Ancient maps and modern technology have brought Northumberland’s River Breamish back to life and reconnected it to its flood plains, after several hundred years of being restrained into a straight line for agricultural purposes and thus losing one mile of the river channel.

Ancient maps from the 1600s, held at the archives at Alnwick Castle, showed the original floodplains and, combined with detailed modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 3D modelling of the terrain, helped trace where the river originally meandered.

Straightening the river for farming disconnected the river from its floodplain, leading to a decline in freshwater species, reduced biodiversity and increased risk of flooding downstream. 

Allowing the river to naturally flood the surrounding area creates new habitats, better fish passage, water quality improvements and climate change resilience.

Part of the River Till Restoration Strategy, the project was delivered through the LIFE WADER nature-recovery project in partnership with the Environment Agency, Tweed Forum, Natural England and local landowner, Harehope Estate.

Life Wader is a five-year £5.8m nature recovery project to reverse the decline of river, coastal and marine habitats and wildlife in the Tweed Catchment and on the Northumberland Coast, that will be completed by the end of 2026. The project takes a holistic approach to nature recovery with innovative solutions. 

“This will allow nature to thrive and be resilient from source-to-sea – now and in the future and especially in the context of a changing climate. We will improve the water environment for people as well as wildlife. We intend to bring enormous benefits to biodiversity but also deliver financial gains to land managers, improve water quality, sequester carbon, enhance recreation and mitigate flood risk.”

WADER (Water and Disturbance Environmental Restoration), a partnership between Natural England, the Environment Agency, Newcastle University and Tweed Forum with a wide range of local support, is led by Natural England, which advises the government on the natural environment, and funded by the EU’s LIFE Programme, the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment.

“This project has only been possible by having landowners and farmers who recognise some of the long-term benefits of restoration and have been willing to work in partnership on such a big and complex scheme,” says LIFE WADER project manager Liz Humphreys. The project “has already inspired other landowners in the area to explore river restoration options on their own land, showing the legacy this flagship project will create.”

“It’s fantastic to see the Breamish flowing freely once again with space to move and evolve,” says Philip Kearney, Project Manager at Tweed Forum, which delivered the project on the ground. “This project shows what can be achieved when conservation, science and farming come together to give rivers the room they need to help the landscape thrive.”

Image: Tommy Wilkinson, Environment Agency, UK government

Sources:

Major Northumberland river restoration project is complete. Water Magazine, Feb. 10, 2026

Major Northumberland river restoration project is complete. Environment Agency and Natural England, Nov. 20, 2025

Bringing a river back to life: The Breamish restoration blueprint. Environment Agency, 9 March 2026

Centuries of river re-routing to be reversed. BBC, 3 June 2025