Local charity uses horse power to help combat flooding in Calderdale

A local flood prevention campaign, Slow the Flow, has recruited traditional horse power to address flooding in the Calder Valley.

Peter Coates and his working horse, Nathan, have been working in Hardcastle Crags, upstream of Hebden Bridge - which was so dramatically impacted by the floods of December 2015.

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Working with volunteers from the Slow the Flow Calderdale charity, Nathan has been moving timber into position to create 'dams’ that slow the flow of water into the Hebden Water.

Robin Gray, South Pennines Local Nature Partnership Development Manager, explained: “Traditional techniques and knowledge of woodland heritage can be used to address contemporary issue such as flooding in the Calder Valley."

He added: "The work we are doing here helps improve water quality and managing woods is good for those plants and animals that thrive in the open space in our woodland.”

Slow The Flow Calderdale members are mostly local and are all volunteers giving up their time to secure a future for the Calder Valley.