Staindale Beck Concrete Sleeper Vehicle Ford - Removal
Completed in October 2025, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have successfully removed a concrete sleeper vehicle ford, on Staindale Beck in North Yorkshire.
Installed over 30 years ago, the landowner, Forestry England, who confirmed that the structure was no longer in use as it had been superseded by a clear span bridge. The ford included two rows of concrete sleepers creating a 5m length of very shallow water and a head drop of 0.5m. The ford was likely impassable to the majority of fish, in the majority of flow conditions. The ford also negatively impacted geomorphological conditions within the beck, with the channel impounded approx. 25m upstream, creating a large area of unnaturally deep and slow moving water and increased fine sediment deposition.
The project, including initial engagement with the landowner, the consenting process and removal took about 4 months. Working with a local contractor to remove the sleepers with a 14ton mini-digger, it was a very quick process that took less than 1 hour.
Adressing this barrier has opened up 7km of watercourse.
Benefits Achieved
Connecting good spawning habitats for local fish populations
Improved local geomorphological conditions
improved in-channel habitat for invertebrates and fish
There are several additional barriers on Staindale/Thornton Beck which will need to be addressed in the years ahead. This particular barrier was intentionally targeted as a first project as it was a low-cost and low-risk opportunity working with a partner within the Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership.
The project was funded by the Great Yorkshire Rivers Enabling Fund with match funding from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
LOCATION
Staindale Beck, North Yorkshire
DATE
Works completed in October 2025
SOLUTION
Concrete sleep vehicle ford removal
Km OPENED
7km of watercourse has been opened
Before & After
Timelapse of removal
“This low-cost and quick-win removal project has improved fish passage and connected good spawning habitats together for local fish populations. We recognise there is more work needed to address other barriers to fish on Staindale/Thornton Beck but this is a good start and will have immediate benefits to local species”
