At 9am on the 14th October 2023. We plan to run/ramble/amble? the full 17.5 mile length of the River Ver Trail. Raising money for the Ver Valley Society, who look after this river with it's army of volunteers. They help maintain the river, and also educate and lobby for better protection of the Ver against abstraction, pollution and invasive species. We hope to raise funds to help with their efforts and keep protecting our local river.

The River Ver is a globally rare chalk stream, one of only around 200 in the world, and it's right on our doorstep. The River Ver in St Albans flows through Verulamium Park and the heart of the city.

Chalk rivers are fed from the chalk aquifer (the underground layer of rock saturated with groundwater). They are naturally crystal clear and support a huge diversity of habitats and wildlife. Their rarity and importance have led them to be described as ‘England’s Rainforest’.

Unfortunately, like many chalk rivers, the River Ver has fallen into a bad state. In St Albans, the river channel has been heavily modified over the years. The concrete banks mean it can’t support the habitats it should. In places, the river channel has been moved to support industry such as mills. This has led to an artificially over-wide, over-straight channel and sluggish flows. These alterations contribute to the gravel bed being smothered with a thick layer of silt. With increased pressure on water from climate change and population growth, our river needs us now more than ever.

Route Map