Repairing a popular footpath with natural materials
The South Tyne Trail is a popular footpath used regularly by locals and visitors to the Tyne Valley. However, erosion by the River South Tyne had caused the riverbank that supported the footpath to collapse, closing one of the most scenic sections of the route.


River Catchment Services worked with Northumberland County Council to repair the footpath using natural materials that provided a robust and long-term solution to the problem. Larch posts were driven vertically into the riverbed and fixed to horizontal posts anchored in the bank. The site was backfilled with soil, re-profiled and covered with geotextile matting that was seeded with grass and planted with willow.
Two years-on, the site has withstood some major flood events and vegetation has become established, ensuring it blends in with the local environment and provides long-term robustness.
Northumberland County Council Countryside and Green Spaces Team says: “We were looking for a long-term fix for the problem and the designs that RCS developed were ideal for the site and they were a big help in getting all necessary permissions in place. A few years on and the work has withstood some major storms and has completely blended into the landscape.”