OF MAIZE, BIOFUEL AND DAMAGING SOILS: A lot of maize is being harvested around the Sid Valley – much of which will be used as biofuel – which raises all sorts of issues: One concern expressed by both the Soil Association and Committee on Climate Change is the […]

There is, rather confusingly, a stream with two names in the Sid Valley: The Bickwell stream or Woolbrook – The Sid And there is another stream which shares one of these two names – namely the Woolbrook ‘proper’ in the Sid River catchment itself, which joins […]

The stream that runs through Glen Goyle has more than one name, which can be confusing – both the Bickwell and the Woolbrook are given: Glen Goyle refers to the area of land immediately surrounding the stream that runs alongside Glen Road from the sea […]

What’s happening on the River Otter has been pretty impressive these last years – from the reintroduction of beavers to the opening up of the estuary. That project is now coming to an end – as it has been completed!  Home: Lower Otter Restoration Project […]

Great news with the setting up of the River Sid Catchment Group! Its steering group is made up of the former SVA River Warden and members of the Sid River Water Monitoring Group and of the SVBG – meaning the new project is taking forward […]

The state of the River Sid is not nearly as bad as many other rivers – but, there is not a stretch of river in England which is classed as in good or high condition overall – the Rivers Trust having just issued a report […]

The government has just announced “funding for using nature to increase flood resilience”: Forty projects which will use natural processes such as planting trees and creating wetlands to reduce the risk of flooding are set to benefit from a £25 million government programme… Part of the […]

The Sidmouth Arboretum were busy again over the weekend: Planting another wildlife/slow the flow hedge, near the source of the Snod this time alongside the bridleway from Hatway Hill down to Lower Sweetcombe Farm. Apart from creating a future wildlife corridor, this hedgerow will play […]

FISHING ALONG THE SID RIVER: When we think of fishing in Sidmouth, we think of boats going out into Lyme Bay and beyond – as captured in a recent piece in the Sid Vale Association’s newsletter from spring 2022 by Margaret Taylor (Ankins): Sidmouth Fishermen […]

A great project started up last spring along Devon’s longest river: Action on the River Exe – The Sid Celebrating East Devon’s rivers – Festival of the Exe – The Sid And a lot of action has been taken – and a lot of celebrating […]