Introducing Alan Winlow, MBE, Freeman of Whitton and Tosson, Rothbury Tree Warden

On Boxing Day, 2020, Alan was shocked to find that part of the River Coquet river bank had eroded; the footpath had entirely disappeared! The area looked worryingly changed from how it had appeared on his sunny August walk months earlier.

This was a serious situation. If left unchecked, a large area of fertile pasture land would be lost. Alan notified the Environment Agency (EA) and, after lengthy talks with them, the landowner, and the Parish Council, he began to devise a plan

Alan explained: “Plentiful willow supplies were available nearby, so the use of willow spiling and brash bundles was an obvious choice. Dead trees were also available. "Because willow takes time to get established, we decided to use levels of spiling protected by substantial bundles of brash lashed to fixed posts and dead trees.

"The lagoon that the river had created in the riverbank was first filled with gravel skimmed from a bank downstream. “The posts to secure the brash were driven into the gravel close to the water level. “Next, living willow posts formed the stakes for the willow spiling: willow branches made a robust woven barrier.

“Behind this, we added soil to ensure a growing medium for the live willow. "We then wove the final spiling barrier and added soil behind this. Finally, this ground was stabilised using willow cuttings.”