Harrison's Holme
Update: 16 September 2026
New wetland takes shape as restoration work begins
Restoration work has begun at Harrison's Holme in Horncastle, a new wetland nature reserve created at the confluence of two internationally rare chalk streams.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust CEO Paul Learoyd welcomed key stakeholders to the site this week to mark the start of works, joined by Mike Harrison, one of the site's former landowners, Rachel Butler and Sam Valman of East Mercia Rivers Trust (EMRT), who secured the funding and led the restoration plans, and East Lindsey District Councillors William Gray and Fiona Martin. East Lindsey District Council has supported the restoration through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The site name is a tribute to the Harrison family, long-time owners of the land, and echoes its historic name; in past centuries the whole area was known as 'The Holmes'. EMRT secured funding from Anglian Water to purchase the site, led the design of the restoration plans and brought in UKSPF funding from East Lindsey District Council to deliver them. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will manage the site for the long term.
Rachel Butler, CEO of East Mercia Rivers Trust, said: "I grew up in Horncastle, so securing this site for the community means a great deal to me personally and the Wildlife Trust are the right people to look after it for years to come."
Councillor William Gray, portfolio holder for Communities at East Lindsey District Council, said: "Councillor Fiona Martin and I have backed this project from the start. It's a real asset for the town, and we hope people will use the viewpoint once it's finished to see the site for themselves."
Paul Learoyd, CEO of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, said: "This is a small but significant new wetland for Horncastle. It won't prevent flooding outright, but by lowering the banks, the site will be far better able to soak up floodwater, while creating a brand-new haven for wildlife at the meeting point of two internationally important chalk streams."
Update: 2 February 2026
Thank you to the very first work party on our new wetland site at Harrison's Holme, who cleared two old fences and collected two bags of litter last week. As the project progresses, we will be looking for more volunteers to get involved, so do keep an eye on our website and Facebook page if you'd like to lend a hand.
6 October 2025
A new wetland nature reserve is coming to the heart of Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is excited to be working with East Mercia Rivers Trust to create a new wetland habitat for wildlife in the historic market town of Horncastle.
The nature reserve will be located immediately to the south of the A158 on land bordered on two sides by the River Bain and River Waring. Harrison’s Holme takes its name from historical references to its former designation, ‘the Holmes’, and honours the legacy of the Harrison family, associated with the land. It was recently acquired by the Trust thanks to funding donated by East Mercia Rivers Trust through a grant from Anglian Water’s Get River Positive programme.
The land is prone to flooding over the winter and in periods of prolonged wet weather, making it unsuitable for grazing or planting traditional crops. Under the new proposals, the area will be relandscaped to allow more natural movement and storage of water, creating a series of microhabitats that will support a diverse range of plants, insects, reptiles and amphibians, small mammals and birds.
Like many wetland sites, Harrison’s Holme will not be accessible except for vital management work, but an elevated viewpoint with seating and interpretation will allow visitors to enjoy the nature reserve without disturbance to sensitive species. This will be reached via the existing pavement along the roadside and will be fenced for safety and screened from the traffic to minimise noise.
Visualisation of Harrison's Holme as drone image from viewing area
The planned work for the nature reserve includes:
- An area of bank regrading along the River Bain to make it easier for water to flow onto the adjacent floodplain (within the nature reserve site)
- Excavation of scrapes and ephemeral ponds at varying depths and positions
- Planting in different areas to increase biodiversity, improve bank stability and provide habitat
- Construction of shallow swales and earthen bunds
- Creation of hibernacula from on-site materials to provide overwintering and refuge habitat for amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates.
Subject to planning approval, most of the major work with machinery will be completed over the winter months. Inevitably during this process, there will be large areas of bare earth and the site may look somewhat desolate in the short-term. Nature will quickly take over, supplemented by some planting of appropriate native species.
There will be opportunities for volunteers to help with hands-on tasks from scrub removal to planting and hibernacula creation, but for health and safety reasons some of these may be restricted. We hope there will also be the chance for creative involvement from young people locally, so please do check back here and on social media for more information. This page will be updated as the project progresses.
This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Anglian Water Get River Positive.
