During this Season of Creation, around 45 people joined the Bishop of Hertford, the new MP for North East Hertfordshire, Chris Hinchcliff, and the Vicar of Stotfold and Radwell on a Chalk River Pilgrimage Protest from Ivel Springs in Baldock to Radwell on 8 September.
At five prayer points along the River Ivel, the walkers lamented the over-abstraction of water from the Ivel Springs, prayed for our failings in the use of water, and asked for God’s blessing on the river and the wider environment.
The event, a joint effort by All Saints Radwell and RevIvel—a local group dedicated to protecting the Ivel and advocating for change from the water company—attracted members from St Mary’s Stotfold and St Mary’s Baldock.
After the pilgrimage, participants enjoyed refreshments and a service where Bishop Jane preached.
The River Ivel is one of only 250 rare chalk streams in the world. These pure waters are home to rare plants, fish, and animals, and are considered the equivalent of England’s Amazon rainforests or coral reefs. The Upper Ivel River, which once supported four mills, a trout fishery, and a watercress industry, has been reduced to a trickle in places.
Commenting after the event, the Bishop of Hertford, the Rt Revd Jane Mainwaring, commented:
“Walking together along the River Ivel, we experienced both its beauty and its fragility. This pilgrimage was a good way to reflect together on the importance of our local environment, particularly our waterways, and to encourage each of us to play a part in safeguarding these rare and precious chalk streams.”
Speaking about the purpose of the pilgrimage, the Revd Bill Britt said:
“In the prayers we stop and say in our pilgrimage along the River Ivel, we lament when we waste water and cry out for water justice. We want the water company to stop extracting water by boreholes and the stream to return to being a river, a wonder of God’s creation it once was, full of brown trout.”
If you would like to make your own Chalk River Pilgrimage, a map and prayers are available here.
