Campden House Estate received a FiPL grant of £185,890 to restore the River Cam to its former meandering state, reducing erosion and pollution, reducing flooding and improving wildlife habitat. Initial drone footage has already demonstrated that the new wetland created as part of the project has alleviated flood risk to the nearby town of Chipping Camden.
During the work at Campden House Estate.
Wetlands make up only three per cent of the UK’s land area but support around ten per cent of all its species. Disturbingly, we have lost ninety per cent of our wetland habitats in the last hundred years – and no river or lake in the UK is considered to be close to its natural state. Against this backdrop, a major wetland restoration project in the Cotswolds National Landscape, funded through FiPL, shows what is possible when landowners, conservationists and communities work together to give water space to move in the landscape.
Campden House Estate, near Chipping Campden, received a FiPL grant of £185,890 – part of a total project value of £225,305 – to create a wetland system along the River Cam. Estate owner Tom Smith had begun transitioning to regenerative agriculture in 2023, creating 65 hectares of wood pasture, species-rich grassland and re-creating orchards across the valley. The wetland project was the next step: combining landscape-scale ambition with practical action to address flooding, improve water quality and restore biodiversity.
Restoring the river and the lake
The River Cam flows through the middle of the farm, and - before the works - the river scoured a narrow channel. This meant that silt and runoff from the farm were carried into the wider landscape. The FIPL project funded a re-routing of 1.25 km of the River Cam through a series of ponds, slowing the flow and allowing silt and agricultural nutrients to settle out.
The team planted reeds, shrubs and trees and put in scrapes along the length of the watercourse to act as filters, while leaky dams, sluices and weirs now reduce flow velocity and reduce soil erosion. The works also provide protection for the rare White Clawed Crayfish found upstream. Grassland margins now buffer the arable fields in the lower valley, reducing the risk of pollution and absorbing overflow during heavy rain.
We have already seen new species move into the wetland area. Ten years from now I would love to see a hive of insects, bird activity and wildlife teeming together in the middle of this valley and throughout the farm.
Tom Smith, Campden House Estate
Recent drone footage shows a healthy wetland, holding a significant amount of water
Results for flooding, wildlife and the wider landscape
Drone footage taken during a high rainfall event in October 2024 showed the wetland can now hold a significant volume of water back, from the town of Chipping Campden – visible proof of the flood alleviation the project was designed to deliver. At the same time, the restored wetland is already attracting wildlife: kingfishers, dragonflies, ducks, greenshanks and other wading birds.
