Tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a quiet but mighty transformation is unfolding along a modest stream.
The Widdale Beck, winding through the heart of Swineley Farm, may not command the immediate awe of a roaring river, but its ecological importance cannot be overstated. Like many upland watercourses across the UK, this beck has borne the brunt of past land management practices—straightened, cleared, and stripped of the natural features that once made it a haven for aquatic life.
Our vision is to reverse these impacts and help return the Widdale Beck into a thriving, climate-resilient ecosystem teeming with wild brown trout and abundant aquatic invertebrates.
This is the start of a story of restoration and resilience, of nature’s power to recover, and of the remarkable partnerships making it happen.
A Beck Reborn
Multiple nature-based interventions are coming together to repair a damaged system: large woody material to shape flow and create habitat, native trees to stabilise banks and cool the water, and gravel to restore lost spawning beds. Together, these elements form the foundation of a more resilient, self-sustaining river—one shaped by natural processes and ready to support life once again.
Restoring Rhythm to the River
One of the most immediately visible interventions will be the use of large woody material—fallen trees and branches placed into and alongside the channel to mimic natural structures.
These features may first appear chaotic, but they are carefully placed to deliver a range of benefits. They slow the flow of water, reducing the intensity of peak flows and lowering downstream flood risk. They create pools (deep waters), riffles (the rough shallows), and sheltered areas where trout, invertebrates, and crayfish can feed, rest, and reproduce. They also help retain sediment, allowing gravel and cobbles to settle and naturally reform the textured riverbed that many aquatic species depend on.
Put simply, they help put nature back in charge of shaping the system.
Planting the Future Along the Banks
The work doesn’t stop in the water. Along the beck’s edges, native trees are being planted to recreate the riparian corridor—a leafy lifeline that shades the stream, cools its waters, and holds the banks together.
These trees are guardians of the future. Their presence regulates water temperature, preventing deadly spikes during heatwaves. Their roots lock the soil in place, reducing erosion and sedimentation. Their canopy filters runoff, keeping pollutants at bay.
To measure the impact, a long-term water temperature monitoring programme is underway. With climate change threatening even the coolest upland streams, this data will be vital in protecting species sensitive to thermal stress—like the Brown trout and white-clawed crayfish.
Reconnecting with the Past to Shape the Future
A vital piece of this puzzle lies in something deceptively simple: gravel. For generations, local stone was taken from the beck to build the dry stone walls of the Dales. Now, that same material is being returned to the water to restore what was lost.
Reintroducing gravel and cobble substrate will revive paleo channels—ancient watercourses now dormant—that once spread life and floodwaters across the land. It will also provide clean, oxygen-rich spawning beds for trout, and a playground for aquatic insects like caddisflies and stoneflies.
Each pebble placed back in the beck is a nod to history and a gift to the future. A commitment to ecological wholeness.
Power in Partnership
At the heart of these restoration plans at Swineley Farm is a partnership with the Wild Trout Trust, a charity revered for its deep knowledge of wild trout conservation. Their guidance will ensure every intervention is rooted in science, shaped by experience, and designed with the entire aquatic food web in mind.
Crucially, this work builds on a neighbouring success story. At Snaizeholme, a pioneering project led by a forward-thinking landowner, equally committed to conservation has already proven the power of natural processes. By strategically placing large woody debris into the water, they’ve managed to slow the flow, reduce flood risk, and breathe life back into the streambed. These lessons now ripple into Widdale Beck’s restoration, weaving the two projects into a shared narrative of landscape-scale recovery.
A Legacy of Stewardship
Widdale Beck’s restoration is part of a much bigger picture—one that reflects our broader mission at Oxygen Conservation to enhance the ecological integrity of the landscapes we steward. The work here shows what’s possible when long-term thinking, strong partnerships, and evidence-based approaches come together.
This is a promise to wildlife and to future generations: that by working with natural systems rather than against them, we can create places that are rich in life, resilient to change, and full of potential.
As the waters of the beck begin to slow, meander, and breathe again, a new story is being written—one of resilience, rebirth, and hope.
Written in collaboration by Dan Johnson, Head of Environment, and Abbey Dudas, Engagement Specialist.