Wardsend erosion protection gets ready for winter

The team have been finalising the reinstated embankment at Wardsend - Hillsborough, Sheffield, to prepare it for the winter weather.

We have had to double up on the erosion protection matting and really pack the upstream face of the bank with root plates and rock armour. This is to try to provide a mixture of hard-engineering and nature-based solutions to provide ongoing protection.

We faced a number of challenges including rainfall from the slope behind causing scouring, which the team counteracted by installing a makeshift gully and drain to divert water away from the design.

The team will be returning in late winter /early spring to seed and plant a fast-growing mix of species to reduce surface water run-off and add vegetation and stability to the embankment.

Fingers crossed the Great British Weather holds out for us over the coming months!

‍