Watershed: A River’s Call to Action

‘Watershed: A River’s Call to Action’ by XAP is an installation and programme of events concerning the vitality and acute vulnerability of our rivers and chalk streams. All Saints Church Harpenden AL5 4UU. Open every day from 11th – 26th April. Everyone is welcome.

Come and experience the beautiful willow sculpture, created from locally harvested willow; the continuous interactive video projection where you are ‘immersed’ in the riverscape; and the haunting series of visual poems telling the story of our waterways in 2026.
The installation was originally created for St Albans cathedral in May 2025 in response to the alarming news of almost continuous untreated sewage discharge into the River Ver upstream of St Albans during 2024-5. Watershed’s new location in All Saints church is extremely significant. The church is situated on the banks of the river Lea, only metres away from where the chalk stream rises from the aquifer. The Lea, like the Ver, is one of only 260 chalk streams in the world, of which 85% are found in England. Our programme of free events will introduce you to the river and the Batford Springs Nature Reserve, and how you can help care for this precious resource.