It was all smiles at Ram Quarter earlier this week as the site’s resident pair of nesting swans successfully hatched an egg to produce a cygnet on the bank of the Wandle, after the community had banded together to rescue the nest from a sudden rise in the river level.

This is the third year in a row that the swans have nested at Ram Quarter, Greenland’s award-winning development of the former Ram Brewery, and the swans have become popular local figures.  However last month potential disaster struck when the river level rose suddenly and unexpectedly.  Swans usually nest in the same place each year, but they are known to grieve when they lose a nest or cygnets, and last year the nest and the eggs were washed away entirely, so no one was sure whether the swans would return this year.  Fortunately the swans did still feel that Ram Quarter can provide a safe home for them, and the Ram Quarter community was on hand this time to save the eggs from the water.

Two of Ram Quarter's commercial tenants, Boom Battle Bar and Sambrook’s, helped rescue the nest with the support of Greenland and the Swan Sanctuary.  In anticipation of the swans’ return this year, a bale of straw had been privately sourced by Sambrook's from Steve Churchill – an especially helpful act of generosity given the difficulty of finding straw in London.  The straw helped the swans build a more secure nest than they had been able to build last year, and - once this year's sudden raised water level had settled - further straw was provided to make sure that the swans could continue to incubate their eggs.

The welfare of the swans has always been important to Greenland, and following a similar water surge last year a close eye was kept on the swans this year in case of a repeat incident.  Swans need a safe home to raise their young, and their eggs must be incubated for about 35 days.  Pens – female swans – lay their eggs when in peak condition, and with the large physical effort involved in first building a nest, which is about four feet across, and then laying the eggs, it was essential to restore the nest.

The return of swans to the river Wandle at Ram Quarter is in part the result of Greenland’s redevelopment: as well as preserving the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the site, Greenland also safeguarded the site's wildlife, carrying out the vital task of rewilding the river after decades of neglect.  This effort has led to the return of much animal and plant life to the river and its banks, and the swans have become a powerful emblem of the recovery.

Swans mate for life, and can live for twenty years or more, so we hope to see them extend their residency at Ram Quarter for many years to come.  Do pay the swans and the cygnet a visit next time you’re at Ram Quarter.