A free art trail along the Great Ouse at Kempston Mill runs 11am to 4pm this Sunday, 13 September, and launches the town's new environmental charter.

A free art trail along the River Great Ouse at Kempston opens at 11am this Sunday, 13 September, and runs until 4pm. It starts at Kempston Mill, about two miles west of Bedford town centre.

The trail is the closing event of Nature Together in Kempston, a summer programme run by the Bedford charity Bedford Creative Arts. The artworks on it were made by Kempston community groups and families working with the Bedford artist Anne-Marie Abbate, and every one of them takes the river or the nature along it as its subject.

The same afternoon launches the Kempston Community Environmental Charter, a set of commitments the charity says will be “presented to the local authority as a statement of commitment”.

The event is free and open to all ages, but the organisers ask you to book a ticket.

What is on, and where

Everything below is from the charity’s own event listing:

  • the art trail itself, a curated route of community-made artworks starting at Kempston Mill
  • a scavenger hunt for children
  • workshops on site led by Anne-Marie Abbate
  • a wellbeing walk led by Rachel Hegerty, a guided riverside walk starting at Hillgrounds Sports Facility and finishing at Mill Lane
  • a shared picnic space, so you can bring your own food
  • food and drink vendors
  • first aid, accessible facilities and toilets

The wellbeing walk has its own separate booking and is not covered by the main ticket.

What the charter actually says

The charter is one page. It was written in response to a survey of residents, local interest groups, organisations and public and environmental bodies, and it sets out seven areas:

Theme The commitment
Access Improve access, routes and facilities along the riverside and across Kempston’s green spaces
Safety Promote safe enjoyment of the Great Ouse and reduce antisocial behaviour so people feel safe
Biodiversity Raise awareness of Kempston’s wildlife and support action to protect and enhance it
Climate action Increase climate change awareness and strengthen resilience to flooding and environmental change
Wellbeing in nature Support health and wellbeing through access to nature and outdoor spaces
Heritage and local stories Celebrate Kempston’s heritage and the stories of the communities that call it home
Community events Build collective pride and connection to nature through outdoor events and activities

There are no targets and no funding attached to any of it yet. The charity says a set of charter actions “will be developed in the coming months”, and that residents who want to help write them can join the steering group by emailing info@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk.

The seven themes of the Kempston Community Environmental Charter The Kempston Community Environmental Charter sets out seven themes: access, safety, biodiversity, climate action, wellbeing in nature, heritage and local stories, and community events and celebration. It was written in response to a survey of residents, local interest groups, organisations and public and environmental bodies, and charter actions are to be developed in the coming months. Seven things the Kempston charter asks for Launched at the art trail on Sunday 13 September. No targets or funding are attached to it yet. Access Better routes and facilities along the riverside Safety Reduce antisocial behaviour on the river Biodiversity Protect and enhance Kempston's wildlife Climate action Build resilience to flooding and change Wellbeing in nature Health through access to outdoor spaces Heritage and local stories The communities that call Kempston home Community events and celebration Collective pride and connection to nature through outdoor events and activities Source: Kempston Community Environmental Charter, Bedford Creative Arts. Charter actions are to be developed in the coming months. Graphic by The Bedford Times
The seven themes, as the charter itself words them. Nothing in it is binding on the council.

Why this stretch of river

Bedford’s Embankment is the best-used piece of riverside in the borough. The charity’s case is that the water does not stop there and the care does.

Nature Together builds on River/Flow/Connect, a 2024/25 project that asked why the Kempston community had become disengaged from its own riverbank. Bedford Creative Arts says consultations with residents and community leaders found that the stretch of the Great Ouse between the well-maintained Embankment and the wilder ground towards Bromham and Great Denham is less frequently used and in need of care.

The stated aim is to open up a trail of artworks between those two points that, in the charity’s words, make the area “feel loved, ‘levelled up’, safe and respected”.

The project is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All England, with support from Arts Council England and The Harpur Trust. Bedford Creative Arts is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and a registered charity, number 1119555, based at Bedford Heights on Brickhill Drive.

What it means for you

If you go, the practical points are these. It is free and it is all ages. The main trail needs a ticket booked in advance and the wellbeing walk needs a second one. Bring a picnic if you want to eat, though vendors will be there. Toilets, first aid and accessible facilities are on site.

The walk and the trail start in different places, so check which you have booked: the trail from Kempston Mill, the walk from Hillgrounds Sports Facility.

If you care more about the charter than the day out, the useful thing is the steering group. The actions that decide whether any of this reaches the riverbank have not been written yet, and the charity is asking for people to help write them.

More things to do across the borough, including the two country parks at either end of it, are in our guide to things to do in Bedford.

Sources