Restoration of a Chalk Stream

Hamble Brook winds through the southern part of the Chilterns National Landscape between Henley-on-Thames and Marlow.

Working with the National Trust, we were approached by Chilterns National Landscape to help restore the Hamble Brook, an internationally significant winterbourne chalk stream.

The project's aim was to reinstate the natural form, function and connectivity of more than 1,000 metres of stream to the River Thames, while creating 2,500 square metres of new wetland habitat. The project formed part of The Big Chalk Programme 2025.

The stream corridor within the Hamble Valley is protected by one of the National Trust’s most rigorously enforced restrictive covenants. The land is owned by multiple landowners, and the covenant requires that all works are undertaken only with the appropriate permissions and in accordance with its terms.

Previous attempts to progress the project had been unsuccessful, but through close collaboration and negotiation with the Chilterns National Landscape, the Environment Agency and local landowners, together with early strategic advice on securing consent, the project was successfully delivered.

The restoration has reconnected an important chalk stream system and provided significant environmental benefits for the landscape and its wildlife.