Stabilising river banks on the New River in Exning - Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

The Exning New River Association was recently awarded £8,000 from the Anglian Water Flourishing Environment Fund to stabilise river banks along a short stretch of the chalk stream known as the New River in Exning.

Despite the river flowing slowly, suffering from eroded banks and silt, the area was a haven for wildlife – with frequent visitors including water voles, moorhens, mallard ducks, a kingfisher, a little egret and sticklebacks.

The proposed changes to the river sought to increase the habitat for these visitors and more, creating the ideal environment for aquatic invertebrates.

The project also hoped to bring in community volunteers, empowering them to support this local project and reshape this important chalk stream.

Implemented changes

A plan was drawn up for the river in the Duck Pond area to stabilise the eroding banks and narrow the river to improve the flow and reduce the silt buildup. This involved hammering in Chestnut stakes, placing brushwood faggots between the stakes and wiring them down, and adding gravel to reshape areas of the river.

Stabilising the banks and narrowing the river has meant a faster flow of water. This, this along with heavy winter rains, have helped scour out the silt, exposing the clean chalk and gravel bed in some areas.

Chalk stream plants (such as Marsh Marigolds, Water Forget Me Nots, Flag Irises, Purple Loosestrife, Yellow Loosestrife, Meadow Sweet and Water Avens) were added and protected from ducks by installing temporary galvanised netting.

More wildlife has been noted, including Mallard ducklings, Moorhens, a visiting Heron and a Little Egret. The sticklebacks are double the size of last year and the team have started to see dragonflies and pond skaters, which should increase once the new plants begin to flower.

Empowering the local community

The team of volunteers have developed a variety of new physical skills and improved their knowledge of the rarity and dynamics of English chalk stream river banks and their flora and fauna. They have met new people in the village, and commented on how much they have learnt and enjoyed themselves.

The project has also promoted interest in the river within the wider community, with many villagers sharing stories about swimming and canoeing in the river when the level was higher. Many have also shared memories of being brought to feed the ducks as small children, and they are now bringing their children and grandchildren to enjoy the river too.

What’s next for the Exning New River?

This project has been designed to be fully sustainable. The Exning New River Association will continue to manage it into the future and will look towards gaining additional funding to make further improvements.

“
Thank you for your foresight in backing us for this project. It has been a steep learning curve but we’ve achieved a huge amount with generous advice from a number of local chalk stream experts and a willing team of volunteers.
”

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