Recognising Langdyke’s part in helping nature across John Clare countryside and in particular in the west end of the Welland valley
Langdyke Countryside Trust has been working in partnership with Burghley Estate and the Welland Rivers Trust to improve access and bio-diversity in the area just to the east of Stamford and north of Burghley Park.
There is a good network of public access paths to explore both the Welland river and the associated heritage of the area.
Heritage:
South of the river running parallel with the Peterborough to Birmingham rail line is the raised embankment of the old Stamford to Wansford railway line now preserved as a short stretch of the Torpel Way. North of the river Welland the route of the old Stamford to Deepings canal can be followed.
Limited views of the parkland related to the old Uffington Hall can be glimpsed from the path running north of the river. There a notable one kilometre avenue of Lime Trees has been renovated and can be viewed from one end from the public footpath.
From the Torpel Way occasional tantalising glimpses of Burghley House can be seen to the south.
Nature Recovery:
The developing woodland, planted by Burghley estate about 14 years ago, in the meanders of the river between it and the rail line, is developing into a mixed native woodland with many species of tree and shrub contributing to a habitat rich in bird life.
Regular sightings of Kingfishers flying along the Welland and nesting in some of the steep bank faces and the presence of Otters in the river has been noted but rarely seen!
Across on the opposite bank of the Welland some lightly grazed pasture is brought to colourful life during the spring and the summer and the neighbouring hedges and long grass means this is alive with butterflies which nicely complement the damselflies and dragonflies present on the south bank next to the woodland.
Closer to Stamford a river restoration project has seen the bed of the Gwash substantially raised. Fed from Rutland Water the Gwash river has a fairly consistent flow all year round and the confluence of the two rivers was a rather still and uniform stretch of water. The addition of in excess of 80 tonnes of limestone has brought sound, movement and life to this short stretch The project has created riffles at the confluence of the Gwash with the Welland and allowed public access to the water side. This intervention has also allowed water to re-enter some of the old meanders of the Welland and Gwash rivers that existed when the two rivers had a more natural confluence across this area of the floodplain.
Further access has been created on the north bank of the river Welland to the west of the confluence with the Gwash. Here the deeply incised river channel has been re-sculpted with “berms” added to provide changes to the flow of the river. During normal flow the river is now channelled through a narrower deep channel with the “berms” allowing some vegetation and access to the river. In times of high flow the river can expand across these “berms” still allowing it to provide flood relief to Stamford. On which topic it has been noted that despite the flood plain now normally being some 2 metres above the level of the river during normal flow in extreme high flow situations the river can still immerse the flood plain. In fact in early 2021 the water level left debris some one metre up the trunks of the trees in the woodland south of the river.
Access to this woodland has recently be greatly improved by the installation of a gate and steps at the west end and ramped access from the old railway embankment to footpaths which form two loops that follow closely the meanders of the Welland River.
Car parking is not plentiful but there are seven different access points to the area. Pedestrian entry points are marked with red arrows on the map.
Walk routes are shown in blue (please click on the image to enlarge it)
There is a good network of public access paths to explore both the Welland river and the associated heritage of the area.