River Ravensbourne
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2010) |
Ravensbourne Deptford Creek | |
---|---|
Towns | Bromley, Lewisham, Deptford |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Keston |
Mouth | River Thames |
• location | Deptford |
Length | 17.4 km (10.8 mi) |
Basin size | 180 km2 (69 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• location | Catford Hill |
• average | 0.43 m3/s (15 cu ft/s) |
• minimum | 0.09 m3/s (3.2 cu ft/s)23 May 1992 |
• maximum | 28.4 m3/s (1,000 cu ft/s)9 June 1992 |
Discharge | |
• location | Bromley South |
• average | 0.05 m3/s (1.8 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Ravensbourne South Branch, Ravensbourne East Branch, Spring Brook, River Pool, River Quaggy |
The River Ravensbourne is a
Geography
The Ravensbourne is 11 miles (17 km) in length with a total catchment area of 180 km2. It flows through the London Boroughs of Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich.
The Ravensbourne
North of Ladywell Fields, passing to the east of
Its
Tributaries
South of Bellingham, the small Spring Brook joins the Ravensbourne after flowing only about one mile (1.6 km) from the east through Plaistow and Downham; it crosses the borough boundary from Bromley to Lewisham and follows a narrow strip of parkland named Shaftesbury Park Recreation Ground and Downham Playing Fields along its short course.
Just above
Numerous other small streams and surface water outfalls join the main river between its source and confluence. Until the 19th century one such stream flowed from Brockley Cross crossing Tanners Hill before joining at Deptford Creek.
51°28′55″N 0°01′01″W / 51.482°N 0.01706°W
History
The earliest documented name is Randesbourne 1360, then Rendesburne 1372, Randysborne 1516 and Ravensburn 1575. The later spelling of Ravensbourne is thus due to folk etymology, and the likely meaning is 'boundary stream', from Old English rand and burna. In its ten-mile course, the Ravensbourne forms the boundary between several sets of parishes.[5]
The Domesday Book recorded eleven corn mills on the Ravensbourne in the 11th century.[6] The 17th century London diarist John Evelyn bought one of these mills – Brookmills – in 1668 for "grinding colour" from the Beecher family. It was later used by the Kent Waterworks company. It was finally demolished in the 1850s.[7]
The bridge over Deptford Creek was the site of the
From the 16th century onwards until its closure in the 19th century, the proximity of
Deptford Creek was also host to a large
Between 1974 and 1997, the name of the river was used for the Ravensbourne Parliament constituency within the London Borough of Bromley. It also gives its name to a railway station. Every year on 1 May at 5.32am, the Ravensbourne
See also
- Tributaries of the River Thames
- List of rivers in England
- The River Quaggy
- Creekside Discovery Centre
External links
References
- ^ "The River Restoration Centre Case Study Series: River Ravensbourne, Ladywell Fields (QUERCUS)" (PDF). The River Restoration Centre. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ "London Rivers Week: River Ravensbourne, Ladywell Fields, Lewis ham" (PDF). Thames 21. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ "Thames Discovery Programme - Discover Deptford Creek". www.thamesdiscovery.org. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Weekend Walks: The River Ravensbourne From Catford To The Thames". Londonist. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "River Ravensbourne". Ravensbourne Valley Residents.
- ^ "Quaggy Waterways Action Group - News Page". Archived from the original on 21 November 2008.
- ^ Lowe, Jennifer (November 1999). "Former Water Works, Deals Gateway,Deptford:An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment for St James Homes Ltd" (PDF). Thames Valley Archaeological Services. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ "Deptford Creek - About maritime London - Port Cities". Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ Connor, Rachel (3 May 2012). "Morris men dance at dawn to bring in the summer". www.newsshopper.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2013.