Rising waters | Rooted solutions
Shaping York’s rivers trail together: residents, visitors and partners
The York rivers trail is growing with ideas and creativity from schools, community groups and local residents and visitors. Keep following along...
The York rivers trail began its public journey on 28 September with a soft launch, held as part of York Walking Festival and York Environment Festival. Residents and visitors joined a creative riverside walk to help shape the new trail and explore how York’s flood and climate story could be shared.
Starting at North Street Gardens, participants explored the city’s long history with the river including flooding – discussing the science behind the Viking Recorder, and community-led improvements already underway along the river. Along the way, they shared memories, exchanged ideas and captured these on a doodle cart – helping shape what the trail will eventually look and feel like.
Ousewem, leading the project, is working closely with partners and communities to bring York’s rivers stories to life. As Victoria Murray, Ousewem project manager, explained:
“The River Ouse is at the heart of York’s flood story. Our data and defences matter, but so too do upstream natural flood management measures and the voices of local people. The York rivers trail is a new way to connect people with that work upstream.”
Artists, Griselda Goldsbrough and Stephen Lee Hodgkins, supporting the project’s engagement partner, Innovate Educate, added:
We've lived by the river for years but the events made us see it differently too. Hearing other people’s memories and hearing their responses to the 'science' felt like building something together for the whole city to enjoy.
What’s happening next
The soft launch walk builds on a wider engagement programme:
- stakeholder listening – ongoing conversations with partners including the Environment Agency, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, St Nicks, upstream farmers, community groups and more
- schools programme – following a summer 2025 consultation, teachers joined an introductory workshop on 25 September. Development workshops with educators, project experts and artists will follow in November to co-design new classroom resources on rivers and resilience. Resources will be piloted in schools from March 2026
Themes emerging from this work include using field work to explore local environments, learning how rivers change and understanding relationships between living things and their habitats. These will inform the creative interpretation of the rivers trail, alongside additional activity.
Looking ahead
The York rivers trail is growing with ideas and creativity from schools, community groups and local residents and visitors. Over the next months art, installations and interactive features will take shape, all helping to tell the story of York’s rivers and resilience. Keep following along – and add your voice – because the trail is set to open in summer 2026, ready for residents and visitors to explore, learn and be inspired.
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