Tentatively Twinning Tweed + Conwy
Afon Conwy yn Llanrwst
Tentatively Twinning?
In October 2026, we were delighted to be invited to Melrose, Scotland by Connecting Threads, and run a Dro Dŵr - Water Walk as part of their Tweed river festival. [ we also took the Oracl Cwrwgl Conwy, but that’s another story!]
We started to wonder about using the Dro Dŵr to explore the idea of ‘tentative twinning’ between the rivers. What might that involve? Why and how might we, as humans go about it get from it?
We quickly realised that we can’t really twin rivers without trying to find out what might the rivers feel about it (otherwise it’s a bit of a forced liaison?)
So in mid-October, Iwan Williams, Katie Trent and Lindsey Colbourne set out to visit the Conwy at Llanrwst, to explore the idea, and try out different ways of involving the Conwy.
Then, in late October, we did the same with the Tweed and 13 people in Melrose, inviting them to engage with intent, imagination and noticing around the idea of ‘how do you feel about the idea of twinning Tweed and Conwy’.
This page documents what we found…
And, (spoiler alert), we found that the idea of twinning the rivers resonates with people. Especially if we did it unofficially, avoiding the tendency to hierarchy and exclusion.
And what, after exchanging gifts (such as ‘storm bouquets’, twigs, wool, leaves, stones, bits of signs, rope), what did the rivers feel about it?
Well the messages are still being considered, but tentative findings are that the rivers already feel connected (“Whatever!”). They are open to humans needing the twinning, and up for supporting humans to catch up with their connectivity. Both were up for visits (using means to fit in with in human physical/time scales) to the other, and for getting to know each other better.
The Tweed (more confident than the Conwy) also offered mentoring to the Conwy.
Meanwhile, the humans started thinking about exchanges around Rugby, coracles, salmon, water quality, abundance, bodies and movement, language, community initiatives, and the cultural activities around the Tweed and Conwy.
