Darent Valley Landscape Recovery

Project overview

The Darent Valley Landscape Recovery project brings together farmers, landowners and environmental organisations to deliver long-term benefits for the River Darent, its surrounding landscape and the communities who depend on it.

In 2022, the Darent Valley Farmer Cluster secured Landscape Recovery funding through one of Defra’s Environmental Land Management schemes. It was one of only 22 first-round projects in England.

Farmers within the cluster have committed more than 1,800 hectares of land towards nature recovery, creating an important opportunity to restore habitats, improve water quality and support climate resilience across the Darent Valley.

What the project is doing

During the two-year development phase from 2023 to 2025, the South East Rivers Trust worked with landowners and partners to identify opportunities for river restoration and sustainable land management.

Our work helped develop a pipeline of investment-ready projects, using our expertise in:

• catchment planning
• natural capital mapping
• river restoration
• fish passage
• nature-based solutions
• natural flood management

As the project moves towards delivery, funding will be sought from organisations with an interest in environmental outcomes, including government, water companies, local authorities and businesses.

This investment will support the delivery and long-term management of habitat restoration, water quality improvements and climate resilience measures across the landscape over the next 20 years and beyond.

Why the Darent needs support

The River Darent runs from Westerham, on the Kent and Surrey border, to Dartford. It is one of only around 210 chalk streams in the world.

Chalk streams should have clear, cool water and support a rich variety of wildlife. However, historic modifications have changed how the Darent works. Parts of the river have been straightened, deepened and fragmented by mills, weirs and other structures.

There are 51 barriers across the river network which affect how fish and eels move through the catchment. These barriers make it harder for species to reach the different habitats they need to feed, breed and complete their life cycles.

How we are helping

Improving fish passage

Healthy rivers need good connectivity. Fish and eels must be able to move up and down river systems to access varied habitat and complete their life cycles.

As part of this project, we have assessed barriers across the Darent and identified where they could be removed, adapted or bypassed through measures such as fish passes.

This builds on our wider experience of improving fish passage across the South East, including weir removals on the Hogsmill and fish passes on the River Darent.

Restoring river habitat

Our specialists have examined how the Darent currently supports wildlife and where it could be improved.

The project has identified opportunities to help the river function more naturally, with more varied flows, better habitat diversity and improved conditions for fish, invertebrates and other wildlife.

This could include measures such as restoring more natural river features, improving in-channel habitat and reconnecting the river with parts of its floodplain where possible.

Using nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions work with natural processes to help manage water across the landscape.

As part of this project, we have identified priority areas where natural flood management could help slow the flow of water, reduce pressure during heavy rainfall and support more natural water storage.

These measures can help reduce flood risk, improve water quality, create new habitat and support groundwater recharge. In a chalk stream catchment like the Darent, this is especially important because chalk aquifers help provide the clear, cool water that species such as trout, salmon and aquatic invertebrates need to thrive.

Looking ahead

The Darent Valley Landscape Recovery project is creating a long-term opportunity to restore one of the South East’s rare chalk stream landscapes at scale.

By working with farmers, landowners, funders and partners, we can help create a healthier Darent Valley where rivers, wildlife, farming and communities are more resilient in a changing climate.