RIVER NARROWING

The licence agreement was for the extension of the present bank into the channel to be no more than 1.5m at any point, and the total length of river narrowing over the whole stretch of the river would not exceed 50m. Faggot bundles would be woven between the stakes, driven to a depth of 600mm into the river bed. The area created between the new and original bank lines will be “soft-filled” with woody brash in order to promote the accumulation of fine sediment. The structure would be keyed into the bank to reduce the risk of erosion.

Two sections of river narrowing revetment were built. One was 10m long, in line with 2 willow trees facing on the opposite bank. The revetment required 15 stakes set in an arc from either bank end to a maximum width of 1m at the central point The stakes were “faced” with hazel faggots pushed down over the stakes, and back filled with faggots and brash, the latter mainly hazel but containing some willow coppiced from one of the trees opposite. The filling was held in place by battens fixed (wire nails) to the stakes and pegs set in the bank.

The second length of river narrowing took place over 13m of bank and took 18 stakes. Again the maximum (mid-point) of extending into the river was 1m. At the mid-way point on the opposite bank was a mature alder. In both cases the river was about 3m wide, representing a narrowing of about one third when the revetment consolidates as mature bank of about one third. Within two or three weeks of building (5th October) it was clear that silt and leafy debris was being accumulated.

Map 2 shows the position of the two constructions. The plan for a third stretch of river narrowing just upstream from the ford was abandoned as the river bed proved to be just too hard to drive in the stakes, even though a two-handled heavy metal post “thumper” (drivall) was being used for this task.

In general the river bed was found to be very hard, making if difficult to drive stakes in to 0.45m or more. An old heavy metal fencing post, rectangular in cross section and with a pointed dagger end, was found to be very useful in penetrating the bed and loosening up to make way for a stake.

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