Raised flood walls were set back from the river, leaving space for riverside paths. Sections of the existing river walls were replaced by railings, opening up new views to the river and providing the opportunity for public art. Raised embankments provided continuity of open green space and footpaths and cycleways were routed along these to provide new and extended views. Lazonby pink sandstone was sourced from within Cumbria ensuring its visual suitability and reducing road miles, with reconstituted stone, also sourced from local suppliers, reducing the use of virgin stone. Respecting locally prevailing bonding patterns, brick was used as a cladding material, in those areas where brick was the predominant building material. In areas of restricted working space and environmental sensitivity another innovative solution for a flood defence scheme was developed with Hanson UK. Their QuickbuildTM precast wall panels were revolutionary on this projectcomprising pre-fabricated cladding panels that were constructed off site and lifted into place using cranes in a matter of days. These used the same brick types and bonding pattern as used elsewhere. Construction off-site allowed improved control over the finish quality, reduced healthnd safety risks by avoiding the need for bricklayers to work close to deep water, and reduced environmental risks by avoiding potential polluting activities. These were assembled as the core concrete wall was being constructed. An innovative technique for flood defence wall facings was devised using concrete formliners. Site specific moulds were taken from carefully selected local stone walling and combined with coloured concrete to create a dramatic, yet sympathetic, finished effect along the river corridor. This approach minimised the volume of concrete used as it eliminated the requirement for additional cladding materials, mortars and associated environmental risks from pollution especially adjacent to the SAC designated river.