Local campaign group calls for the revival of the Gaywood River

Extinction Rebellion King’s Lynn held the event on World Rivers Day.

Residents gathered at South Quay in King’s Lynn to celebrate World Rivers Day with stories, poems, and songs dedicated to rivers around the world. 

Organised by the local Extinction Rebellion, members also called for the Gaywood River, one of the world’s rare chalk streams, to be better cared for.

“Typically chalk streams crystal clear water bubbles up through chalk, their gentle flow allow plants and wildlife, to flourish,” says Jenny Walker, one of the organisers. 

Adding, “Sadly the Gaywood River, that flows from a chalk ridge near Gayton to King’s Lynn, does not match this description. It is polluted by sewage and chemical run off from fields. Going back in time, the lower reaches of the river have been straightened which destroys wild life habitats and increases the risk of flooding.”

Sunday's gathering

As part of the event, the 'Rights of the River' were read aloud - that 'rivers have the right to flow freely, remain unpolluted, support biodiversity, and regenerate'. 

The group believes there are practical steps that could help revive the Gaywood, such as stopping destructive dredging, holding Anglian Water accountable for sewage releases, and encouraging landowners to create buffer strips of permanent vegetation along waterways.

World Rivers Day, celebrated in more than 100 countries, aims to raise awareness of the vital role rivers play in sustaining people, wildlife, and cultures.