On Sunday 14 June, Tewkesbury Abbey and St Mary’s Magdalene, Twyning will celebrate and bless the River Avon as part of a wider group of churches that are coming together for prayer, worship and practical concern for the health of the river that links them together.
At Tewkesbury Abbey, the day will begin with a High Mass at 10.30am featuring a guest preacher, followed by a procession and the traditional blessing of the river. The High Sheriff and local mayors and councillors are planning to attend.
At St Mary’s Magdalene, there will be a riverside stroll and scavenger hunt at 3pm, before gathering for a blessing at Chad’s Well and concluding with a visit to a local pub.
The blessings draw attention to the environmental challenges facing the river, calling for an end to the pollution of the Warwickshire Avon. It intentionally links in with The Great Big Green Week, from 6 to 14 June, where people across the UK take action for their communities, for nature and for the climate. Find out more here →
The Revd Canon Nick Davies, Vicar of Tewkesbury, said:
“In the Bible, water is the ‘stuff of life’ – a sacred gift that reflects God’s love for the world. From the first moments of Creation to the water used in baptism, it is central to God’s plan for a healthy, flourishing earth.
“This is why protecting our rivers is a matter of faith. Currently, our rivers are sick. By blessing the Avon, we are not just performing a ceremony; we are committing ourselves to stand up for nature. We cannot remain silent while a gift from God is treated as a waste pipe.”
The churches are being supported by the Safe Avon Project, which is working to stop sewage pollution in the River Avon. Monitoring shows high levels of pollution in the water, much of it linked to farming runoff, wastewater and sewage.
Last year, Severn Trent recorded 546 sewage discharges into the Warwickshire Avon in 2025, lasting a total of 3,361 hours. This is equivalent to around one or two spills a day.
The worst affected areas included sewage treatment works at Twyning near Tewkesbury, Bubbenhall in Warwickshire, and Lower Moor near Evesham.
The River Avon is home to wildlife such as fish and otters and flows through important natural habitats. Sewage pollution can harm these ecosystems by encouraging excessive plant and algae growth, reducing water quality and damaging habitats. It can also create health risks for people who come into contact with polluted water.
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