Six-mile stream that feeds into Norfolk Broads restored to former natural glory

A six-mile stretch of a chalk stream that feeds into the Norfolk Broads has been given a new lease of life after a major restoration project.

The National Trust project, which started in 2018, has seen fallen trees and large branches used to return a section of an over-straightened and widened stream that is part of the River Bure to a more natural course.

The trust say chalk streams, which spring from underground chalk reservoirs, are one of the world’s rarest freshwater habitats - with only 220 known examples, the vast majority of which are in England.

This helps reduce flood risk by slowing the flow of the river during high rainfall events.

It also helped narrow the stream, which lies within the National Trust’s Blicking Estate, and create different speeds and directions in the flow, helping to oxygenate the water and clean the gravel and pebbles on the riverbed.

A six-mile stretch of a chalk stream that feeds into the Norfolk Broads has been given a new lease of life after a major National Trust restoration project (Image: National Trust)

This boosts habitats for juvenile fish and invertebrates, such as dragonfly and mayfly larvae.

Invasive plants have also been cleared from the water, and more than 22,000 trees planted in the vicinity of the river to slow the speed at which water runs into the stream.

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New ponds and wetlands have also been created as part of the work, which was part of the conservation charity’s Riverlands programme in partnership with the Environment Agency and the Norfolk Rivers Trust.

The River Bure, which passes through the National Trust's Blickling Estate in Norfolk (Image: National Trust)

Emily Long, Riverlands project manager, said: “Before the start of the project, the Bure was inundated by over 70 tonnes of Himalayan Balsam, which stifled the important native plants that this habitat needs to thrive.

“With the help of our fantastic volunteers, we were able to de-congest the river of invasive plants, allowing it to really breathe.

“This work, together with the other steps we have taken, will give the Bure a whole new lease of life with cleaner water, slower flood peaks and a more diverse environment that provides the best possible conditions for the abundance of species relying on this very special habitat.”