Hayle River Footpath Preservation Volunteer Day

Green Bank Repairs – 15^th August 2023

The sun came out for over 40 volunteers that joined Cornwall Council, Westcountry River Trust and Cormac to install green bank repairs along stretches of the River Hayle up-stream of St Erth to conserve the adjacent footpath from river erosion.

Volunteers protect a much-loved footpath from river erosion.

Henry Mariner of Westcountry Rivers Trust explained the technique and why green bank repairs offer benefits compared to hard engineering solutions, being cheaper and working with naturally processes to ultimately create a ‘live face’ of vegetation that traps falling sediment and builds the earth back up.

Teams of volunteers had joined from Cormac infrastructure Design and Cornwall Council’s Transport departments, taking one of two paid days per year for employee volunteering, which the Council supports because taking time to volunteer helps build connections between the Council, staff and communities.

The first stage of the green bank protection measures was to source local willow and hazel coppice, - there was plenty of this growing locally, nonetheless an ecologist on-hand to oversee and ensure no birds or other wildlife were impacted in the process.

Timber posts were then driven into the riverbed along the stretches needing protection, and the coppice was laid behind them, as densely as possible. Finally, hessian rope was used to tie the coppice to the posts, creating a secure façade against the bank.

Volunteers make excellent progress, learning new skills whilst giving back to the community.

Two sections were completed and there are plans for further volunteer days to install more of and repair these features protect the footpath each summer.

Many thanks are extended to all the volunteers that took park and the organisations that helped spread the word, including St Erth Parish Council, The West Cornwall Footpath Preservation Society and iWalk Cornwall.

The finished willow and hazel facades will transform into living bank protection over the long-term.

Cornwall Council Countryside Officer, Charlotte Evans said ‘The footpath along the River Hayle is such a popular route, providing benefits because it is easy access, close to populations and holiday destinations as well as being relatively flat and crossing though beautiful scenery. It may not be easy to protect it against forces of nature as the river meanders in it’s floodplain and we have already encountered challenges in doing so, however we are trying the green bank repairs because it’s a skill that can be carried out by volunteers and through that embedded in communities, helping us all feel more confident about conserving our vital green infrastructure locally’.

For more information, please visit: Hayle River Community Project | Let's Talk Cornwall