwing and redshank have been recorded at the site.

The project, which has taken three years, was chosen by the River Restoration Centre (RRC) as a finalist in the UK River Prize Awards.

Victoria Benson Naturalised Howgill Beck. There is a mix of bog, vegetation and the beck wetland. The sun rises on the horizon, which causes the wetland water to be bright blue. Victoria Benson
The project has reconnected the watercourse to its floodplain which has "created a more dynamic river", the RSPB says

The beck flows through part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty and Geltsdale, which is a designated conservation area.

The project has reconnected the watercourse to its floodplain which has "re-introduced lost river features," the RSPB said.

It said that although nearby Tindale Tarn became "completely frozen" in January, the wetlands at the beck were able to support bird species including snipe, teal and mallard.

RSPB / PA Media A curlew, which has a distinctively long break and speckled feathers, stands in beige-coloured grassland. RSPB / PA Media
Curlews, which have distinctive beaks, have been recorded at the site

In 2024, five pairs of Redshank were recorded breeding and two pairs of oystercatchers successfully nested for the first time since 2016.

In 2022 and 2023, two common sandpipers nested in the area - a common visitor to UK upland areas - but previously had been "totally absent" from Howgill Beck, the RSPB said.

'A dynamic river'

Tenant Farmer Ian Bell, said the difference in wildlife had been "amazing" and he felt proud to work the land.

Project leader and RSPB Geltsdale warden, Jen Selvidge, said: "So many of our rivers have been modified and we've been conditioned to think they are natural, when the truth is often far from it.

"What we've done here is more than re-wiggling, we've connected floodplains, created new wetlands and blocked ditches, resulting in a truly dynamic river."

Adam Moan Common Sandpiper at Howgill Beck. The sandpiper sits on sticks and leaves above a stretch of water. The bird has a white underbelly, a speckled chest and a semi-long beak with a brown top coat. Adam Moan
Tenant Farmer Ian Bell said the difference in wildlife had been "amazing"

The project was funded by Northumbrian Water and Defra's farming in protected landscapes programme with support from consultants Dynamic Rivers, the Fellfoot Forward National Landscape Partnership Scheme and Natural England.

Winners of the UK River Prize will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links