River Walks & Other Events
QWAG organises at least one river walk each year to highlight the issues and the potential of urban rivers generally and to celebrate progress and restoration made on the River Quaggy specifically. Details of river walks and other events that QWAG is either organising or participating in are listed here.
Lewisham People's Day ~ July 12th
Visit the QWAG pitch at Lewisham People's Day. Learn how QWAG is building on its success with the River Quaggy Flood Alleviation Scheme - continuing to promote and protect the Quaggy and hopefully inspiring further river restoration work locally and in other urban areas. Find out the current issues facing the Quaggy and Lewisham's other rivers and how they are being addressed. Ler us know your opinions on what could and should be done.
The QWAG pitch is located in the "Love Lewisham" section of the Green Area, No.2 on the programme map. It will be open between noon and 6pm. For further details visit the People's Day website.
Previous river walks
See The rovers return - and meet an old friend (9th September 2007) for a report on our 2007 river walk.
See A suitable case for treatment (10th September 2006) for a report on our 2006 river walk.
See Is it a road or is it a river? (4th September 2005) for a report on our 2005 river walk.
See Sutcliffe Park River Walk (5th September 2004) for a report on our 2004 river walk.
Quaggy breaks free
Amazing things happened to Chinbrook Meadows during 2002. Laurene Brooks reports on two special events that marked the realisation of another great QWAG idea:
It rained on the 29th October 2002 but no-one seemed to mind. From those expensively
shod, to the wellington-boot brigade, all who attended the 'Changing the Channel Event' were
in agreement that it was a very good day to be there. After all, the rain was only
demonstrating the effectiveness of the carefully sculpted flood plain and weren't we there
that day to witness the official opening of the restored River Quaggy by Steve Bullock,
the Mayor of Lewisham?
Seven weeks before, on the 8th September, QWAG organised a preview walk for interested supporters. A hundred people came. We saw not a sterile Quaggy encased in concrete as it had been in our walk two years previously, but a river gently shaping its own meandering bed within a carefully crafted flood plain.
Speakers on the day included chair and founder of QWAG, Matthew Blumler, Julie Baxter from the Environment Agency and Mike Keogh from Groundwork. In small groups we all moved from river side to bridge to outdoor classroom to hear our speakers explain the historical, environmental and educational aspects of this site.
We learned from Matthew that the river had been channelised here in 1936 because that was the then perceived way to control flooding. Experience has proved that containing rivers in this way actually contributes toward flooding downstream as there is little opportunity for the water to spread and soak into the ground.
Matthew explained how the Chinbrook Meadows restoration was just one of fourteen such projects proposed in QWAG's Operation Kingfisher - a grand scheme to restore the whole river.
A huge amount of attention has been given to developing the site in environmentally friendly
ways and Julie pointed out two different approaches. One section of the river has been
planted up with native species, and another has been left for nature to make its own
way. This area and the rest of the site will be monitored and managed to prevent any
invasive plants, e.g. Himalayan balsam, taking over.
Recycling of materials in situ was also on top of the agenda as the site was developed, e.g. the paths are built on hardcore made of broken down concrete. Native trees have been planted to enhance the area and to replace the small number that had to be removed. Even these trees have been recycled - one trunk has been turned into a very interesting sculpture on the river bank.
Mike Keogh spoke about the opportunities now available in the park for local school children to learn about their natural surroundings, including pond dipping facilities and a magnificent educational plaque linking the river and its locality to a wider historic, geographic and ecological perspective.
For two years all sorts of agencies have worked in partnership to restore the river in the Meadows, including of course, QWAG - who had initiated the whole enterprise. All us who gathered that day in September were impressed with the transformation and we wondered, could the rivers in the centre of Lewisham ever be this stunning?
QWAG would like to thank the Environment Agency, Lewisham Council, Groundwork and Glendales for all their help in making the QWAG walk a success. Special thanks go to Julie Baxter, Matthew Blumler and Mike Keogh for speaking at the event, and to Conrad Young of LBL's Environment Sustainability Unit for his support.
Photos from previous river walks and other events
A walk in September 2003 from Lewisham shopping centre to Brookmill Park in the river!
QWAG provided walkers with waders and walking sticks (courtesy of the Creekside Centre) and the walkers in turn provided entertainment to bemused shoppers and those visiting Lewisham for different reasons.
A picnic event in June 2003
The River Quaggy in Chinbrook Meadows, 16 months after the concrete was removed and a new channel dug. Looking upstream (south) from below the new bridge. Children and adults are fishing. Many sticklebacks and two stone loach were caught.
River Quaggy Open Day in Manor Park in 1996
Children learn about and find life in the River Quaggy.