About Us

Newmarket Chalk Stream Trust was formed by Kevin Hand and Louise Eatock in 2024.

Newmarket’s lost rivers had been the subject of research by the Newmarket Historical Society and proved to be a fascinating subject. Louise is chair of Newmarket Community Arts and had taken a keen interest in social media posts that artist Penny Sobr had made about chalk streams in Cambridge. Armed with knowledge that Newmarket sits on chalk rock, Penny put Louise in touch with Kevin to investigate the possibility that the Newmarket Brook is a chalk stream.

Many experts were consulted and the conclusion was that the two streams that run through Newmarket do indeed rise from chalk springs in the Dullingham and Cheveley area and are in fact one of the 250 chalk streams in the world!

Newmarket Community Arts has organised Rivers of Light lantern parade for the past three years. Over the coming years the trust aims to harness that enthusiasm and turn it into measurable action to protect and improve Newmarket’s Chalk Streams.

The Rivers of Light project was the subject of a film called “Rivers of Light” by James Murray-White. The filmed premiered in Newmarket in December 2024 and is set to be shown at future events.