Ouse is alive
Is a river alive? Does it have rights? According to Lewes District Council, the answer is now ‘yes’. The River Ouse in Sussex has been granted ‘rights’ — eight of them, to be precise — including the right to flow, the right to be free of pollution, to be restored and to have native biodiversity.
While the charter that grants these rights was only awarded last week, the decision was made two years ago, after the council passed the ‘rights of river’ motion. The council, the Environmental Law Foundation and other bodies have been working together ever since to create the charter.
The Ouse, now with legal rights.
‘This is a momentous moment for the river and goes some way towards recognising that the river is an entity in its own right and that its voice needs to be represented in decisions which affect it,’ said Matthew Bird, director of Love Our Ouse. ‘The river faces numerous challenges including pollution, climate change, over use and development.’
It’s hoped that the Ouse will be the first of many rivers to be granted legal protection as a living being. ‘This pioneering Charter is the result of collaboration involving numerous working partners, each with a shared purpose and determination to enshrine the importance of the River Ouse for generations to come,’ said councillor Emily O’Brien.
‘I hope that our council's support will mark another step on the journey to change the conversation, so that one day a change in the law will mean the interests of nature are fully recognised.’
New Volvo, new tricks
On Wednesday, the good people of Volvo revealed their latest car, the ES90. It marks a return to the more traditional saloon car from the Swedish manufacturer, and most excitingly it offers more than 400 miles of range.
I was lucky enough to attend the unveiling, and can confirm the car is a real looker. Nice big wheels, a slightly swept back look and piercing hammer headlights. The interior is vast and eminently comfortable and every effort has been made to source the most sustainable materials and marry them with the latest technology.
Four-door saloons have been slowly disappearing from our roads in recent years, with people seemingly taken with SUVs, ranging from the compact to the vast. Volvo clearly believes there is demand for something a bit more traditional. Time will soon tell. Available to order now, with UK deliveries beginning next year. From £69,650.
Have I got mews for you?
Did you know that there is an estate agency that deals almost exclusively in London Mews houses? I did not, but now I do. I love mews houses. I love looking at pictures of them. I love spending time on the Lurot Brand instagram, and hopefully you will too.
Knowing your dukes from your earls
Eleanor Doughty joined the CL Podcast this week to talk about all things aristocracy. She’s spent the best part of the past five years visiting more than 150 country piles and their esteemed owners, pulling back the curtains (not literally) on the people behind the gates. She shares her stories, as well as previews her upcoming book Heirs and Graces: A History of the Modern British Aristocracy.
Listen to the Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts
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I lichen the look of you: A rare lichen-covered fingerpost that's been frozen in time and donated to the Natural History MuseumA fingerpost, covered in 12 different species of lichen, has been donated to the Natural History Museum by Exmoor National Park — but they had some trouble getting it there.
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Chatsworth's winning £4 million Lottery ticket means it can restore beloved water featureThe Chatsworth House Trust will use the money from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore their Cascade — beloved by Alan Titchmarsh.
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Hope from the ashes: This new generation of ash trees is more resistant to diebackWhen ash dieback first arrived in Britain, in 2012, an emergency COBRA meeting was formed. The disease has since spread rampantly across the countryside, but there is still hope.
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Listen up puffins, peregrines and seal pups — Big Brother is watching youThe Wildlife Trusts have installed more than 25 video cameras around the country that live stream activity from barn owl nests to popular puffin sites.
