Henmore Brook river restoration

The Henmore Brook flows through Ashbourne, made famous by the annual Shrovetide football match it hosts each February. A series of capital works will enhance the habitats in the brook, using local woody material. It will restore some of the natural features, increasing its value for wildlife. The works will make the brook more accessible and attractive to look at.

Following on, we will work closely with local people to learn more about their brook and water quality. We will identify further areas within the town where the brook could be enhanced for people and wildlife.

The brook itself is heavily modified. Upstream of the town, in Ashbourne Park, there is a large weir, and a good proportion of the flow is diverted through a fishing lake. The channel itself has been straightened and deepened, to speed up the flow. There is little diversity of flow or habitat interest on the bed within the park. In some places the bank has been covered with concrete. These hard surfaces are ugly, falling apart and prevent vegetation from establishing on the bank. The brook disappears into culvert as it flows past Ashbourne, popping up downstream of the town centre.

The capital work planned will restore some of the natural processes in the brook within Ashbourne Park. We will introduce trees and woody debris into the channel to stimulate a greater diversity of flow types. Varying flow will encourage the development of riffles, pools and shallows on the bed. A range of habitat features will start to form, providing shelter for a range of freshwater insects and small fish. We will remove all the concrete revetments from the banks, and reshape them in places to create a more natural and diverse bank profile.

We will open up the brook to allow more light to the channel, allowing plants to grow. People walking by will have better views of the river and the wildlife it supports, as more habitats develop.

With thanks to our funder: