Restoring the Chess at Chesham Moor
The Chesham Moor is common land, lying close to the River Chess, found at the heart of Chesham town. The Moor itself is a community area, with a children’s play park, tennis courts, community outdoor swimming pool and sports ground, as well as offering an area for local people to discover wildlife.
The Problem
The side-channel to the River Chess is adjacent to the main access route to the Moor and is very well-known within the community. In desperate need of restoration, this project enabled the implementation of ideas that have been on the watchlist of Chesham Town Council and the Chesham Environmental Group for at least ten years.
By creating a more natural looking chalk stream, we have the opportunity to improve the habitat for riverine plants and animals, restore the connection between the channel and its neighbouring landscape, implement a sustainable drainage system (SuDS) to reduce contaminants from road run-off, and significantly increase the community value of a high visible asset with all the positive educational benefits that enables.
The Plan
The aim of this project was to restore natural banks along 200m stretch of river by removing already failing concrete walls on either side and re-grade the bank slope to a more natural gradient. This not only provides a new habitat for bankside vegetation, it also reinstates the connection between the channel and the land immediately adjacent to it, which will improve drainage and provide an additional source of water to combat low flows.
The Project
The projected started in 2024 and the re-naturalisation of the river was completed in December 2024.
The restoration included:
- improvement to the section of the Chess going through Chesham Moor,
- access to the area via a new step-free access bridge
- creation of a Sustainable Drainage System, through reed beds, and
- new access to the stream via a gravel beach.
Read more about the Chesham Moor River Restoration project.