The Bewdley River Festival runs from 7 June to World Rivers Day on 27 September, a summer-long programme put on by Communities Against River Pollution, the local citizen science group working for a cleaner, healthier River Severn. Behind it sits one clear aim: to win a Rights for Rivers Charter for the Severn, protecting it from harm and drawing attention to how fragile it is.
The programme takes in talks and walks, workshops, music, art and family days across the town and beyond, with a photography competition and exhibition, “Is A River Alive?”, as its centrepiece. Two large river-themed banners, handmade by local people, hang outside St Anne’s Church until the end of September.
Most events are ticketed, from £5 to £25, with some asking for donations and others free. They book up quickly, and proceeds go back into CARP’s not-for-profit work.
What’s still to come
- 23 July: Rights of Rivers and Boat of Hope, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Bewdley Baptist Church. Donations. A practical workshop with Josh Levene on developing a local river charter.
- 4 August: Bat Walk, 8.30pm to 10.30pm, meeting at Bewdley Leisure Centre. £5, with Matthew Terry of Worcestershire Bat Group.
- 6 August: Family litter pick and bring-your-own picnic, 11.30am to 12.30pm, meeting at St Anne’s Church. Free, with everything provided including tea, coffee and cake.
- 15 August: “Is A River Alive?” photography exhibition opening and winners’ awards, 10.30am for an 11am presentation, Bewdley Brewery.
- 15 August: Arts etc dance performance, “Don’t Go Near The Water”. Time and location confirmed nearer the date. Donations.
- 18 August: Kids Poetry in Rivers writing workshop, 11am to 1pm, Quaker Meeting House. £5, for children aged 8 and over with an adult.
- 20 August: Unlocking the Severn talk, 7.30pm to 8.30pm, Bewdley Baptist Church. £5. Aaron Batsman of the Canal and River Trust on the Diglis fish pass and its underwater viewing window.
- 21 August: Severn Rivers Trust family workshops, Wonderful Water from 10am to noon and Eco Detectives from 1pm to 3pm, meeting by Bewdley Rowing Club. Free, for children aged 8 and over with an adult.
- 22 August: Children’s river painting, 11am to 3pm, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Gardens, drop in. Suggested £5. The linked animal trail and quiz runs until 27 September, starting and finishing at Wyre Forest Books.
- 23 August: Water testing demonstration, 3pm, the far end of Severn Side North. Free. James Chapman demonstrates Surfbee, a remote-controlled boat that measures water quality.
- 30 August: Arty Party with bring-your-own picnic and drinks, late afternoon until 11pm, at Wolverley. Suggested £10, with overnight camping bookable.
- 12 September: The Tangent, with support from Rebel and the Banned, doors 7pm, St George’s Hall. £25, all profits to CARP.
- 27 September: World Rivers Day, 3pm to 6pm, Bewdley Baptist Church. Keynote speakers, the raffle draw, food and drink, followed by a musical procession to the riverside.
From 16 August the photography exhibition spreads across the town as a walking trail, with prints on display at The Courtyard, Orilla, Tearoom Bliss, St Anne’s Church, The Green Cobbler, the George Hotel and Rise Café, along with Studio @ 31 Load Street until 15 September and St George’s Hall until 12 October.
The festival opened on 7 June and has already taken in community singing, beaver talks and walks, photography workshops and a river flotilla at the Bewdley Carnival. Booking details are on the CARP website, and you can back the campaign by signing the petition for rights for the River Severn.
You can also read more about the festival and the campaign behind it in our blog post on the Bewdley River Festival.
