Saturday 19th September
Voices of the Ouse
All Saints Centre, Friars Walk, Lewes BN7 2LE
11.00-13.30 FREE – advance booking & on the door
Conversations from across the Ouse community—those who represent, work alongside, and feel a deep connection to its waters. Discover stories of hope, and positive action, alongside honest conversations about the pressures and challenges. Contribute to the discussion, gain a deeper understanding and be empowered to become part of the Riverlution.
Speakers: Key note by The Ouse, Peter King – Director at Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, Sam Pottier – South East Water, Harriet Trueman – Wilder Ouse Officer, Harry Fishlock, Caroline Croft – Don’t Urbanise Hamsey, Love our Ouse and more
Saturday 19th September
Council of All Beings
Council Chamber, Lewes Town Hall, High St, Lewes BN7 2QS
15.00-17.30 Free – booking required
Join us for a unique workshop in the grand Council Chamber at Lewes Town Hall. In this immersive experience, you’ll step into the role of a member of our wild community, representing a species and speaking on its behalf. Together, we’ll explore deliberative democracy from an ecocentric perspective, giving nature a voice in decision-making and discovering how consensus can shape more inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Whether you’re curious about new ways of thinking, passionate about the natural world, or simply intrigued by the idea of representing another living being, we invite you to be part of this thought-provoking and inspiring experience.
Suitable for all over 14+years (under 16yrs must be accompanied by an adult). No previous experience or knowledge required.
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th September
The Collective at Gote Barn
Gote Barn, Gote Lane, Ringmer, BN8 5HX
Exhibition daily: 10.00-17.00 FREE – drop in anytime
Glynde Reach talk: Sunday 20th 14:00
Eclectic and interactive exhibition with over 20 artists across different mediums. It will include community project conversations with water bringing together memories, activism, exploration and our love of all things watery. This year we are delighted to work with Love our Ouse who will be presenting the results of citizen science water testing along Glynde Reach. This will give a picture of the health of our local waters and indicate what is happening. There is something for everyone and a warm welcome with Morris dancers, delicious tea and cake.
Sunday 20th September
Glimpses of the Lower Ouse
Southease to Lewes
Walk: 10.30-13.00 £10 – booking required
The Ouse through time and space, touching on key heritage, cultural, industrial and biodiversity elements. The Lower Ouse has changed drastically over time and faces significant pressures today, we’ll reflect on this and ongoing efforts to redefine our relationship with the river. Walk led by Matthew Bird, Love our Ouse Director.
Distance: 4.2 miles
Walk start point: Bridge at Southease
Walk intensity: leisurely – walks for reasonably fit people with some walking experience.
Thursday 24th September
Britain’s Hidden Fishes & Panel Discussion
Depot, Pinwell Rd, Lewes BN7 2JS
Panel: Love our Ouse with guest speakers
17.45-19.45 £10/£5 booking required
A documentary exploring the underwater world of the UK.
Behold Lewes’s very own magnificent ‘Mullet Murmeration’ on the big screen. From the Sussex Ouse to Scottish Burns, Jack Perks’ film looks at the lives of some of our most underrated wildlife, fish. Narrated by biologist and television presenter Jeremy Wade (of River Monsters fame), the film was shot over two years to bring stories, behaviours and previously unseen footage of British fish to light.
Panel discussion will deep dive below the surface to learn about the incredible fish of the River Ouse and the challenges they face.
Thursday 24th September
River Uck: Leaky barrier building
With the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust
10.00-15.00 FREE – booking required
18 years (16+ if they come with a parent/ carer/ guardian)
Join us for a day of creating leaky barriers across surface water pathways in the Uck catchment. This natural flood management (NFM) work will help to slow the flow of water during heavy rainfall events, create drought resilience, and provide beneficial wetland habitat for aquatic and other wildlife. The Ouse and Adur Rivers team will lead the session with tools and light refreshments provided. This will be a hands-on session and volunteers will need to be able to undertake moderate manual physical activities such as moving logs, digging and hammering in stakes. Suitable for 18yrs+ (16yrs+ welcome accompanied by adults). Address and meeting point will be circulated via email to those signed up.
Charter Celebration Ceremony
11.00-12.00 Cliffe Bridge & procession to the Railway Land, Lewes
Celebrate the pioneering Ouse Charter that’s making waves across the valley! Join us on the River’s oldest crossing point to collectively declare the river’s rights placing the Ouse at the centre of our hearts, minds and collective action.
Speeches and tributes to the river will galvanise our commitment to be part of a culture of care and positive change for the benefit of all people and species we share this beautiful Ouse valley with. Join the procession, dressed in blue, white and green with a large iconic Sea Trout leading the way! Flags and fanfare will be provided.
Community Activities
12.00-17.00 Linklater Pavilion, Railway Land
Free drop in anytime. There’s something for everyone!
Take part in our Community River Mapping
Learn all about the threats and challenges these face through the lens of the River Rights Charter and contribute your local knowledge, concerns and hopes for a thriving Ouse community.
- Find the lost river
- Speak to the Mullet Oracle
- Pledge your support on the Boat of Hopes
- Fun workshops – weave a fish and make a kingfisher mask
And more… washed down with tea and cake.
Saturday 26th September
River Connections
12.30-14.30 Ouse River Rights Charter workshop
FREE – no need to book
Rivers in the UK are in crisis. But there is hope. In March 2025, the Ouse became the first river in the UK to have its rights recognised by a council. This sparked a national movement with nearly twenty councils now having recognised the rights of their rivers. But how can rivers have rights? Are charters just slogans or are they practical tools for helping all of us to regenerate our precious rivers? What can I do to help uphold the rights of the Ouse? Come along to this interactive workshop to explore the Ouse River Rights Charter and pledge your support to it.
Saturday 26th September
Wild Words: How can language save the river?
15.15 – 16.45 Tickets £12 booking required
Rebecca Stott – Award-winning non-fiction writer, novelist and broadcaster, Helen Meade – CEO of the Railway Land Wildlife Trust & Dr Jo Smallwood – Associate Professor in Law, University of Sussex
Thought provoking discussion exploring how language shapes our perception of the natural world through law, literature, our values and behaviour. We’ll examine how the language we use often reduces nature to an object: a resource for human use, property to be owned, or an asset to be managed. We’ll also delve into the emerging field of ecolinguistics considering how the words we use and the stories we tell can support the recognition of nature as a rights-bearing entity, such as our own local river catchment.
Saturday 26th September
The Head Of the Ouse
Between Lewes and Newhaven From 11.00 onwards
FREE – drop in anytime
Come watch and cheer on The Head Of The Ouse; a handicapped rowing race in traditional boats; Gigs, Skiffs and Cutters of all shapes and sizes. The Women’s race starts at Newhaven swing bridge at 11:00 am, rowing with the incoming tide up to Lewes. At Lewes Rowing Club, the boats change over crews and with fresh mixed, and Men’s crews, race back down to Newhaven with the ebb tide.
The start time for the “Open race” down to Newhaven is 2:00 pm. The best places to watch the race are Southease bridge (The crews reach Southease bridge about 25 minutes after the start of each leg.) and from anywhere along the egrets way.
There is a detailed online timetable and programme, which will be published closer to the event, with up to date timings and all the information for the event on the day.
Full information here
Sunday 27th September
Lewes Rowing Club Open Day
120 South St, Lewes BN7 2BS
11.00 to 16.00 FREE – drop in
Come and meet members of Lewes Rowing Club and learn about exploring the delights of our beautiful Ouse by boat. It is also a chance to see our new clubhouse, with its blend of traditional oak frame and modern cladding. You are sure of a warm welcome. Our site on South Street provides access to the tidal river Ouse for paddlers, rowers, motor boat owners and sailors, of all abilities. It has been home to Lewes boaters since 1874.
Geocache Treasure Hunt! Messages from the Ouse
In this free, family friendly activity use your phone to discover eight hidden boxes containing ‘messages from the Ouse’ from source to sea. Each box contains more information about the one of the Rights of the Ouse, a message from one of the creatures that depend upon it, a little book for you to leave a message of support to the Ouse and sometimes, a small gift!
To take part
1) download and sign up to the ‘Geocaching’ app
2) In the app on your phone search for ‘BMFQAF1’
or use this link on your PC/Mac https://coord.info/BMFQAF1
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