Mass grant funding for field drainage dried up in the 1980s. Even well-maintained drains installed then will now be creaking and groaning, especially when extreme wet weather hits.
The GWCT Allerton Project site at Loddington, on the Leicestershire/Rutland border, hosts a 320-ha mixed arable and livestock demonstration farm.
One of its fields was well poised to investigate the pros and cons of installing a new drainage system in August 2025.