This is an archived website, available until June 2027. We hope it will inspire people to continue to care for and protect the South West Peak area and other landscapes. Although the South West Peak Landscape Partnership ended in June 2022, the area is within the Peak District National Park. Enquiries can be made to customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk
The 5-year South West Peak Landscape Partnership, 2017-2022, was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Slowing the Flow
Pressures from climate change and human activity mean that floods have begun to occur more often and when they do occur result in more costly damage. As a result, traditional approaches to flood management are growing less and less effective. Slowing the Flow worked with nature rather than against it in a cost-effective and ecologically sound way.
With our partners at the Cheshire Wildlife Trust we used a number of techniques that work to restore a river’s natural flood defences to reduce downstream flooding. Rather than only combating the more traditional symptoms through the construction of costly and imposing concrete barriers we improved wetlands, floodplains, and riverbank woodlands. These are natures’ built in flood defences and through their restoration we worked to rehabilitate entire water systems, with far reaching benefits for all.
We worked with landowners and local residents to identify additional suitable areas for this project and where the impact would be the most far-reaching.
Learn more about how to help Slow the Flow in the South West Peak
The Cheshire hills are home to communities of fungal species which are grassland specialists. These communities can be valuable indicators of ancient grassland. Also, like their grassland habitat, they are threatened by improvement, disturbance, or cessation of management.