RIVERBANKS and footpaths in the Allen Valleys are being restored after the damage caused by flooding last winter.

Large stretches of riverbank were eroded in the area during Storm Desmond in December, while a major section of footpath was washed away.

In recent months, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership has been carrying out much- needed repair work.

Through its lottery-funded Allen Valley Landscape Project, the partnership has repaired the popular footpath at Oakpool, near Allendale.

The footpath has now been re-opened to the public, having been built up with traditional willow spiling and log revetment.

The project has also restored 1,400 metres of riverbank using green techniques, such as willow weaving and pegging, with the use of locally-sourced willow.

Trees have also been planted, and log revetments installed, to help stabilise soil and support the river banks.

Conservation officer Emma Wright said: “The local community and visitors are now enjoying this beautiful riverside walk again, and we hope that these repairs will be able to flex and absorb the force of any future floods so that the footpath will be protected for many years to come.”

Walkers with keen eyes will also have noticed a new fish pass at Allen Mills. The old concrete pass over the weir was ineffective for most fish, leaving them stranded in the lower reaches of the river, a long way from the gravel beds they need for spawning.

The AONB Partnership has built a new timber fish easement, including logs for fish to rest against as they make their journey upstream.

Emma added: “This should help migratory salmon and trout reach spawning grounds higher up the East Allen, and will be a great new place to watch fish leap in the autumn.”

The AONB partnership says rivers and streams in the Allen Valleys are dynamic, fast-flowing and subject to dramatic changes.

Emma said: “The rich heritage of mining in the area has left heavy metal pollutants in the soil and numerous weirs and revetments along the main rivers, which have altered the natural river flow.”