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Transforming the Trent Valley
Transforming the Trent Valley
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    • Projects: Transforming the Trent Valley

      1. Connecting Communities through Action

      • 1.1Community Engagement (CCA01)
      • 1.2WildChild (CCA02)
      • 1.3Big Washlands Watch (CCA03)
      • 1.4Transforming Lives (CCA04)
      • 1.5Connecting with Nature (CCA05)
      • 1.6Tales from the River Bank (CCA06)

      2. River Valley Connections

      • 2.2Trent Valley Way (RVC01)
      • 2.3Canal Access (RVC02)
      • 2.4Canoe Discovery (RVC03)
      • 2.5Gateway to the Trent Valley (RVC04)
      • 2.6Waymarking of Cycle Routes (RVC05)
      • 2.1Interpretation Programme (TTTV2)

      3. Transforming the Landscape

      • 3.1Living Floodplains (TL01)
      • 3.2Rolleston Brook Hollows (TL02)
      • 3.3Trans. the Trent Valley’s Heritage (TL03)
      • 3.4Stop! The Military Heritage of... (TL04)
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    • Take Part: Transforming the Trent Valley

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      • Tales From The Riverbank: Childhood memories oral history project
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    • Discover: Transforming the Trent Valley

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      • Cherry Holme: A natural river island restored for wildlife
      • Burton Washlands: A Landscape Vision

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  • The Flour Mill at Alrewas.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Summer on the Trent and Mersey Canal near Alrewas.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Sunset over Tucklesholme Nature Reserve, November 2020.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Autumn on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal near Hopwas.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Tudor and Jacobean architecture of Swarkestone Pavilion .

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Sunset over Tucklesholme Nature Reserve, November 2020.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Late summer view of the River Trent at Branston.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Wild flowers next to the Trent and Mersey Canal near Wychnor.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Clover Fields in late summer near Orgreave.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Flooding at Kings Bromley in February 2020.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • Swarkestone and the River Trent at Swarkestone.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • The River Trent at Barrow upon Trent.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • A Type24 Pillbox on the River Tame at Woodhouse Farm.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

  • A pillbox stands guard over the River Tame at Hopwas.

    Photo © 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)

 We are Transforming the Trent Valley

 1. Connecting Communities through Action

 2. Transforming the Landscape

 3. River Valley Connections

Welcome to Transforming the Trent Valley

A £4.7m project for the Trent Valley in Staffordshire and Derbyshire

A revitalised and treasured landscape of wildlife-rich waterways and wetlands is being made possible thanks to the ‘Transforming the Trent Valley’ scheme successfully securing a grant of £2.7m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in December 2018. This combined with match funding brings the total value of the scheme to £4.7million.

Transforming the Trent Valley is a partnership project of 18 organisations working together to restore and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the Trent Valley, with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust at the helm.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

This is fantastic news and we were delighted to hear that our application has been successful. This funding will allow us to focus our work on part of the county’s most treasured landscape and heritage, and will be a huge benefit to communities, organisations and crucially, wildlife.

We are now looking forward to getting started with work on the ground and making a real difference to such an important part of our area.

Julian Woolford Chief Executive of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

Coronavirus Update

Transforming the Trent Valley continues to follow government guidelines and has taken steps to ensure the safety of all its staff, volunteers, partners and supporters during this time.

Please stay safe and ensure you follows current government guidelines in your region.

For more information about current restrictions and advice, please visit the UK Government Coronavirus page.

Updated 11th January 2021

Take Part

Remembering My Childhood Memories
Tales from the Riverbank (CCA06)

Do you or have you lived within the Transforming the Trent Valley Scheme area? Perhaps you spent your childhood living in Rugeley, Alrewas, Fradley, Barton-under-Needwood, Hopwas, Burton-upon-Trent, Uttoxeter or Rocester?

What games did you play? Where did you explore?

We would love to hear and share your stories as part of our Tales from the Riverbank (CCA06) project.

Share My Story

There are many more ways to take part in this project. Find out more here.

Discover

Burton Washlands: A Landscape Vision
Living Floodplains (TL01)

East Staffordshire Borough Council, in partnership with the Environment Agency, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and other public and private sector partners, has launched a new shared Landscape Vision for the future of the Washlands.

The Washlands is an extensive piece of natural land that follows the river through to the heart of Burton upon Trent. The vision, informed by consultation with key stakeholders and the local community, addresses how to best balance the regular flooding of the area with the need for public access and recreation, whilst promoting nature conservation and a more environmentally sustainable approach to green space management.

Through our natural heritage project, known as Living Floodplains (TL01), we will help to deliver some of this wider vision.

Find Out More

Feature

Cherry Holme

A natural river island restored for wildlife

Discover more

Events and Activities

From guided walks to illustrated talks, Wildfamilies Discover and Wildlings playgroup sessions, discover more about the Trent Valley.

Find Out More

Social Media

See all the latest news and updates from the Transforming the Trent Valley by following our social media channels.

Volunteer Opportunities

We are looking for volunteers to help us in a number of specific roles. You can read more about what these roles entail by clicking the links below. New opportunities are often coming up, so do keep checking back to see if anything interests you.

Photography Volunteer
Posted 6th December 2020

Living Landscapes (Practical Land Management) Voluntary Trainee
Posted 8th November 2020

Community Grant Panel Volunteer
Posted 8th November 2020

Wildlife Recording Volunteer
Posted 8th November 2020

Military Heritage Researcher
Posted 8th November 2020

Latest News

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, views and information about Transforming The Trent Valley via our news and blog pages.

Latest News Talk of the Trent (Blog)

Transforming the Trent Valley E-newsletter

All the latest news and updates delivered straight to your inbox.
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Community Grants

We are encouraging community groups to plan and deliver projects within the scheme area which will benefit the natural, cultural and built heritage of the area.

These projects might include building a wildlife area in a school garden, creating an arts trail along the River Trent, restoring part of a historic building or putting on an event to enable children to explore the great outdoors.

The deadline for the next round of applications is 25th February 2021.


Find Out More

In May 2019, we officially launched the Transforming the Trent Valley Landscape Partnership scheme.
Many thanks to Aimee Booth, who shot and edited this video as part of the launch.

Central Rivers Initiative

In November 2016, the Central Rivers Initiative partnership successfully secured a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for £256,300 to develop an ambitious scheme focusing on the River Trent and its tributaries the Tame and the Dove. Over 18 months the partnership undertook a large number of studies and consultations aimed at better understanding the need and the opportunities within this location.

The scheme will undertake a wide range of environmental, cultural and community-led projects within the Trent, Tame and Dove river valleys covering some 200 square kilometers from Uttoxeter to Tamworth and including the river valleys within or near to the main towns of Burton, Rugeley, Lichfield and Derby. Projects will include river restoration, improved access to explore hard-to-reach areas, and creating ways to reconnect communities with their natural heritage.

The final application made in August 2018 was given the green light in December 2018, bringing the total grant offered by he National Lottery Heritage Fund up to just under £3m. The total value of the project is £4.7 million.

Work will begin on the scheme in April 2019 and will last for 5 years.

Why the River Trent?

The River Trent in Staffordshire and Derbyshire has been a site of human settlement and industry for thousands of years. The third longest river in the UK has long been important for defence, navigation and natural resources.

Romans once marched through the valley and evidence can be seen in the roads which still network the landscape today. The village of Repton, in Derbyshire, was the Saxon Royal capital of the ancient country of Mercia, and Vikings brought terror to the Anglo-Saxons when they invaded in 873AD, leaving their mark in the place names of towns and villages. Burton was once a religious site for pilgrimage and healing, and since became famous for beer brewing, thanks to the unique waters that flow through the rich mineral deposits under our feet.

Today, although still largely rural, the landscape is scattered with old mills and factories. It is pock-marked by quarries, and fragmented by new development. It is a landscape that has continually changed and evolved through time and it is continuing to change today.

We recognise that over the next 25 years the landscape will increasingly come under pressure. New developments are planned across the Midlands, High Speed Rail is set to scythe the landscape, and increased pressure for building materials means that new quarries must be opened.

There is a need to both recognise and value the cultural and natural heritage of the Trent Valley and to consult on the physical changes that will come from development, industry and climate change. The next five years are important to this landscape, and there are huge opportunities to influence and implement change.

What will we do?

We have developed a scheme that draws on the opportunity to create positive change for wildlife, heritage and communities. By working together and by liaising with the people affected, we will deliver a range of projects that will enhance the environment, support communities, and improve access.

We will help those working to protect our cultural and natural heritage. We will encourage participation and volunteering, offer educational and training opportunities for young people, and provide the chance for individuals to make a difference. We will improve access to the countryside and encourage people to think about how they move around the landscape. We will work on the ground to benefit the river and habitats by delivering projects that will help to protect, preserve and enhance our most valuable landscape features.

This lottery funding will give us the keys to help create a more robust and attractive landscape for local people and visiting tourists to enjoy, as well as restoring characteristic river valley features such as meandering river channels, water meadows and waterside trees.

Local communities will also benefit as the scheme will involve improving accessibility to the area on foot, cycle and horseback with new opportunities for exploring local history, wildlife, as well as for recreation and sport.

Louise Morris Transforming the Trent Valley Landscape Partnership Manager

This is very exciting news and now means the CRI can deliver its long-term vision for the benefit of all.

The success of our bid is also testament to the huge effort made by everyone involved. I am extremely proud to have the privilege of being the chairman of this partnership.

Garry Jones Chairman of the Central Rivers Initiative

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Our scheme partners helping to Transform the Trent Valley

Aggregate Industries
British Canoeing
Canal & River Trust
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
East Staffordshire Borough Council
Environment Agency
GeoConservation Staffordshire
Hanson UK
Lichfield District Council
National Forest Company
RSPB
Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (Scheme Lead Partner)
Support Staffordshire
Tamworth Borough Council
Tarmac Aggregates Ltd
Together Active Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent
Trent Rivers Trust

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Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Transforming the Trent Valley

© 2019 - 2021 Transforming the Trent Valley. All Rights Reserved.
Transforming the Trent Valley, 19 Lower Brook Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2BZ

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust - Registered Charity No. 259558. Limited Company No. 959609.
Registered Office: The Wolseley Centre, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST17 0WT