Rivers Within
So, it’s only gone and happened folks! I'm very giddy to share the results from my latest creative project, Rivers Within, an exploration of the legendary Lambton Worm and its connection to the River Wear. This unique endeavour was only made possible by the amazing innovative programme 'Cultivate Commissions,' delivered by local organisations No More Nowt and Northern Heartlands as part of the Into the Light Place Partnership Initiative and supported by UK Shared Prosperity Funding.
While coal mining often dominates discussions of our region's history, there's so much more to explore – our area has a wealth of folklore and creativity that also deserves recognition. Drawing upon that creativity, ‘Rivers Within’ aims to reconnect people with our local waterways, instil a sense of pride in our heritage, and inspire protection of County Durham's beautiful landscapes so that they can continue to be enjoyed for present and future generations.
My journey into this project started when I expressed an interest in local waterways to a good friend of mine, local photographer Carolyn Bray (Please see links below to see Carolyn’s amazing work). As an active outdoorsy kind of person Carolyn kindly invited me along to one of her open water swims she sometimes attends at Greenfoot Quarry near Stanhope.
Though she self-describes as more of a ‘swimbler’ - 'a cross between a bimble (leisurely walk) and a swim.’, I was thoroughly impressed by Carolyn’s dedication and zeal for getting into the water. As well as the more obvious health advantages of exercise, the other swimmers I met at the meet spoke of additional benefits from being literally immersed in nature, such as a feeling of calm and invigoration, helping put life in perspective or mentally switch off for a time from their day-to-day worries. Here’s some of what Carolyn had to say about her experience of open water swimming.
‘[Greenfoot Quarry' is] such a beautiful location for swimming, we've seen owls, herons, had bats circling above us, and the night sky is amazing there - on a clear night you can see the milky way -we even seen a rather large meteor flying above our heads. Sharing those sorts of experiences with a group a great people in the local water really grounds you in a way that is hard to describe - the water may be cold but inside you're warm and tingly!!!’
Even though I never entered the water myself, I still witnessed this warmth, camaraderie and support generated amongst the group and it was comforting to be around a welcoming community, something which I feel is harder to come by today.
As a child I loved to swim, and though admittedly I don’t think I’ll be jumping into the River Wear anytime soon I have picked up the habit of attending my local swimming baths again. I guess my main apprehension for wild water swimming comes from the devastating facts I’ve about the current state of our waterways. After years of neglect through a combination of agricultural and industrial run off and the privatisation of water companies resulting in debt accumulation, an increase of illegal sewage spills and little reinvestment in water infrastructure, has accumulated to make the UK one of the worst countries in Europe for bathing water.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, through the dedication of groups like River Wear Trust, supported by public collective voices, changes are being made for the better.
‘We at the Wear Rivers Trust are passionate about healthy rivers and thriving habitats around them; allowing nature to flourish and people to benefit from the enjoyment, inspiration and improved well-being that connecting with watercourses can offer. We work along the length of the River Wear and all its tributaries, promoting good environmental care and dealing with everything from pollution to urban drainage, erosion to invasive species; engaging with everyone from farmers to schoolchildren.
As a grassroots charity, we actively seek and support the involvement of local communities in our activities, and our volunteering programme facilitates this through education, hands-on tasks and citizen science. As a volunteer, you might find yourself building a leaky dam, planting trees, clearing litter, monitoring river-flies or championing water-quality in your local area. We hope you will also be encouraged by connecting with others who share your interests and values.’
- Daniel Rutland. Volunteer and Engagement Officer, River Wear Trust.
You can find out more about Rivers Trust on their website https://wear-rivers-trust.org.uk/ All their volunteering opportunities can be accessed by signing up at their Team Kinetic portal: Wear Rivers Trust promoting and developing volunteering in your area. A TeamKinetic powered website, and you can also contact them using email at volunteering@wear-rivers-trust.org.uk.
Alongside Durham University and Durham Sixth Form Centre, Daniel and some other members of River Trust also attended some clay workshops that I conducted where participants crafted vessels, shrines or tiles inspired by local folklore, waterways, the Palace Green Library River collections, including pieces retrieved by local amateur underwater archaeologist, small finds researcher and illustrator, Gary Bankhead.
Whilst researching about The Lambton Worm I also discovered a beautiful book called ‘Water Beings – from nature worship to the environmental crisis’ by author and professor of anthropology affiliated to Oxford University, Veronica Strang. The book wonderfully illustrates mankind’s exploration and connection to their natural surroundings through storytelling and deity worship. Historically water and life bringers were frequently symbolised by the snake or snake like dragons, highlighting the serpentine attributes we still associate with water today. Delving into examples of both Eastern and Western dragons it even mentions the Lambton Worm as a western example of a water dragon, as the tale so famously begins with a small wormlike creature being fished out the River Wear by a local man John Lambton. This is opposed to other western dragons which are more typically associated with the element of fire.
Inspired by Strang’s work and the link between the Lambton Worm and the River Wear I explored my own idea of a Lambton Worm deity and teamed up with local fellow creatives, Nicholas Gray, a talented photographer who works a lot with the local cosplay community and Rachel Swan, an amazing cosplayer and costume creator (who constructed my cape for me to embellish), to produce the images shown below. I am constantly astounded by the wealth of talent and creativity seen amongst the Northeast and I highly recommend checking out both Nick and Rachel’s accounts found below in the links.
“Water, the old stories tell us, flows up from sources in the other world and gushes out into the rivers.” -
If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie
The Lambton Worm also a perfect example of an oikotype, what folklorists describe as a local or regional version of a myth, legend, or fairy tale, as described in online article, ‘From dragons to dreaming serpents: tracing the cultural history of the monstrous Lambton Worm’ author Tom Murray investigates themes of toxic masculinity and redemption within the tale, and I’d highly recommend a read of it. I’ve linked it along with other sources at the end of this post.
This theme of masculine and feminine energy is also evident in the Palace Green Collections, available to view in their gallery space. Many of the pieces in the collections were retrieved from local waterways and are symbolic of typical male or female attributes and were thought to be used as good luck charms or offerings of safe passage for travellers as they crossed over the rivers.
These ideas of masculine vs feminine and humankind’s conquering of nature are extremely prevalent in today’s current climate of new patriarchy and environmentalism and begs the question how do we move forward through these tumultuous times?
As a female Northeast artist with a great deal of love for my home county I suggest, rather than ‘slay the dragon’, exercise compassion and try understanding nature, even make friends with it, to rekindle our relationship with our waterways by unifying the inner masculine and feminine that resides in all of us through creativity for the protection of our environment.
My sculptural interpretation of The Lambton Worm with its cat like appearance, ‘UTERE FELIX’ evokes a sense of cuteness, domesticity and warmth but much like the dichotomy of cats, it also hints at nature’s dualistic character and its ability to create but also destroy, its beautiful but its allure can be perilous to the unsuspecting. The form of the piece is inspired by a vintage Loch Ness monster (another folklore legend!) ornament my grandmother owned that I was fascinated with as a child. Three separate components come together to create a whole, like a story itself with a beginning, middle and end. What is the story about, you may ask? Well, of County Durham, of course. There are no human figures visible, but their homes are, representing the buildings and structures that line the edges of the River Wear, some changed, some withstanding. You as the viewer witness this moment captured in ceramic, serpentine water made solid, but only what is happening above the water, what lies beneath the surface remains unknown.
The script Utere Felix that runs down the side of the sculpture is latin for ‘Use Happily’, seen inscribed on good luck charms during the Roman period and was regularly inscribed on votives offered to the gods in exchange for various wish fulfillments. There’s even an example found amongst the Palace Green Collections. On viewing the sculpture I urge you to use the river happily, protect it and it will protect you.
The project has culminated in an online exhibition as well as a special pop-up exhibition at the Palace Green Library in Durham City, open from January to March 2025, showcasing selected artworks by both me and talented workshop participants.
The muse meets the work.
This journey has been testament to the rich tapestry of County Durham's heritage, interweaving our ancient legends, natural beauty, and community creativity. Whichever part of the world you might be reading this post from I invite you to dive into the mystical world of the Lambton Worm and discover the hidden treasures of the River Wear through our online exhibition, and if you’re in the area between January and March this year, I highly recommend visiting Palace Green Library in Durham City to view the pop-up exhibition and be inspired by the collections.
Many thanks to the Cultivate Commissions team, No More Nowt and Northern Heartlands. Without them this project wouldn’t have existed. Thank you to Emily, David and Gemma; the wonderful staff of Durham University who supported the delivery of the exhibitions and workshops. Thank you to Carolyn, Nick and Rachel for your valuable contributions to the project, your encouragement and creativity have been a god send to me. Of course, I can’t sign off without saying a super special thank you to all the talented participants and contributors who took part including Durham University and Durham Sixth Form students, members of the River Wear Trust, including Daniel their amazing volunteer and engagement officer, and the creative and enthusiastic members of the public.
Until next time,
Ruth
Links, sources and contributors:
Carolyn Bray - http://www.woofpix.co.uk
Nicholas Gray - @visionvssight
Rachel Swan - @rachyrach1988
https://stories.durham.ac.uk/RiversWithin/#group-section-About-Ruth-Flowers-ZAqFlZGDuS
https://wear-rivers-trust.org.uk/get-involved
https://nomorenowt.org/cultivate-commissions
https://www.northernheartlands.org/
https://youtu.be/vR2fQZPS5x0?si=XSnQ23xawGqVbJaq (Veronica Strang Water Deities)
https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2024/06/wet-conference-examines-failure-of-privatisation/
