Seaswept Farm: Slowing the Flow Above Mousehole

Creating Ponds and Scrapes from Scratch

We started by creating five new scrapes in the fields using a 6t excavator. These were dug in varying sizes, shapes and depths, following the natural fall of the land and making use of an existing spring that already fed water through the area.

The scrapes were kept shallow and wide so they could hold water from the spring and collect rainfall, then spill gradually from one scrape into the next as water moved down the field. Rather than creating one large feature, the idea was to create a chain of smaller wet areas that would hold water higher in the landscape for longer.

At the bottom of the field, we also created a deeper pond with shelves, slopes and ramps. This gives the pond a more varied edge and makes it more useful for wildlife. It also allows for future planting of native aquatic and marginal plants, which should help the pond settle into the surrounding field over time.

The edges were shaped carefully and re-seeded with a pasture mix so the disturbed ground could recover as naturally as possible.

Leaky Dams and Floodplain Reconnection

On another part of the farm, we installed three leaky dams using timber felled from site and locally sourced Cornish granite.

This part of the work was focused on slowing the flow in the stream and giving water somewhere to spill out safely during heavier rainfall. We installed stone deflectors to interrupt the line of flow, created bays into the adjacent field, and positioned the leaky dams downstream to hold back and slow water without trying to block it completely.

That distinction is important. A leaky dam should not act like a hard barrier. It needs to let water through, but slowly enough to reduce the speed and energy of the flow. Done properly, it helps take pressure off the channel and encourages water to spread into areas where it can be held without causing damage.

We were working near live watercourses, so the practical side of the job mattered. The structures had to be built carefully, with thought given to how the stream would behave in normal flow and during heavier rainfall.

Cornish Stone-Faced Bank Repairs

The final part of the project involved repairing sections of Cornish stone-faced bank close to the watercourse.

We used locally sourced Cornish granite, moving the heavier stone with the 6t excavator and tracked barrows before placing and finishing by hand where needed. This was slow, physical work in places, especially while keeping disturbance to the surrounding farmland and existing habitat as low as possible.

The farm already has rich habitat and ongoing rewilding work, so we were conscious throughout the project that we were working within a living site, not a blank construction area. Access routes, machinery movements and material handling all had to be managed with that in mind.

Shaping the Design on the Ground

Although we were working from a supplied design, there were several points where we helped shape the practical delivery of the project on site.

Natural flood management is rarely something that can be delivered well by simply copying a drawing. Levels, wet areas, existing vegetation, stone size, access, flow direction and the behaviour of the water all affect how the work should be carried out.

Our role was to take the intention of the design and make it work in the field. That included small adjustments to scrape shapes, dam positioning, stone placement and how water would be encouraged to move through the new features.