Drones take to the sky to explore what can be done to restore the River Wissey near Northwold and Stoke Ferry

One of Norfolk’s chalk rivers has become the focus of an investigation to see how natural flooding measures could help protect homes and businesses.

Drones have taken to the skies to explore what can be done to restore the River Wissey.

This rises as a small chalk-fed stream in Shipdham before flowing west into the Great Ouse, north of Ten Mile Bank in the Fens, 31 miles away.

The Natural England project will use aerial footage taken over its western reaches to help drive discussions around how the river could benefit from future flood management solutions.

This technology has allowed experts to map a four-mile stretch, offering unique insight into which areas of arable land on either side of the river are less productive and better suited to manage flooding.

Natural England says this technique helps to prevent larger, catastrophic flood events from occurring by giving the river more room to expand in desired locations, rather than it bursting its banks uncontrollably.

In recent years, agencies have begun prioritising natural flood defence measures to help protect homes and businesses against flooding where applicable.

This could include tree planting, wetland creation, and river re-meandering to slow water flow.

The River Wissey project comes as work has progressed to ‘re-wriggle’ a 651-metre section of the River Yare close to the village of Coston.

Historically, rivers have been straightened to improve flow but it is now understood that this heightens the risk of flooding downstream.

Elsewhere, in the River Gaywood catchment area near King’s Lynn, campaigners have been calling on the Internal Drainage Board to rethink its approach to river management.

This has prompted a probe into how flood protection work could focus on more natural solutions.