Bringing the Stour to Life

What if… we helped people understand the River Stour in new and different ways?
What if... people adopted all 30 miles of the Stour along parts where they live?
What if... the Stour was recognised as a recreational route?

Holding the questions above drew local resident Colin to respond to an invitation to lead a project through Dudley People’s School for Climate Justice in March 2024.

“Having spent over a decade avidly exploring the trails of the West Midlands, last year having started volunteering with the River Stour Rescue group, I spent a few months putting an off-road running trail together from the source of the River Stour at Romsley through to Stourport which myself a group of friends ran in August last year. It really introduced the stunning beauty of many parts of the river to me (and certainly my pavement loving friends!) - and as such I'm keen to harness this within this project. 

One of the primary long-term targets of the project is to create an identified 'Stour Way' - linking existing public rights of way (and also work with landowners where there's opportunity to use private land) along the 30 mile path of the river - and then working with local groups / organisations to adopt their / a section and support its unique eco-systems whilst sensitively introducing the river to a wider audience (with the aim of awareness, education, connection / connectivity and protection).” 

Colin has been reaching out to a range of local community-led groups, nature-based organisations and public sector officers, all of whom have responded to his idea with enthusiasm. In August 2024 he worked on an initial funding proposal with Sustans, around the establishment of a recognised ‘Stour Way’. Below is an outline of this:

The project is seeking to work with the communities along the course of the River Stour to establish a new recognised 'Stour Way' long distance walking path. The path, that begins at the rivers source in Worcestershire at St Kenelm's Church in Romsley, meanders through 30 miles of both some of the regions most densely populated urban areas and pastoral rural locations. Utilising existing public rights of way, canal towpath, NCN, public highway and working with land owners to establish new access routes where desirable, the path will connect communities with both the rivers stunning examples of nature and its rich cultural heritage. It seeks to provide communities with new, accessible opportunities for health and well-being, fitness and connectivity. It will deliver a new understanding and connection with the regions heritage and how the river shaped our region and the places we live today. It will celebrate and accelerate the natural recovery of the river over the previous decades - raising communities recognition, awareness, appreciation and love for the river as it flows to the Severn at Stourport. The path will act as a new economic opportunity for attracting walkers, runners and wheelers from around the region into some of the communities that wouldn't traditionally be on the 'tourist trail' - bringing the opportunity to support existing, and encourage new, riverside businesses to flourish. Working collaboratively across a diverse collection of national, regional and local organisations, the project will seek to install The Stour Way as a central pillar to the continued rejuvenation of the region it once built.

Colin is a Time Rebel with Dudley People’s School for Climate Justice.