The rivers that cut paths through our land are the arteries that connect us to the broader world. From birth, we learn to love these meandering and glistening wonders that our very civilization was founded on. Yet, English rivers that form such a romantic and integral part of our psyche are slowly suffocated by a potent mix of nutrients, sewage, interference, and gross mismanagement. They are dying, and with their death, the wonders that capture our imagination and sustain our lives will be lost forever.
In Rural Northumberland, two rivers cling on to their health with a tenacity reflected by the communities seeking to preserve their lives. Breamish and Coquet take their places in the last 14% of English rivers that maintain good ecological health. Yet they are vulnerable, like every river in England, failing their chemical test in 2019.
The upper reaches of these rivers are where we’re headed on an exploratory, 3-day bike packing trip through the Northumberland national park, searching for clean water, healthy fish, and increasingly rare experiences in a polluted nation.
See the route: https://www.komoot.com/collection/167…