Travelling Tales of the River Colne is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to partner on a three-year project to bring the River Colne’s history to life and help residents shape its future.

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‘Travelling Tales’ is an interactive heritage tour of the River Colne, available to community groups and schools in Watford. Our aim is to engage the residents of Watford with the history of the river and emphasise the crucial role that the Colne has played in the development of the town.

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As we travel through history on the Colne, audiences can see and touch artefacts similar to the ones that shaped the river’s industrial history, from silk shuttles to fishing floats. They can smell the distinctive scent of hops, feel the heavy, cold touch of clay and listen to birdsong and the rustle of leaves. We will evoke the historical environment of the river and bring the banks of the Colne to their fingertips.

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For younger groups, the heritage tour will include activities such as paper boat making, inspired by the pleasure boats that once cruised down the river, and weaving, as once took place at Rookery Silk Mill. For older groups, we hope to reignite and collect their memories of the Colne; potentially conducting oral history interviews with those who have especially interesting stories!

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The heritage tour lasts around sixty minutes and is completely free, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the wider Rediscovering the River Colne Project. If you are a community group or school that would like to book, please click the button below.

 

This has been supported by Groundwork East and Watford Museum, with whom we are working alongside to deliver Travelling Tales across Watford.

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