London Rivers Week returns from Friday May 30 to Sunday June 8, with a theme for 2025 being “quality rivers for all” – emphasising access to nature and good quality blue and green spaces.
“From river restoration to litter-pick sessions, guided walks and webinars, London Rivers Week has something for everyone,” the organisers say.
The festival will offer a wide range of free activities, including a series of walks, talks, events, and seminars focusing on nature and rivers.
The principal organisations running London Rivers Week are the Environment Agency, Thames21, the South East Rivers Trust, London Wildlife Trust, the Zoological Society of London, CPRE London and the Thames Estuary Partnership. In addition to these organisations, many other groups run and contribute to events, walks, talks and seminars to demonstrate the value of rivers.
Events begin on May 30 with a free, online webinar Professor Sir Dieter Helm of Oxford University on solutions to fix our broken water system.
Oxford lecture: Prof Sir Dieter Helm provides a keynote webinar to begin London Rivers Week
On Sunday June 1 at Morden Hall Park (just a short tram ride away), Thames21 is collaborating with the National Trust and their “urban rangers” to organise a day of craft activities for children which will involve drawing the River Wandle with paints, crayons and coloured pencils (an adult must accompany every child).
“This nature-inspired activity aims to get children to create a bespoke piece of art using wildlife identification kits and get enthused and inspired by the River Wandle and its surrounding ecosystem. All kids will receive a certificate,” the organisers say.
Places for this event (which runs from 10am to 12pm) need to be registered in advance. Click here for more.
On the same Sunday, starting at noon, there’s a guided walk along the Wandle from Colliers Wood Tube Station with the Wandle Industrial Museum’s John Sheridan. This is a free event.
“Learn about Wandle industries on this walk which takes in the former Merton Mill, which became Connolly’s Leather Works and now contains apartments, and continues through Wandle Meadow Nature Park to The Old Copper Mill near the Wimbledon football club stadium.
Wandle wandering: the river, streams and mills of Morden Hall Park provide a setting for events in London Rivers Week
“You will return along the route of the early 19th century Surrey Iron Railway passing near the site of the works of the fine art potter William De Morgan.”
The walk is expected to last around 90 minutes. All under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
To book a place on this walk, please email john.sheridan08@gmail.com.
There are various other events, including a River Wandle clean-up, as well as a walk along the weirs of Carshalton on June 5.
Led by a geomorphologist (that’s a mud and gravel expert to you) from the Environment Agency on a 2½mile walk of the River Wandle from Wilderness Island (nearest stations Hackbridge or Carshalton) to Ravensbury Park (nearest stations Morden Tube or Belgrave Walk (tram)).
“We will look at the location of five former mill weirs and how their existence has altered the river. Some have been adapted or removed to reduce their impact on the river. Others still await their fate.”
Starting at 5pm from the entrance to footpath by 47 River Gardens, Carshalton SM5 2NH.
This is a free event, though under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
Email richard.charman@environment-agency.gov.uk to book.
Read more: ‘Environmental disaster’ on Wandle after diesel spills into river
Read more: Wandle Forum in legal challenge to council over nature reserve
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