September 25, 2025, by Sarah Colborne

The Leen: Nottingham’s River

Ask anyone to name a river they associate with Nottingham, and they will likely say the Trent. Our latest exhibition at Lakeside Arts puts the lesser-known River Leen at the centre of the story and examines its role in shaping modern Nottingham.

Co-curated by Dr David Beckingham and Dr Rachel Dishington of the School of Geography, in collaboration with Manuscripts and Special Collections, the exhibition features archive materials that show the challenges created by industrial activity and population growth. As Dr Beckingham explains: “The Leen is much more than a potential risk to be hidden behind concrete and steel. By telling the story of the Leen as Nottingham’s river, flowing through its history and connecting many of its communities, we hope to shape conversations around its future.” 

Children playing in the River Leen at its junction with Daybrook, 1961. RE/DOP/H5/22

Visitors to the gallery are able to trace the Leen from its source in the Robin Hood Hills above Newstead Abbey to the River Trent at the Meadows, showing how it has connected places and communities. At the centre of the exhibition is the story of the River Leen Improvement Scheme, a 1960s initiative to protect Nottingham from flooding. It diverted the river and fixed the channel behind steel pilings and flood walls.

The River Leen flowing into the new channel downstream of Triumph Road, Nottingham, July 1967, as part of the River Leen Improvement Scheme.

The Environment Agency is responsible for maintaining these flood assets today. As part of that work, the Trentside team specially commissioned a low-level drone flight along the Leen, fitted with a thermal imaging camera, with the results displayed in the exhibition. The Environment Agency is working with the City and County Councils to review options for potential new approaches for the Leen, simultaneously more resilient to threats from climate change and more accessible and beneficial to the communities that live along it.  

Staff packing boxes at Gerard Brothers Soap Works, which was situated close to the Leen at Basford, c.1950s-1960s

The launch event for this free exhibition is at the Weston Gallery on Thursday 9 October 2025 from 5pm to 7pm. The exhibition runs until Sunday 15 March 2026 and series of talks and tours will be taking place, tickets for which can be booked through Lakeside Box Office. For further information see the Manuscripts and Special Collections exhibition webpage. 

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