The middle section of the River Coquet for CRAG purposes runs from Guyzance to Pauperhaugh. There are several groups testing water quality along this stretch. SNAC (Swarland and Newton Action on Climate) are testing on the Hazon burn. Felton CAN (Climate and Nature) and Thirston work together to test around Felton. The Brinkburn and Hesleyhurst Parish Council coordinates testing at Weldon Bridge. During 2024, a Longframlington group was set up to test the Swarland and Fence burns at Felton Fence. And in 2025, a group began testing the Hazon and Mere burns near Guyzance Mill, and another group began testing on the Paxtondene burn.
For those sites testing during 2024, a summary of the CRAG data and Environment Agency data from the region was presented to the volunteers after a year’s worth of testing.
The Hazon burn has been described as poor quality by the Environment Agency based on surveys of fish and invertebrates. There is a small sewage treatment works at Hampeth and an inflow of water from the old Whittle coal mine once the water has flowed through well maintained reed beds. SNAC have been testing just upstream of the ford, 50m below settling ponds inflow and 20m below the old Whittle mine inflow. They have begun testing two small tributaries that flow directly from arable fields to examine the impact of fertiliser.
Felton and Thirston work together to manage water testing, although testing is split between three groups, one tests the water at the bridges (Felton old bridge and the Back burn bridge), another tests at Moldshaugh at the bottom of Tim Cooper’s garden and a third group has more recently been set up to test a site 200m downstream of the Felton sewage treatment works and where the Thirston burn joins the River Coquet.
The Brinkburn group currently only test at Weldon Bridge. When we have permission from the landowner, they would also like to test the Forest burn at Pauperhaugh.
A new group has begun testing at Felton Fence, where the Fence burn joins the Swarland burn. The Fence burn site is immediately downstream from the sewage pumping station that pumps sewage from Longframlington to the Felton sewage treatment works. The pumping station occasionally spills sewage into the Fence burn.
A group of Longhorsley residents have begun testing above and below the Longhorsley sewage treatment works. This STW spills into the Paxtondean burn, which flows into the Longdike burn and then to the Thirston burn to enter the Coquet downstream of Felton.
A group has also begun testing down near the Guyzance Mill. They are testing where the Mere burn joins the River Coquet (upstream of the Guyzance weir) and where the Hazon burn joins the River Coquet. This latter site should allow an interesting comparison with tests further up the Hazon burn because some results from the Environment Agency have suggested that the nutrient levels where the Hazon burn join the Coquet are much higher than at Hazon ford. This is something we can’t explain.
CRAG 