Lake District farmers have created ponds on their land to support wildlife, store water, and boost biodiversity.
The three ponds and three scrapes – shallow depressions to hold water – at Low Skelgill Farm in the Newlands Valley is a project developed by landowners Sonja and Rick Cooper, West Cumbria Rivers Trust, the Woodland Trust, and the National Trust.
Sonja and Rick took on the 30-acre farm just before the Covid-19 pandemic and have since expanded their holding to 77 acres.
The ponds are part of a broader, evolving approach to working with nature on the farm.
It includes the restoration of wood pasture, the planting of 30,000 trees, the creation of edible hedgerows and the use of solar-powered water systems to support cell grazing with a small herd of native Shetland cattle.
Cell grazing involves moving livestock frequently through a series of small paddocks or ‘cells’, timed around plant growth cycles, to optimise pasture use and allow for healthy regrowth – mimicking natural herd movements and helping to build soil health and biodiversity.
Caitlin Pearson, project manager, said: “Creating space for water in the landscape is one of the most effective ways to reduce flood risk and improve resilience to drought. Well-designed ponds like these also bring huge benefits for wildlife.”
The farm’s first pond, dug in 2022, quickly attracted damselflies, reed warblers, moorhens, little grebes, and thousands of tadpoles.
Rick said: “We didn’t have a fixed plan when we started – just a strong desire to farm in a way that works with nature. It’s been fantastic to get support from organisations who understand and share that vision.
“Seeing nature bounce back while the animals thrive alongside it has been incredibly rewarding.
“Ultimately, our aim is to return to a way of farming that would be recognisable to our ancestors a few hundred years ago. It’s a lot of work, but so rewarding as we build up our herd and keep learning along the way.”
