New funding set to help the Wylye Chalk Stream Project
It's thanks to the Government’s Landscape Recovery scheme
Last updated 11th Dec 2023
River Wylye is set to be enhanced through a new collaboration between conservation charities and farmers thanks to Landscape Recovery funding.
34 projects were successful in the second round of funding that helps farmers and land managers with projects that support net zero, protected sites and habitat creation.
The Wylye Chalk Stream Project will be the first landscape-scale collaboration of its kind focused on enhancing a large stretch of chalk stream for the benefit of wildlife in Wiltshire.
The project will be led by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and delivered in partnership with the Wylye Valley Farmers group and Wessex Rivers Trust.
Alice Eley, Water Team Manager at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, said:
“We are really excited to work with the Wylye Valley Farmers and Wessex Rivers Trust on this project along the River Wylye and its floodplain. The scale of this project and the enthusiasm and involvement from the farmer group will enable us to work together to restore and enhance the Wylye at a landscape scale, creating opportunity for wide ranging benefits for this precious chalk stream and the biodiversity it supports.”
This partnership will re-establish the vitality, diversity, and ecological abundance of the Wylye Valley by restoring the river’s natural relationship with its floodplain over a 20km reach of currently under-utilised farmland.
Robin Leech from Wylye Valley Farmers said:
“The Wylye Valley Farmers are custodians of this chalk stream. Working with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and Wessex Rivers Trust, we believe that we can achieve some really pioneering work to fully enhance the biodiversity that lives here. Through this collaboration, we can secure the future of the landscape by leaving it in a better shape than we found it.”
Dave Rumble, Chief Executive of Wessex Rivers Trust, said:
“The scheme has been built from the ground-up, with farmers and experts shaping a pioneering and exciting vision. The dream-team of Wylye Valley Farmers, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and Wessex Rivers Trust will give the legendary River Wylye valley the boost it truly deserves.”
The funding will be used towards chalk stream restoration, floodplain reconnection, regenerative farming, and the creation of natural river valley habitats.