Wallington Estate: Conservationists 'blown away' by beaver project

One of the dams built by the beavers in the river at the Wallington Estate

A family of beavers released in Northumberland has already brought "massive" benefits to their new home.

The four animals arrived at the Wallington Estate in July as part of a conservation project.

Since then, the beavers have created a pond, attracting more wildlife to the area, and coppiced - or cut back - the willow, allowing wild flowers to bloom.

Paul Hewitt, National Trust countryside manager, said his team had been "blown away" by the beavers' activities.

One of the beavers, shortly after being released on the estate in July

The Eurasian beavers were relocated under licence from Tayside in Scotland and are one of only a few populations of the species in northern England.

Just three were originally due to come to Northumberland, but the adult female was found to be pregnant.

The kit was born at Five Sisters Zoo where the family was cared for before they arrived in Northumberland

She gave birth to a kit at a specialist zoo in West Lothian, Scotland, which then cared for the new arrival, before they were eventually taken to their new home over the summer.

The beavers have since established a lodge and it is hoped more kits will be born in the spring.

'Extraordinary expectations'

"They got going quite rapidly when they arrived and started building dams," said Mr Hewitt.

"The first one they started building was a good 4ft high."

In recent weeks, four of their dams became damaged by Storm Babet but have since been repaired by the industrious family.

In the longer term, conservationists hope the dams may help prevent local flooding.

Experts have seen evidence of beaver activity in the estate's trees

Mr Hewitt said Kingfishers, small fish and dragonflies were among the wildlife that had been spotted in the area towards the end of the summer, following the beavers' arrival.

"I'm relatively new to beaver conservation, but I have just been staggered with what they do," he said.

"They have adapted to the environment and have done everything that we expected them to do."

The beavers are being monitored at night

He said he was hoping for a massive rise in the local frog population, adding that his team was excited about what developments next year might bring.

"It was quite a lot of work to get them here in the first place, and the effect they have had has far outweighed my expectations," he said.

"They have only been in four months, so this time next year it should be extraordinary."