River Ravensbourne Festival in Beckenham Place Park East

Join us for a celebration of the River Ravensbourne in the improved Beckenham Place Park (BPP) East, hosted by Thames21 with the support of the Beckenham Place Park Ranger and our wonderful volunteers.

Everyone is welcome to explore, learn and play next to the river by taking part in free activities for all ages.

Activities include nature arts & crafts, conversation sessions, see what lives in the water, Soundscape Meditation, Forest Bathing, Hoop dancing, and a River Blessing plus Delice Experience will be serving Vegan food. If you’re interested, please read on!

Date & time: Saturday 21st September, 11am – 4pm 

Location: River Ravensbourne, Beckenham Place Park (BPP) East, BR1 4JZ

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The festival base and activity registration will be next to the River Ravensbourne. Look out for the Thames21 marquee by the large riverside oak tree, visible across the narrow part of the river from the new playground near to the Downham Gate. Please scroll to the bottom of this page for more travel and facility information and follow the Thames21 logo signs in the park on the day directing you to the river.

Registration: If you book onto an activity or drop in on the day, when you arrive please come to the registration meeting point at the marquee so we can direct you to the activities which will be taking place along the 900-meter stretch of the river.

We are delighted to offer the following activities for you to enjoy while connecting to nature along the riverbanks.

EXPLORE – See what has taken place over the past year to reduce flood risk in the River Ravensbourne catchment in the Borough of Lewisham, and how you can get involved

LEARN – Find out about the River Ravensbourne volunteering programme, what’s living in the river and hear about the finishing touches still to come in the river and wetlands and how you can get involved in Citizen Science across the Ravensbourne Catchment.

PLAY – Take part in family friendly activities celebrating the river with our local Lewisham communities in Downham, Bellingham, Whitefoot and beyond.

EAT – Enjoy Delice Experience yummy plant based sweet and savoury food and drinks with a twist, discounted for festival participants

Free bookable activities: We will have limited drop in capacity on the day so best to book! Priority is given to residents in Downham, Bellingham and Whitefoot for bookable activities. Bookings close at 5pm on Friday 20th September and all booked attendees will receive a confirmation email later that evening. 

• -11am River restoration interventions – An opportunity for + 16-year-olds to join a volunteer session, kick starting the river restoration project in Beckenham Place Park East: Book 11am session
• -11am, 12.30, 2pm Soundscape Meditation & Stretch & Soundscape sessions with Red Ox Fitness: Book: 11am Soundscape Meditation +16yrs only, 12.30 Stretch & Soundscape family friendly (babies welcome) or 2pm Stretch & Soundscape 8yrs-14yrs with accompanying adult.
• -11:15am, 1pm or 2.30pm Forest Bathing Sessions with waystowellbeing2 + 18 years old: Book 11.15am accessible session, 1-2pm session or 2.30-3.30pm session.
• -12.30pm or 2pm  Ravensbourne Riverfly shows you what lives in the water: Book 12.30-1.15pm session or 2-2.45pm session.

Free drop-in activities:

• -11am Hoop dancing opening performance by Planet Hoop followed by drop-in workshops SEND and disability inclusive.
• -11am – 3pm Tell us what the river means to you, learn about what is happening to the rivers in the Ravensbourne Catchment and help us create a Ravensbourne Catchment Flyer
• -11am Pedal a bike to make a smoothie with Downham Men’s Group
• -11.30am – 1.30pm Wildflower Seed Sowing with BPP Lead Gardener Tilly
• -11am – 12noon, 12.30-1.30pm Nature based crafts with Julia at Nurturing Wild
• -11am – 3pm River Arts & Crafts with Thames21
• -1.30-2.30pm heats The return of the Rubber Duck Race with BPP Ranger James
• -3-4pm Thames21 Volunteer Celebration & River Blessing with Michelle Yaa Asantewa.

Everyone is welcome to the Volunteer Celebration and River Blessing. Michelle Yaa Asantewa organises the annual Osun ritual to honour Mama Osun, a river deity and force of nature who originates from the Yoruba Ifa tradition in West Africa. Learn about River Blessings here and please wear an item of yellow or white, and bring colourful fruits, sweets, and flowers to offer.

What to wear: Warm layers for the autumnal equinox weekend and waterproof if it’s raining.

Weather

We will only cancel the festival if there is strong wind/gusts or thunderstorms forecast or heavy rain for all the day. We will give you as much notice by email as we can if we do have to cancel.

Facilities: There will be portaloos in BPP East for the duration of the festival.

Getting to the River Ravensbourne Festival

We strongly encourage the use of public transport, cycling and walking where possible. There is no car park in Beckenham Place Park East.

Nearest park entrances to BPP East and the River Ravensbourne:

• Old Bromley Road (Downham) Entrance
• Beckenham Hill Road Railway Bridge Entrance
• Ravensbourne Entrance

Trains

• Beckenham Hill station is served by regular trains (on the London Bridge line via Peckham Rye, Catford, Shortlands, Bromley South). It is less than a five-minute walk from the station to the park entrance.
• Ravensbourne station (on the far side of the woodland) is also on this line if you wish to enter the park from the southern side or eastern side.

Buses

• Many buses stop on Bromley Road near the Green Man – this is a 5 minute walk to the Beckenham Hill Railway Bridge entrance or a 10-minute walk to the Old Bromley Road entrance (nearest gate to the River Ravensbourne). The routes include: 320, 208, 181, 136.
• The 54 bus stops outside Beckenham Hill near to the Beckenham Hill Road Railway Bridge and Southend Lodge gates. It is a five-minute walk from the Railway Bridge entrance to the start of the River Ravensbourne by the new playground.
• Route 354 stops at Ravensbourne Station for direct entry into BPP East.

Any questions please contact Catriona, Beckenham Place Park Engagement Officer, by email bppriver@thames21.org.uk or call 07743 927796.

We look forward to welcoming you to the River Ravensbourne in Beckenham Place Park East.