Voyage of Our Lady of the Waters – Hereford to Hoarwithy
Come and join this spectacular river pilgrimage to raise awareness and to call for action to stop the ongoing pollution of the River Wye. This August there will be an extraordinary voyage of a sculpture of Our Lady of the Waters and the Wye, mounted on two canoes, which will be floated 75 miles downstream from Hay-on Wye to Monmouth.
Biodiversity has crashed in the Wye due to pollution from chicken farm slurry, overflow of sewage, excessive use of fertilisers (3000 tons of phosphates a year going in the Wye, when it can only cope with 300), run off from arable land and soil erosion.
The voyage aims to raise awareness and to call for concerted action to cleanse the river.
10 – 10.45am: Coffee at St Mary the Virgin, Marden (by road as Lugg impassable).
11 – 12am: Further coffee and cake at Lugwardine Vicarage (by road).
12.30pm: Launch from Bishops Garden landing stage at Hereford.
12.30pm: Victoria Bridge.
3.30 – 4pm: Holme Lacy Bridge.
5.30 – 6.30pm: Evensong at Hoarwithy Church with the Ross choir, followed by a bring your own picnic on the river bank.
Other canoeists and wild swimmers will accompany the canoe-catamaran. Art exhibitions will be held at Moccas Village Hall and Whitchurch Church with many events en route: music in Hay, trumpet and saxophones on Bredwardine Bridge, Georgian chants by the monks of Belmont at Moccas and a feast in Moccas Village Hall (15th); evensong at Hereford Cathedral (16th); morning coffee at Marden and Lugwardine, evensong with Ross Choir at Hoarwithy Church and a picnic (17th); a lunchtime picnic with bagpipes at Sellack (18th); and evening prayer at Monmouth Church (19th).
Please click the below link for the full details and itinerary, these can also be found on our Facebook page.