‘Unsafe' structures threaten century-old tourist pastime
A structural engineer's survey in May 2024 deemed both Jesus Green Lock and Bait's Bite Lock 'unsafe', leading to their closure and trapping boats between them.
The potential failure of these structures could lower the river's water level to a muddy trickle, effectively ending the century-old pastime.
Temporary stabilisation work costing £1.6 million is set to begin at Bait's Bite Lock on 25 August, but a full replacement of both locks is estimated at £25 million.
The Conservators of the River Cam lack the funds for the extensive repairs, with their annual income primarily covering operational costs, and are seeking external funding from stakeholders.
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The Independent
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Golden eagles could be reintroduced to England for first time in 150 years
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Golden eagles poised for reintroduction in England
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Reintroducing birds and animals to places where they were previously extinct is a complex process, but there have been a series of examples in recent years. Beavers The Eurasian beaver is native to Britain but was hunted to extinction about 400 years ago. About 20 years ago some were seen in Scotland, believed to have been illegally released into the wild. A formal reintroduction scheme in Scotland began in 2021 and the country now has an estimated population of about 1,500. After a similar scheme was begun in England, the first legally released animals were set free in Dorset in May. In July it emerged that no subsequent licences for beaver release had been granted, despite 40 expressions of interest. Bison In 2022, three bison were released into Kent woodland, the first wild examples of the creature in Britain for thousands of years. While this has so far been a one-off, the herd has expanded to six, and the bisons' impact on the area has been credited with boosting biodiversity. The same conservation project has since also released a species known as the iron age pig, a cross between wild boar and domestic pigs that are similar to the wild pigs that roamed much of Europe thousands of years ago. It has also released longhorn cattle and Exmoor ponies. Red kites Red kites had been common but loss of habitat and egg stealing meant that by the 1980s they had gone from England, with only a few pairs in Wales. In July 1990, two Welsh red kites and 11 from Spain – the chicks were brought in on a British Airways flight – were released in the Chiltern Hills, a process repeated over the next four years, with similar schemes happening in other areas. Red kites are now commonly seen in the Chilterns and there are an estimated 2,000 breeding pairs in England, distributed across almost the whole country.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Two men trapped in 60m Peak District cave rescued
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