The Project
Funding Partner
Nenescape Landscape Partnership
The Nenescape Landscape Partnership was a Heritage Lottery Funded scheme, focused on the transition of the Nene Valley from a working landscape to a recreational space with significant historical and wildlife interest.
All of this must learn to coexist alongside a large, increasing human population; modern industry and agriculture.
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About Nenescape Landscape Partnership
Our shared vision is a healthy and resilient river Nene, where the local wildlife prospers alongside agricultural and recreational activities. The landscape’s industrial, cultural and archaeological legacies are shared and valued by those living and working in the Nene Valley, and opportunities to learn about and manage the heritage and the local environment are accessible and plentiful.
This National Lottery Heritage funded collaborative project brought together partners from along the River Nene between Northampton and Peterborough to celebrate, protect and conserve the natural and built heritage of the landscape. Nene Rivers Trust (formerly River Nene Regional Park) hosted this project and core team, supporting partner organisations to deliver a series of ambitious projects.
The river valley has hidden gems – ancient mill sites, wintering bird habitats, nationally important Roman archaeology and buzzing wildflower meadows to name a few – but this special and underappreciated collection is under threat from fast population growth.
There are, however, many passionate organisations and individuals in the area working to look after the landscape and Nenescape will support their projects by increasing access into the landscape, sharing skills and knowledge across partners and ensuring that the river is resilient to increasing visitor numbers.
The aim of the Nenescape Landscape Partnership Scheme was to better understand and promote the identity of the Nene Valley and explore how past industries and peoples have shaped the landscape. We hoped to share and develop skills, bring communities together and enable them to respond to current and future pressures through the interpretation and restoration of heritage and habitats.
Our projects are roughly arranged into tree themes; Listen to the Past, Explore the Now, and Secure the Future, but all projects have some elements of each theme in them.
| Secure the future | Explore the Now | Listen to the Past |
|---|---|---|
| Secure the Future was about improving river and meadow habitats in the Nene Valley, bringing communities together and delivering opportunities to develop skills in staff and volunteers. It included a grants scheme for farmers and landowners, a project to improve fishing practices and a scheme of river restoration works. | Explore the Now was a theme about encouraging and enabling people in the Nene Valley to explore the area by making information more readily available and places more accessible. The theme created a new website dedicated to the Nene Valley, improved a cycle and walking route and ran an annual, landscape-wide, nine-day festival. | Listen to the Past was about sharing the history of the Nene Valley with people who live in, work in and visit the area. We uncovered the stories of people who have made the valley their home over millenia and worked with community groups and partner organisations to make those stories accessible to as many people as possible. |
Case Studies
We have created a case study booklet detailing each project which you can read here
Our journey…
The following documents, reports and videos provide an insight into the delivery of a series of ambitious projects. It represents 7 years of collaboration, trust, hard work and above all a lot to be proud of.
Included on this page: a collection of case studies taken from each project, highlighting the should, the should not and the maybe next times, the full independent evaluation report of the Nenescape scheme as a whole, a summary evaluation exploring the key highlights and a film about the people behind the work.
Also included below is a link to our 2 day Nenescape conference providing presentations from projects which we hope you will find a useful resource.
Evaluation Summary
Evaluation Report
Case Studies
Evaluation Film
Exploring Nenescape Conference
Day 1
- Introduction by John Griff, Chair Nenescape board
- Exploring how past and present communities shape the landscape
- Managing the landscape for people and wildlife
- Evaluation
- Engaging audience with heritage using digital mediums
- Nenescape on film and Northampton film festival
Day 2
Listen to the recordings of the day 2 discussions.
River and Wetland Restoration
Green and Blue Travel
Regen Tourism and SOP Toolkit
Sharing Best Practices