River Restoration at Riverside Gardens, Orpington- River Cray

Tag: River Cray

River Restoration at Riverside Gardens, Orpington- River Cray

The South East Rivers Trust has embarked on a project to improve a 1.4km stretch of the Upper Cray, running through Riverside Gardens in Orpington and St Mary Cray and ending at the Mill Brook Road upstream of Broomwood Lake.

The project comprises wetland reinstatement alongside habitat enhancements to the Upper Cray, it’s a fantastic opportunity to help restore your local river for the benefit of nature!

Join us to help construct brash wood berms to the River Cray using natural products. Berms are in channel features which narrow a channel and provide changes to the flow to help restore natural processes.

Anyone over 16 years of age is welcome, no previous volunteering or river restoration experience is required and full instruction and supervision will be given on the day.

This is physical work and whilst we will make every effort to provide a selection of different tasks, the work may not be suitable for anyone with back problems or other musculoskeletal injury.

All tools and equipment, inc. steel toe waders and gloves will be provided.

Meeting point: Riverside Gardens. Nearest postcode: BR5 4AB. Exact meeting point will be sent out to all attendees once signed up. Google map HERE

What to bring: Please wear appropriate clothes and footwear, it maybe cold so some extra layers and thick socks are advisable. We will provide hot refreshments but please bring a bottle of water and a packed lunch.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL – please RSVP using the button below and complete the form to secure your spot.

In the event of poor weather, this activity may need to be rescheduled. We will notify all attendees by phone/email if this occurs.

Booking for this event will close at 5pm on Monday 13th January 2025.

Minimum age 16 years old, unaccompanied 16 and 17 year old’s will need written parental consent. Please email volunteering@southeastriverstrust.org for more information.

Please email volunteering@southeastriverstrust.org to:

  • Find out more information,
  • Cancel your space if you can no longer make it,
  • Submit parental consent for unaccompanied16 &17 year old’s.

To read our Health and Safety Guidelines for this event please click HERE.

Photos and video footage will be taken at this event and used by the Trust for promotional purposes (including but not limited to printed materials, social media, newsletters and the website) and potentially shared with our external partners and funders. From time to time, external media agencies could also take photos, film or record our events.

The Trust’s lawful basis for processing this is “Legitimate Interests” under the General Data Protection Regulations. As an individual you have rights. If you wish for SERT to stop processing this data for you, please talk to a member of staff or email info@southeastriverstrust.org.

To read our Privacy Policy and see how we use and look after the information you provide when booking your spot at our events please click HERE.

London Mayor funding to bring Bromley wetlands back to life

Posted on by Ian Lamont

Volunteers will have the chance to help revitalise wetlands in Riverside Gardens, Bromley, for river wildlife thanks to a grant from the Mayor of London.

The Riverside Gardens Wetland Restoration project will be managed by the South East Rivers Trust (SERT) in partnership with the London Borough of Bromley and local community groups.

It aims to improve water quality and habitat in the headwaters of the River Cray, the prime chalk river of outer, south east Greater London which rises in Orpington.

Announced on Wednesday (13th March), the Bromley project is one of 21 that will receive a grant from the Rewild London Fund.

This is aimed at making the capital more resilient to climate change by improving 40 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs).

Currently, this stretch of the river suffers from high sediment input which is detrimental to chalk streams and its wildlife, and the wetland is choked with scrub. The project, supported by the Mayor of London in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust, will reprofile the inlet channel and the online wetland and add a new sediment trap to prevent sediment being released downstream. This will increase the water quality and flow to support aquatic vegetation, fish and river invertebrates.

Part of the site for the Riverside Gardens project in Bromley

Volunteers will have the chance to plant up the reprofiled wetland, using a selection of native wetland plants.

Petra Sovic Davies, Senior Catchment Manager at SERT, said: “We are delighted to receive funding to help us restore the Riverside Gardens Wetland, especially as it will allow us to involve the local community. It is so vital that residents are involved in being given the chance to look after their local natural space. A thriving wetland not only acts as a magnet for wildlife but also provides a wonderful open space that people can enjoy and where they can learn about the natural world.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “This new rewilding funding will support the restoration of some amazing spaces in the capital, enabling Londoners to benefit from nature on their doorstep and help us to combat the impacts of climate change.

“I believe that all Londoners should be able to enjoy green spaces and that access to nature is a social justice issue. So I’m doing all I can to ensure that Londoners can enjoy wildlife wherever they are in the city.”

Mayor of London logo