Kingston Council hosted a summer event at the recently transformed Eagle Brewery Wharf on Wednesday evening (24 June).

Despite the extreme heatwave, various locals attended the event which saw performances from local artists signed with Kingston-based record company Paper Garden Records and various speeches from people who worked on the transformation, including Kingston Council's former Biodiversity Officer and current Director at Citizen Zoo, Elliot Newton, Will Nash (a sculpture artist who created the new Eagle Brewery Wharf swift tower), Nick Hunter from Blakedown Landscapes which constructed the site, and Hannah Williamson from Farrar Huxley Artichtects which helped transform the site.

The event celebrated the transformation of the site, which was created in collaboration with Kingston First and the council, and welcomed a new outdoor space for locals to enjoy as summer continues while also keeping its brewery heritage with the swift tower.

Transformed by contractors Blakedown Landscapes and architects Farrar Huxley, the new site has had new seating installed as well as children's play equipment and fresh planting, including 14 new trees.

The Eagle Brewery Wharf site has been completely transformed (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

The design fuses nature and heritage with the iconic swift nesting tower from sculptor Will Nash evoking the industrial chimney from the skyline of yesteryear.

In his speech, Nash highlighted the importance of protecting swifts, which he says are endangered and have declined by 60 per cent".

"This is why we need swift towers," he said.

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The bewswuft tower at Eagle Brewery Wharf was created by Will Nash (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

In her speech, Williamson explained that residents told Farrar Huxley Architects that they wanted a peaceful place to sit by the river, and that is exactly what the company has delivered.

The event also included a variety of children's activities, including making a swift mobile and acting as site detectives.

Additionally, Minima Yacht Club ran its Wednesday night race in front of Eagle Brewery Wharf with commentary from around 8pm, and the event closed with a sundown Tai Chi taster with Master Ying Tai Chi Group.

Minima Yacht Club attended the event (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

Speaking about the transformation, Elliot Newton told Nub News: "So, when we think of the word community, we normally just think of the people around us, but actually, London's got so many incredible species.

"We've got 371 different species of birds and swifts are one of those species, and I think, the more that we could acknowledge the other species around us as part of our community and build them into the fabrics of our landscape, the more healthy it's going to be for our mental and physical wellbeing.

"And that goes for climate change too. So, I think having these amazing structures in the hearts of our towns and cities helps inspire people about the wild world that lives around us."

Elliott Newton gave a speech at the event (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

Speaking about how the tower will help swifts, Newton said: "This will create a nesting habitat for swifts. Swifts are some of the most amazing animals, I think, on the planet.

"They can spend up to around two or three years just flying without touching the ground, and the only time they touch the ground is to lay their eggs. They like nesting little crevices and holes and stuff.

"So, this swift tower will attract swifts to nest there. They travel potentially 3,000 plus miles from Africa, and they come here to nest in the summertime. So, this tower will provide a good refuge for them to have their young.

"And, hopefully as people will be sitting here, having a beer, maybe watching the great crested reefs and the river, maybe the odd seal, they may also notice swifts flying above, and that will just enrich our daily lives."

Nash added: "This is my tenth Swift tower, but it's the first one in the outskirts of London.

"It is really different because it's got a brick kind of column and it's supposed to kind of pick up on the history of the site with the old brewery that was here until it was demolished in the 60s.

"The idea is that the bird box at the top looks like a kind of a chimney pot. So that's what I was trying to do, and I think it's come out pretty well. It's got room for 16 swifts. And there's also room for bats in the top.

"We play swift calls to try and attract the swift. So basically, if you're down here in the evening and you hear swifts, it might well be coming from the tower."

Plans for the site's transformation were first approved and revealed in July 2024.

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