film Archives - Waterlight Project

05/08/202405/08/2024

Fugolburna – A Film Inspired by Waterlight

Waterlight Project team member Bruce Huett shares his recent viewing of Fugolburna, a new film about local chalk streams at Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, inspired by our Waterlight film and highlighting both the threats to these streams and positive community responses.

On the evening of 18^th July 2024 I attended a showing of the film Fugolburna: stream frequented by birds, at Storey’s Field Centre in Eddington, Cambridge. David Cottee, the producer of the film and secretary of Fulbourn Forum for community action, explained that the film had been inspired by his seeing Waterlight. Fugolburna was filmed and directed by Waterlight Project team member Nigel Kinnings, and the credits included mention of our film.

Showing 'Fugolburna' producer David Cottee at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. From 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings. — ‘Fugolburna’ producer David Cottee at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. From ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

The title derives from the Anglo-Saxon name for Fulbourn: Fugulorna, meaning ‘stream frequented by birds’. This film is also about chalk streams, but approaches the subject from a different angle. It is a film designed to send a message that the Cambridgeshire chalk streams are under serious threat from over abstraction and communities need to pull together to save local habitats.

Waterlight is a wonderful poetic celebration of Clare’s beloved local chalk stream, the Mel, with images of a vibrant stream with abundant wildlife. Fugolburna, on the other hand, has images of dried-up stream beds and water-stressed meadows. The Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is shown as becoming drier, affecting the special flora (notably a range of orchids) and fauna, partly ameliorated by pumped augmentation water from a remote borehole.

Showing Stephen Tomkins at dry chalk stream, from 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings. — Stephen Tomkins at dry chalk stream, from ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

Chalk stream and geology experts describe the problems caused by over-abstraction by the water companies from the chalk aquifer, the source of water for the chalk stream springs. Cambridge is a major site for housing and commercial development and the water needed to supply these new developments has to come from the chalk stream aquifer. Unfortunately the location of Fulbourn on the edge of Cambridge means that it is a prime site for development and already an ecologically significant piece of land bisected by a chalk stream has been lost to housing development. A large brownfield site is also currently under development for 203 dwellings.

Despite this rather depressing situation, the film includes descriptions of community actions to improve their village environment including litter picks and orchid counts. They also have a unique project of installing swift boxes in houses and other sites around the village, which is well depicted in the film.

Showing the chalk stream at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. A still from 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings. — Chalk stream at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. A still from ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

The film ends on a positive note, with the message that if communities unite to resist the degradation of our natural habitat then our rich Cambridgeshire biodiversity can be preserved and restored.

You can find out more about the film Fugolburna and the work behind it in Fugolburna Film – Second Screening on the blog for the Fulbourn Forum, where David Cottee says “In 2019, I saw the documentary Waterlight: portrait of a chalk stream, about the River Mel which rises in Melbourn, and had thought that it would be good to record the Fulbourn streams and watercourses to alert people to the crisis they are in. Then, during the wet winter of 2020/21, the water table rose and the springs at Fulbourn and Wilbraham started running again after a period of inactivity. I saw the opportunity of filming our chalk streams to show the effect that flowing, clean water has on the environment and to contrast that with the inevitable drying of the watercourses, both in summer and even in winter.”

As fellow Waterlight team member James Murray-White says in his recent post, Religion and Climate Futures, “I’m proud of what we as a team have created, and that Waterlight is the forerunner to a series of recent films that Nigel and I have made or helped to make, or advised, including Pure Clean Water by Tony Eva, Fulgolburna (by Nigel, for the Fulbourn Arts Group led by David Cottee, and coming soon) and Rivers of Light (made by me), about the Newmarket Chalk Stream … And these are all in our area! Maybe Waterlight has spawned a revolution in local films about chalk streams, waterways, tributaries, and confluences!”

Discover more about the Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve in this Wikipedia article.

18/07/202418/07/2024

Religion and Climate Futures – Waterlight Screening & Cambridge Unseen ‘Chalk Walk’

Waterlight Project team member James Murray-White writes about a recent screening of our film at Cambridge University’s Divinity School joint summer school with the LSE on Religion and Climate Futures, an accompanying Cambridge Unseen ‘chalk walk’, and the interest in chalk streams and further film making that Waterlight has helped stimulate.

Through connections to the Divinity School within Cambridge University, forged via two insightful conferences this year on the theme of water, I screened Waterlight to a group of 20 students on this summer school in the faculty on the balmy evening of 3rd July.

This followed on the heels of co-leading them on an afternoon field trip, ‘Cambridge Unseen – Chalk Walk’, as part of Water Sensitive Cambridge. Organised by co-founder Clara Todd, with associates Emma Linford (from the NGO The Stars Are For Everyone) and well-respected geologist and hydrologist Dr Steve Boreham, we led them from the Divinity School on West Road, along a planned series of eight points, looking at the geological records and the morphology of the Cambridgeshire landscape, with radical differences in climate and ecology.

Showing ‘Cambridge Unseen - Chalk Walk’ field trip as part of the summer school. Photograph by James Murray-White — ‘Cambridge Unseen – Chalk Walk’ field trip as part of the summer school. Photograph: James Murray-White © 2024.

Using the rare and precious chalk-stream waterways as our key theme, we sought to peel back the layers of the present to glimpse what lies beneath, beyond our human ancestry, into cosmological and geological or ‘deep’ time. The route started with entering a portal on the West Road/Sidgewick Site campus, along West Road and onto Queen’s Green, along the Mill Pond — meeting a changed landscape, a flood plain, and a canalised waterway, as well as two old mills, one with an accessible water wheel. We then met the River Cam and Vicar’s Brook, looking at themes of pastoral and aesthetic beauty, and then discussed pollution in our waterways, both from sewage and from vehicles. Then, the final stretch, along Finch’s Walk along Hobson’s Brook, and a shifting narrative into nature’s recovery, thinking about the extraordinary resilience of nature, in a verdant lush old quarry, where coprolite was mined, and between two streams. Entering the second and final portal, the kissing gate between the Accordia development and Empty Common Community Garden, we brought the students into a circle for the closing meditation and reflection upon the journey, all the information shared within this city landscape, and gave them some time and space to digest this within the context of the summer school, with its core themes of climate and faith.

Showing Meditation on water, a photographby James Murray-White. — Meditation. Photograph: James Murray-White © 2024.

It felt highly appropriate to then be able to screen Waterlight and give them a deep dive into the River Mel, mediated by Clare’s words. In this context, the film really became an ethnographic study, picking up on the themes of place and belonging that had come up earlier on the walk.

We had pointed out the old mill at the Mill Pond in Cambridge, on Laundress Green, once the hive of industrial activity, and where a waterway had been artificially created, or ‘canalised’, for that industry. The water wheel exists inside, which can be admired while one chomps on gourmet pizza! Within Waterlight of course viewers can go inside a watermill on the Mel, and see exactly how it used to be, with the inner and outer layout of the building, land and river system, explained.

This was once cutting-edge technology, cleverly controlling flow. I’ve seen this used in creating riffles in the Mel and elsewhere, in smaller and softer examples, and wish we could apply the same knowledges and understanding to working with our waterways as healthy ecosystems.

Showing the audience watching the Waterlight film, with Clare Crossman on screen. Photographs by James Murray-White. — Audience watching the Waterlight film, with Clare Crossman on screen. Photographs: James Murray-White © 2024.

Comments afterwards were really positive, with appreciation for the film’s warm feeling of community engagement and personal action; a student said she felt disempowered by angrier activist films and calls for action (although I responded that all these forms of storytelling have their place). An interesting question came up about the passing on of knowledge in terms of river action, and knowing how and what to be doing in the water — removing invasive weeds etc, given the relatively older age of the River Mel Restoration Group, as shown within some scenes.

I feel that we do show our efforts to engage the kids of Meldreth Primary School, and their game of pooh sticks, as well as our walk along the river, and them using iPads and tech to record the sights and sounds of that experiential day (not included in the film), and hope that went some way to inculcate care of the river and a lasting engagement. Let’s continue using film as a way to do this, within our communities and networks. It is probably for a longer blog post, but I’m proud of what we as a team have created, and that Waterlight is the forerunner to a series of recent films that Nigel and I have made or helped to make, or advised, including Pure Clean Water by Tony Eva, Fulgolburna (by Nigel, for the Fulbourn Arts Group led by David Cottee, and coming soon) and Rivers of Light (made by me), about the Newmarket Chalk Stream that runs from Dullingham through the racing town of Newmarket, and under the A14 (for the newly created Friends of the Newmarket Chalk Stream group). And these are all in our area! Maybe Waterlight has spawned a revolution in local films about chalk streams, waterways, tributaries, and confluences!

As well as having a fabulous impact in engagement with people loving their local rivers and working together to keep them clean and healthy, what an amazing legacy for Clare!

The screening and Cambridge Unseen field trip were part of Cambridge University’s Divinity School joint summer school with the LSE on Religion and Climate Futures.

James mentions Water Sensitive Cambridge. Do check out walks on their website.

James has recently published a review of the new book Water Beings: From Nature Worship to the Environmental Crisis by Veronica Strang. In his post for ClimateCultures James finds connections between Veronica’s research into the significance of water and his own work as a filmmaker at a time when water is under threat and we need to rebalance our elemental relationship. The post also features a Q&A with Veronica.

You can find out about any planned Waterlight screenings that are coming up on our Upcoming Events page. And there are posts about previous screenings and more besides on our blog!

16/03/202416/03/2024

Waterlight Screening at Reed Gardening Club

This was another first for the Waterlight Team: a showing to a gardening club. Our screening for Reed Gardening Club — near Royston in Hertfordshire on 13th March — was again in a village hall opposite the village green. These halls appear to have all been built around the same period to a similar design.

In his introduction, Waterlight team member Bruce Huett — a keen allotment holder — highlighted the importance of water for gardening and how we must keep up our efforts to ensure that over-abstraction is stopped by the water companies. He also emphasised the importance of using water judiciously in gardening and mentioned that Cam Valley Forum, the chalk stream preservation action group, had just issued two leaflets; one comparing high and low water users and another with tips on restricting water use around the home.

It was encouraging to hear that several members of Reed Gardening Club had already walked the footpath along the Mel, so the film brought back happy memories of the river for them but also provided interesting additional information to enhance their enjoyment on their next walk there.

Some members of the group were involved in improvement to their local chalk stream the Rib — see the River Rib Restoration Project. They were encouraged in their work by the improvement that had been made on the Mel e.g. silt removal and revetment construction, which has produced a much better flow and revealed the beautiful chalk and gravel base so loved by invertebrates. Bruce was able to talk in detail about the work carried out by the River Mel Restoration Group featured in the film, and explain some of the techniques and the purpose of different elements of the restoration, to help them with their own project.

Showing the River Rib Restoration Project plan — River Rib Restoration Project plan: a project to enhance 2km of the River Rib for wildlife and people

It was interesting to hear that the river, and the moats and pools in the village, are located on the same hard chalk bed that stretches from the Chilterns and forms the base of the Mel.

There were about 30 members of Reed Gardening Club present and there was the usual lively discussion over tea and biscuits at the end of the showing.

Don’t forget to check our Upcoming Events page for future talks or screenings of Waterlight.

18/02/202418/02/2024

Waterlight Screening at Haverhill U3A

Waterlight filmmaker James Murray-White shares his latest screening of our Waterlight film with local audiences.

I was delighted to accept an invitation, and travelled to Haverhill at the end of last month to introduce the film to the Haverhill U3A Nature Group. They had hired the visitor centre at East Town Park for the morning, and about 25 or so members filled the space. I found it very moving to watch and hear Clare and her words again on the screen. Every time I see this I shed a tear for a dear friend, and feel we all co-created a wonderful legacy of her gifts and passion.

As it was, in fact, Burns Night that very day — to commemorate the life of Scottish National Bard, Robert Burns — I had done a quick scout around to find a suitable Burns poem on water to share, but unable to find anything that fit the bill, I opted to read them a poem of Clare’s, from her 1997 pamphlet, Landscapes (published by Redbeck Press). ‘Unknown Colour’ speaks of her beloved Cumbria, and is indeed dedicated to artist Winifred Nicholson, who also had a deep connection to that landscape; but the poem is also very broad in its dive into the territory of landscapes and elements – all of which absorbed Clare and her way of looking at the world and the landscapes she inhabited.

Showing 'Unknown Colour', a poem by Clare Crossman — ‘Unknown Colour’, by Clare Crossman. © Estate of Clare Crosman, 2024

We got into a deep conversation afterwards, and I shared some current work I’m involved in on a community campaign, including a film, to improve the flow of a chalk stream that rises from multiple sources around the village of Dullingham, travels past Devils Dyke and around Tattershall’s horse stables and is then culverted under Newmarket’s main road (under the Jockey Club, no less!), through the town, and connects finally to the River Stour at Snailwell, under the A14.

More about that project as it progresses.

Much concern arose about the current states of rivers, both here in East Anglia and Nationally. The problems of both over-abstraction and pollution were discussed, as well as how chalk streams and waterways are responding to climate change. We are seeing many of these fragile streams dry up entirely during the hotter summer months and then be inundated with too much water during these recent stormy winters. Discussion continued into how communities can respond to these challenges ahead of us and really engage with the more-than-human. This might involve adaptation and developing greater resilience, as well as pushing for any political options, including (in my personal view) the re-nationalisation of water companies and beefing up the power and resources of the Environment Agency, which has been so badly under-funded and asset-stripped over several years by successive Governments.

Feedback from participants included:

“Loved the film, the photography, music and poetry and now have a better understanding of the rarity and importance of chalk streams. Covered a great range of topics in the discussion afterwards. James’ enthusiasm was infectious. Really raised an awareness of our problem with water in this area.”

“I enjoyed it. Beautiful photography and poetry.”

“Seeing the Waterlight film for the second time made me fully appreciate that it is a lovely sensitive mix of beautiful photography, the lovely poetry of Clare Crossman, the scientific input on the ecology of the river, the history of the river and the community spirit to preserve, maintain and care for the river.”

“Film was very atmospheric highlighting what we stand to lose by contamination and over-extraction of these streams. Hope we can have a visit over there.”

“I found the film quite exhilarating and very informative and inspired, I hope, a discussion going forward to perhaps setting up our own working group to create or assist in a wildlife area locally.”

“I really enjoyed the film and the discussion on the film and project.”

“Most informative. Also enjoyed hearing about the other projects James is involved in.”

It was lovely to learn that several of the group had already seen the film, at earlier screenings in Linton, hosted by the FROGS group there (Friends of the River Granta), and are involved in efforts to clean up that river. May we all find ways to engage with our local waterways, brooks, rivulets, streams, and winterbournes.

You can find out about future screenings at our Upcoming Events page.

You can enjoy Clare Crossman’s poems for the Waterlight project on our Poems page (where there is also a short video of Clare reading Crossings at the river Mel, and poems that other people contributed for this site). And do visit Clare’s own website, where there are many more of her poems, including recordings of readings she gave, and poems she contributed to the ClimateCultures website.

Showing 'Landscapes' by Clare Crossman — ‘Landscapes’ by Clare Crossman.

Explore the Haverhill U3A site for other events and activities, including the Haverhill u3A Nature Group.

10/09/2023

Waterlight Film Screening & Discussion – Linton W.I.

On a balmy autumn evening on 5th September 2023, 20 members of the Linton WI sat back and enjoyed the Waterlight film — presented by Bruce Huett from the Waterlight Project team — and discussed the state of the local chalk stream, the Granta, which feeds the Cam.

There had been a debate about whether to watch the shorter or longer version and Bruce had persuaded them to view the latter. In the end, they all agreed that this was the right choice as the interviews were very interesting and put the poems in a wider context.

As usual, there were some interesting questions and comments after the film. One member described the biodiverse stream near her property in Australia. She didn’t know what the base of the stream was (certainly not chalk) and a guess was made that it might be granite.

As this 2021 item on work on the Granta by the Wild Trout Trust and funded by the Environment Agency says, “The Granta has suffered in recent dry years but also presents a flood risk to some properties. The River Granta is a chalk river that rises from springs above Bartlow. The river flows for ~29km through Linton, the Abingtons and Babraham before joining the River Cam at Stapleford.”

There is an active group of volunteers (FROG – Friends of the River Granta) who have significantly improved the water quality, but the level is now low again. A June 2023 report on the BBC News website describing Concerns about River Granta rare chalk stream drying up, mentions the work of Linton FROG, whose Chair Helen Brookes said then of the chalk stream: “It’s been here for thousands of years; it was here before any of us were here. It would be lovely to know, or to hope, that it will continue to flow through the village as it has done. It’s a beautiful, natural, rare chalk stream and we’re lucky to have it.”

Photo showing the Granta at Linton with a pipe crossing that would normally be covered by water but now exposed. Image: BBC News. Click to original story.

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes has agreed a resolution about creating bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the cleanup of our waters: Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife, which includes:

Water quality in our rivers is shameful. Legally designated bathing waters must be regularly monitored for pollution. The NFWI urges its members, the wider public, local authorities, and Government to make, support and promote applications for officially designated bathing sites on appropriate stretches of rivers in their area. This will be instrumental to the clean-up of rivers as it has been for water quality improvement at coastal beaches.

A representative from a chalk stream preservation organisation, Cam Valley Forum (of which Bruce is an officer), will be talking to the group later in the autumn.

Linton WI Members were keen to visit the Mel and hoped that there might be another bird walk as depicted in the film. Bruce said the Melwood Conservation Group were hoping to arrange one and he would contact the WI when this was arranged.

The evening ended with people chatting about water resources and similar issues over a welcome cup of tea.

Don’t forget to check our Upcoming Events page for future talks or screenings of Waterlight.

30/04/2023

Waterlight at Chalk Streams Conference

Waterlight filmmaker James Murray-White spoke at a major interdisciplinary chalk streams conference in Cambridge last month. ‘Owned by Everyone? Chalk Streams in Culture & Crisis’ on 30th March focused on the culture, science and future of chalk streams and featured conservationists, environmental and literary historians, NGOs, regulators, water companies, politicians and community groups.

James contributed by Zoom and shared clips from Waterlight. He talked about the making of the film and how it and the wider project captured the variety of local people who love the Mel, including the Restoration Group, with Clare Crossman as the project’s inspiration.

James says, “Covid has really emphasised to me that we are all watery bodies, and that we need to do so much more to protect and care for this incredible resource.” He reports that one highlight of the chalk streams conference was how lawyer and activist Paul Powesland spoke at the conference about how to legally protect the rights of nature, and how this is slowly becoming enshrined in law as a tool.

The event was covered by The Cambridge Independent and you can read theor piece by clicking on the image.

Don’t forget to check our Upcoming Events page for future talks or screenings of Waterlight.

13/03/202313/03/2023

Waterlight Film Showing at Royston W.I.

On 9th March 2023 — a very cold and drizzly afternoon, with snow flurries trying to carpet the road outside — about 30 ladies from Royston WI were transported to the world of the Mel through the Waterlight film.

Royston is a particularly appropriate setting for showing the film as the water that supplies the Mel originates as rain falling on the soft chalk hills surrounding the town. Today, the melted snow will percolate through the chalk to eventually emerge at the springs in Melbourn, the source of the Mel. In his introduction, Bruce Huett drew parallels with his experience of snow melt from the Himalayas supplying the rivers of Tibet, other parts of China and India.

Showing speaker Bruce Huett talking with an audience member after the Royston WI screening — Speaker Bruce Huett talking with an audience member while others chat after the Royston WI screening.

Although Waterlight was not made as a campaigning film, audience members recognised links to national concerns about the general health of English rivers and mentioned the recent BBC programmes ‘Our Troubled Rivers’.

Following the screening, the Royston WI secretary e-mailed:

“Thank you again for coming to show your film and talk to us this afternoon. It was a very calm, peaceful watch, with beautiful music, as well as being very informative. I hope you could see how engaged all our ladies were. It made our afternoon very enjoyable”.

Bruce was again delighted to receive an account of someone who remembered playing in the river at Melbourn as a child, which was similar to accounts he had collected in ‘memory capture’ events with elderly residents in Melbourn and Royston. They had described swimming, paddling down the river in boats improvised from rubber tubes or barrels, fishing and generally messing about in the river or on the banks for whole days in the summer. Some of these accounts are on the Your Waterlight Stories page of this website and others can be found in the Mel pages at Meldreth History, The Story of a Cambridgeshire Village.

Others, who had visited the British Queen pub in Meldreth but had never taken the short walk across the field at the back to the river, now decided that on their next trip there they will definitely take a stroll along the Mel and visit the adjacent Melwood local Nature Reserve that is featured in the film.

Shwoing DVDs of 'Waterlight: Portrait of a Chalk Stream' on sale at Royston WI — DVDs of ‘Waterlight: Portrait of a Chalk Stream’ on sale at Royston WI. Click on the image to go to our Waterlight Film DVD & Digital Download page.

09/02/202313/03/2023

Waterlight Film Showing at Linton Parish Church

On Saturday 4^th February 2023, Bruce Huett and Nigel Kinnings showed the Waterlight film for the first time in a spiritual space: the Norman parish church at Linton, Cambridgeshire. Bruce Huett linked this, in his introduction, to his ideas about the spirituality of water and the possibility that the Mel springs may have been an ancient ritual site.

The afternoon started with a substantial tea of sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and cakes, all prepared and served by local volunteers.

Bruce and Nigel were a bit concerned that the substantial tea might put the audience into an inattentive stupor. However this was not the case and everyone had their eyes glued to the screen throughout and there were a lot of positive comments afterwards, with the possibility of another showing at the local WI.

The church at Linton is situated by the local chalk stream, the Granta, a tributary of the Cam. Before the showing Bruce and Nigel took the opportunity to explore the local stretch and Bruce was very pleased to meet members of the local chalk stream restoration group: FROG (Friends of the River Granta) who were attending the showing. Thanks to their hard work the stream looked in excellent condition with a gravelly base below clear water. Rob Mungovan, in the film, indicates that this is just how a healthy chalk stream should look.

It was a rewarding experience to show the film in this space and also to be able to link aspects of Waterlight to the local water environment of Linton.

Showing Bruce Huett speaking at the Waterlight film screening, Linton parish church — Bruce Huett speaking at the Waterlight film screening, Linton parish church

24/11/2022

Showing of Waterlight Film at Friends of Paradise Nature Reserve, Cambridge

Tuesday 22^nd November 2022

On a rather wet and dreary night, about 30 members of the Friends of Paradise Nature Reserve gathered at the Newnham Croft Sports and Social Club in Cambridge to watch the Waterlight film.

It is clear from the appreciative message sent by the Chairman that the film was much appreciated:

“I’m writing on behalf of Friends of Paradise to thank you, and the film team, for an extremely uplifting and positive evening watching the beautiful and lyrical film of Waterlight.

Beset as we are by the climate emergency, the world situation, the energy crisis and our own local fight against development … not to mention the November rain and darkness, it was a sheer delight to follow the successful and fascinating story of the regeneration of the River Mel.

We all loved it, from the glorious River itself to the wonderful wildlife, old photographs, and the music and memories, all enhanced by the poetry. We were heartened by the story, and felt solidarity with like-minded people. Now we know about the river and the reserve I’m sure that we will be visiting them”.

Bruce Huett introduced the film with additional pictures of children “messing around in the river” which had been obtained in “memory capture” events during the preparation of the film. He and fellow Waterlight project team members James Murray-White and Nigel Kinnings responded to several questions after the showing and there was a lively general discussion, aided by the fact the bar was then open!

During the discussion after the showing it was clear that, although the film was made to celebrate Clare’s poetry and her love of the Mel landscape, people present saw that it also provided material that could be used in the campaign to save Cambridgeshire’s endangered chalk streams. More information on this campaign can be found on the Cam Valley Forum website: https://camvalleyforum.uk.

The audience departed into damp night with spirits uplifted and with plans to visit the Mel in the spring.

Watch out for future Waterlight film screenings on our Upcoming Events page.

27/02/202028/02/2020

Waterlight Film Showing at Cambridge’s Most Sustainable Housing Development

Local historian and conservationist and Waterlight Project team member Bruce Huett shares an update on the latest showing of our film — and the choice of venue, at a landmark building in Eddington, a sustainable development near Cambridge.

The Waterlight team were delighted to be able to show the film twice (the 27-minute and 45-minute versions) at the Storey’s Field Centre on the Eddington estate on Saturday February 22^nd 2020. The showings at the centre, on the outskirts of Cambridge (near Madingley Park and Ride), were previewed in an interview with Bruce Huett of the project for the local radio station.

The audiences were made up of local families and also chalk stream enthusiasts who had come from Cambridge and surrounding villages. We had a lively discussion after the second showing, which we hope will lead to some new posts on this blog.

Eddington - a sustainable development — Eddington
Image source: Eddington Cambridge

A sustainable site

We were especially pleased to be at the Eddington development as this is an excellent example of what can be done to provide a sustainable living environment when the effort is made. It has the UK’s largest water recycling system, which can only be good for endangered chalk streams. There are two systems on site: one recycles rain and surface water to be used for flushing toilets, clothes washing and garden watering, and another supplies high quality treated water for drinking, cooking and bathing. Both are designed to minimise potable water consumption. There are also ‘green roofs‘, where sedum plants capture rainfall.

The development was constructed with sustainability in mind so insulation is of a very high quality and there is extensive use of solar energy. The buildings have all been designed and built to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method is part of the Code for a Sustainable Built Environment, which is a strategic international framework for sustainability assessment of buildings). There is a centralised energy centre and district heating network, providing greener, more environmentally friendly heating, hot water and energy. The energy centre uses gas to generate heating and hot water distributed via the network.

There is an innovative waste disposal system. Stainless steel bins have an underground sealed container to collect waste and recycling materials. When the container is 80% full, a signal is automatically sent to the collection company to alert them to empty the container.

There are over 50 hectares of open and green spaces around Eddington. Lakes at Brook Leys store the rainwater collected from across Eddington before it is treated and pumped back to the homes. The site is a Cambridge University project using a number of architects and sympathetic construction firms.

More details of the development can be found at Eddington Cambridge.

Historic connections

Historically the area is important, with the site of a Roman villa close by and evidence of even earlier occupation going back to prehistoric times. Roman coins have been found in an ancient well and, in 2014, artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie worked with the Archaeology department and used subsoil from the dig, combining the historical settlement and future development to create a scale model of the first phase of the development made from cob, an ancient, sustainable form of building. I participated in the archaeological event and the cob making.

There is also an interesting ancient conduit head nearby. Built in 1327, this used to supply water to a Franciscan friary in Cambridge in wooden pipes, then Sidney Sussex college and now Trinity College. This may have been a holy well in Roman, and possibly, pre-Roman times.

Thus this site, with its sacred water connections, was a perfect venue for the film showing, as there were many links to themes developed in the film: the spirituality of water; the importance of maintaining a healthy natural water environment; and the way in which this can inspire creative poetry and visual imagery.

We will be showing the film again at Eddington on 27th June, with Cambridge Past Present & Future — see our Upcoming Events page for details.