Celebrating Mereway Nature Park on the River Crane
On Saturday 8th August, we were delighted to take part in a celebration of major work on the River Crane! Organised by Let’s Go Outside And Learn, with support from Thames 21’s EMPOWER Rivers Programme this community event brought people together to enjoy and celebrate the natural world.
River restoration in 2026 at Mereway Nature Park in Twickenham meant that the river was removed from its concrete channel and natural river banks restored. This has led to improved water flow through the channel, increased water storage capacity and richer habitats for plants and wildlife. There has been very rapid improvement and an inspection today revealed species including Water Crowfoot, a particular sign of a healthy river. The fish pass at the weir came into operation in 2024 and it has restored fish and eel passage between the Lower Crane and many miles upstream in the river catchment. Mereway Nature Park has been improved with new planting and paths, preserving the valuable scrub and woodland habitats.
Stalls at the celebration event
Cllr Matthew Wherry, Deputy Mayor of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, with local Councillors and project partners
Tour of Mereway Nature Park at the Weir and Fish Pass with Rob Gray of FORCE
More than a hundred people of all ages gathered for activities including crafts and story-telling and a tour of the park. All this work has relied on the efforts of many partners and authorities, from the Environment Agency to small community groups. Organisations represented at the event included Crane Valley Partnership, Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE), the London Tree Ring, The Zoological Society of London, The Conservation Volunteers, Friends of Meadway Orchard and ourselves from Habitats & Heritage. Councillor Matthew Wherry, Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames welcomed everyone and spoke about the heartfelt commitment to nature conservation that has made possible these improvements.
All about the Fish Pass