The River Wharfe - Liquid Eden with Mark Barrow
Date: Wednesday 9th October
8:00pm, The Methodist Church, Bank Street, Wetherby
This film is a must-see for all who live in our region
Entry fee includes tea/coffee and biscuits
Date: Wednesday 9th October
8:00pm, The Methodist Church, Bank Street, Wetherby
This film is a must-see for all who live in our region
Entry fee includes tea/coffee and biscuits
Date: Wednesday 9th October
8:00pm, The Methodist Church, Bank Street, Wetherby
This film is a must-see for all who live in our region
Entry fee includes tea/coffee and biscuits
Six years ago, when Mark Barrow started his project to film along the 65-mile River Wharfe in Yorkshire, he captured footage of majestic shoals of grayling, the fish known as “the Lady of the Stream”, some 200 or 300 strong.
More recently, Barrow returned to the same spot, near the historic Harewood House on the outskirts of Leeds, to reshoot some video because he wasn’t happy with the quality of his earlier attempt.
What he found shocked him. The water was cloudy with pollution and the numbers of grayling, with their distinctive red fins and pewter scales, were reduced to pockets of no more than 30 or 40.
The state of the Wharfe was highlighted in March 2023 in a BBC documentary, Our Troubled Rivers, fronted by comedian, writer and Gone Fishing star Paul Whitehouse. Barrow featured in that, and was filmed pulling used sanitary products from the river.
This is Mark’s story, his film. Barrow’s camera doesn’t shy away from showcasing the visible toll of pollution. But the main focus of the documentary is the aquatic species. The camera captures the stark contrast between untouched habitats and areas transformed by human intervention. Wetlands, critical for water filtration and biodiversity, have been drained or filled for development, leaving ecosystems fragmented and vulnerable. The film illustrates the interconnectedness of these habitats and emphasises the need to restore and protect them for the wellbeing of the entire river ecosystem.
