Tonnes of rubbish cleared from River by Right to Roam campaigners

Local residents joined Right to Roam campaigners in a day of swimming, kayaking, story-telling and educational activities.

The event was organised by the Right to Roam campaign, who are calling for greater public access to rivers and the wider countryside.

Amy-Jane Beer, Right to Roam campaigner and author of The Flow: rivers, water and wildness, said that at present, around 96% of rivers have no clear right of navigation for kayakers and paddleboarders, whilst the law governing wild swimming is decidedly murky. Navigation rights over the Middle Derwent were revoked in 1935.

"Access campaigners argue that the polluted state of our rivers is intrinsically linked to their lack of public access, with damage and degradation occurring ‘out of sight, out of mind’. The problems of sewage in rivers, plastic pollution and slurry run-off have become political issues because of the rising popularity of wild swimming and kayaking, they contend.

"The Right to Roam campaign is calling for a new Right to Roam Act to give the English public the same rights as have been enjoyed in Scotland over the past twenty years, where there is a right of responsible access to the majority of land and water. This, they say, would not only be good for people’s health and wellbeing – but would also inspire more people to become guardians of their local rivers."

Amy-Jane said:

“Our rivers are suffering appallingly from systemic abuse, and it’s only by taking our rightful place on them and in them that we can see the hurt, and enact the guardianship that’s so badly needed.

“To clean up our rivers we need the public to be given greater access to them, so that’s why we’re calling for a new Right to Roam Act in England, modelled on the successful approach taken in Scotland over the past twenty years.”

Amy said during the event volunteers, including members of Malton and Norton Canoe Club and Extinction Rebellion York, cleaned tonnes of trash from the river which was sorted and analysed by Don Barry, the local representative of Trash Free Trails. Water samples were all tested for nutrient levels and sewage bacteria and the results of those tests are pending.

“We hope our actions showcased the responsibility and reverence that most people feel towards our rivers, and provide a model for resetting our broken relationship with nature," Amy added.

"It was wonderful to see people connecting with the river in so many ways, walking, swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking, and celebrating it through practical action creativity storytelling and music. Julie Keen of Ryedale Green Spirit led a beautiful blessing ceremony at Lady Spring in Malton. Local artist Roz Walker did a pottery demo at Kirkham Abbey using the same river clay that the Romans valued so highly. Jenny Greenteeth Was performed by Helen Mahoney of Bloom Arts, we were treated to a new work by poet and playwright Dan Grimston, and wonderful music at Howsham mill by Malton Duo Twisty Turns.

Saturday’s event was being organised by the Right to Roam campaign with the support of several other organisations, including Surfers Against Sewage, Trash Free Trails, River Action, the Outdoor Swimming Society, and Wild Fish. It forms part of the Right to Roam campaign’s #LoveYourRiver month of action.