RSPB Geltsdale project naturalises Howgill Beck

A river restoration project that has transformed Howgill Beck at RSPB Geltsdale, allowing the beck to work in its natural environment, has won the UK River Prize. Stretching from its headwaters down to the valley floor above Tindale Tarn, the ambitious project has reintroduced lost river features, improved wetland habitats, and boosted biodiversity.

A length of the beck was straightened to create a canal sometime before the eighteenth century and lacked many natural features associated with this watercourse type. The beck has been allowed to return to a more natural state, not only bringing back its natural twists and turns, but also re-connecting the watercourse to its floodplain once again. Some of the water has been allowed to find its own path within the system, allowing a dynamic flowing wetland to develop, storing carbon, and benefitting both wildlife and the landscape.

Three years of dedicated work to restore Howgill Beck has resulted in this recognition by the River Restoration Centre, which champions the benefits of restoring our river systems. Jen Selvidge, Warden at RSPB Geltsdale, who led the project, said: “I am absolutely delighted with this win, and its great recognition for the whole team involved in this project. Howgill Beck’s restoration means the watercourse and the wildlife it supports will benefit the diversity here in this hidden corner of Cumbria. It’s wonderful to see species like the Sandpipers back here again. So many of our rivers have been modified and we’ve been conditioned to think they are natural, when the truth is often far from it. What we’ve done here is more than re-wiggling, we’ve connected floodplains, created new wetlands and blocked ditches, resulting in a truly dynamic river. The project was a true team effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of this prestigious prize.”

Howgill Beck flows through RSPB Geltsdale which is situated in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark, an upland area with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty that is protected for nature, people and climate. It is also within the Geltsdale & Glendue Fells Site of Special Scientific Interest and the North Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation & Special Protection Area.

The project was funded by Northumbrian Water under the South Tyne Holistic Water Management Project and Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, which is administered in this area by the North Pennines National Landscape team. The project also received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund through the North Pennines’ Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme, and has also been supported by Natural England, Cumberland Council, Cumbria Amphibian and Reptile Group (CARG), the University of Salford and the Tyne Rivers Trust.

Working with consultants Dynamic Rivers, The RSPB and the North Pennines National Landscape team alongside other partners have collaborated on the Howgill Beck project from 2022. The original channel has been heavily modified and is now very different from the previous straightened and managed watercourse running between high banks. New channels have been cut, creating a braided river with a longer stream bed. The project created much-needed variety within the new channels by adding pools and riffles, which reduced the energy within the channel and meant that any sediment will not be flushed straight down the watercourse as it did previously. The features and slower flow have already allowed some fine gravels to accumulate, creating places for fish to spawn in future.

In 2024, five pairs of Redshank were recorded breeding in the project area – up from just one pair in 2016. In the same area, two pairs of Oystercatchers successfully nested for the first time since 2016, and two pairs of Common Sandpipers nested in 2022 & 2023, a common summer visitor to most upland areas in the UK but totally absent from this stretch of river previously. Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe and Dipper can also be regularly seen using the shallow silty edges and flowing wetlands. Great White Egrets have been seen nine times in the project area, with five sightings in 2024 alone – almost all recorded after the restoration was completed.

Andy Lees, Programme Manager for the North Pennines National Landscape, said: “This is brilliant news. This project is exactly the kind of thing we’d like to see more of in the National Landscape – restoring natural processes on a large scale to benefit all kinds of wildlife, slow the flow of water from the fells and sequester carbon. The speed with which some wildlife has colonised these new habitats is uplifting, and the project shows how much can be achieved when farmers, land managers and conservation bodies work in partnership. We’re proud to have supported this work and we hope to use it as a showcase to inspire similar change across the North Pennines.”

Eleven dragonfly and damselfly species have been sighted, including Broad-bodied Chaser (recorded in 2023 and 2024) and the first Black-tailed Skimmer since 2006. Aquatic vegetation surveys show species like Water Starwort, Water-crowfoot, and Brooklime are returning thanks to the re-naturalisation of the beck.

In June 2023, when other rivers in the county were running dry, the resilience of the new flowing wetland was illustrated by an incredible 31 Snipe being recorded. In January 2025, despite sub-zero temperatures when Tindale Tarn was completely frozen, the flowing wetlands (which are accessible for foraging for several species) remained active, supporting Snipe, Teal and Mallard.

The site demonstrates the benefits of restoring a natural watercourse and managing land for increased biodiversity on a sustainable working farm. Local farmers, Ian Bell and Rebecca Dickens, are farming the RSPB land at Tarnhouse with cattle and small numbers of sheep, to help create the ideal habitat for Curlew, Black Grouse, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe, and many other species of wildlife. They produce quality sustainable food in balance with nature, running a viable business alongside protecting and enhancing the land for nature recovery, habitat creation, and biodiversity.

Tenant farmer, Ian Bell, said: “The difference in wildlife here has been amazing. It’s lovely to see Curlews when you are going about the fields. And the flocks of Lapwing are astounding. It makes me feel proud that I’m involved in working the land here, for nature and for farming.”

Watch The RSPB’s video about Howgill Beck at Geltsdale below.