What Clarkson Should Have Done – Leaky Dam Edition

With the new season of Clarkson’s Farm landing on Amazon, we were amused by Episode 6 which follows Jeremy’s attempt to ‘help nature along’ by spotting a natural debris pile in a stream, and building a leaky woody dam – while getting into some bother along the way.

Credit where it’s due: leaky dams (or Natural Flood Management (NFM) structures) are a brilliant, proven tool. They slow the flow, allow sediment to settle, and reduce downstream flood risk.

But the episode also stumbled onto the bit most landowners don’t expect, getting it right on paper as well as on the ground.

What we’d have done differently:
1. Survey first. Proper ecological, hydrological and topographical surveys identify the right locations and dam dimensions (yes, the 3–5m width rule is real) before any excavator breaks ground.

2. Sort consents early. Catchment Sensitive Farming approval, Environment Agency permissions, and any biodiversity considerations should be confirmed before construction starts, not discovered mid-build causing delays (and a headache).

3. Design for safety and function together. A dam that’s effective at slowing flow but creates an unexpectedly deep pool isn’t a success – it’s a hazard. Good NFM design accounts for both from the outset.

4. Capture the grant funding properly. With the right paperwork in place, schemes like this can be genuinely well-funded, turning a flood resilience measure into a funded land management win.

Nature-based solutions work best when good instincts meet good process. Jeremy’s heart was absolutely in the right place, he just needed the bit that happens before the cameras roll.