Frays River

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Frays River
Frays River in Frays Farm Meadows.jpg
Frays River in Frays Farm Meadows
Location
Country England
County Buckinghamshire, London Borough of Hillingdon
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location River Colne, Denham Weir, Buckinghamshire
  coordinates 51°33′58″N0°29′00″W / 51.5661°N 0.4832°W / 51.5661; -0.4832
  elevation35 m (115 ft)
Mouth  
  location
River Colne, West Drayton
  coordinates
51°29′58″N0°29′05″W / 51.4995°N 0.4848°W / 51.4995; -0.4848
  elevation
24 m (79 ft)
Length5.5 mi (8.9 km)
Basin features
Tributaries 
  left River Pinn

Frays River is a semi-canalised short river in England that branches off the River Colne at Uxbridge Moor and rejoins it at West Drayton. It is believed to be a mainly man-made anabranch north of the confluence with the River Pinn to feed watermills in the Parish of Hillingdon. The river is believed to be named after John Fray who owned Cowley Hall in the fifteenth century. Other names for the river are the Uxbridge and Cowley Mill Stream, the Cowley Stream or the Colham Mill Stream. Two of the three mills in Hillingdon Parish recorded in the Domesday book are believed to have been located on the southern section of the river. [1]

Contents

The river in Uxbridge Fray's River - geograph.org.uk - 189508.jpg
The river in Uxbridge

Course

The Frays River leaves the River Colne east of Denham, Buckinghamshire at Denham Weir. It passes through Frays Farm Meadows, Uxbridge, Cowley, Yiewsley and West Drayton. At Cowley the Grand Union Canal mainline is carried over the river in an aqueduct at Cowley lock. The Frays continues south, flowing past Little Britain Lake on its western side before crossing under the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal which is also carried above it in an aqueduct. In Yiewsley it is joined on its east bank by the River Pinn. It then re-joins the River Colne at Drayton Point in West Drayton.

View of the river from the aqueduct on the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal in Yiewsley Frays River from Grand Union Canal.JPG
View of the river from the aqueduct on the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal in Yiewsley

Ecology

The river flows through two Sites of Special Scientific Interest managed by the London Wildlife Trust: Frays Farm Meadows [2] and Denham Lock Wood. [3] Frays Island between the Frays and the River Colne in West Drayton is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and is also managed by the trust. [4]

Literary connections

George Orwell once taught at Frays College, Uxbridge, which was on the banks of the river. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowley, London</span> Suburban village in the United Kingdom

Cowley is a village contiguous with the town of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon. A largely suburban village with 16 listed buildings, Cowley is 15.4 miles (24.8 km) west of Charing Cross, bordered to the west by Uxbridge Moor in the Green Belt and the River Colne, forming the border with Buckinghamshire. Cowley was an ancient parish in the historic county of Middlesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uxbridge</span> Town in the west of Greater London, England

Uxbridge is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated 15.4 miles (24.8 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex, and was a significant local commercial centre from an early time. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century it expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough in 1955, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yiewsley</span> Suburban village in the United Kingdom

Yiewsley is a large suburban village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, 2 miles (3 km) south of Uxbridge, the borough's commercial and administrative centre. Yiewsley was a chapelry in the ancient parish of Hillingdon, Middlesex. The population of the ward was 12,979 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Hillingdon</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Hillingdon is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county of Middlesex. Today, Hillingdon is home to Heathrow Airport and Brunel University, and is the second largest of the 32 London boroughs by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uxbridge Vine Street railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Uxbridge Vine Street station opened on 8 September 1856 as Uxbridge Station and was the earliest of three railway stations in Uxbridge, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Drayton</span> Area of the London Borough of Hillingdon

West Drayton is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex and from 1929 was part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District, which became part of Greater London in 1965. The settlement is near the Colne Valley Regional Park and its centre lies 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Heathrow Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Colne, Hertfordshire</span> River in south England

The Colne is a river and a tributary of the River Thames in England. Just over half its course is in south Hertfordshire. Downstream, it forms the boundary between Buckinghamshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon. The confluence with the River Thames is on the Staines reach at Staines-upon-Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–2010

Uxbridge was a seat returning one Member of Parliament (MP) of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1885 to 2010. Its MPs elected were: Conservative Party candidates for 107 years and Labour Party candidates for 18 years. The closing 40 years of the seat's history saw Conservative victory — in 1997 on a very marginal majority in relative terms.

The London Borough of Hillingdon is responsible for 239 parks and open spaces within its boundaries. Since much of the area is within the Green Belt, there are large areas of land properly called open space. They range in size from the Colne Valley corridor to the smallest gardens and playing fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uxbridge F.C.</span> Association football club in England

The Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge, based in Yiewsley, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founding members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup once; in the 1873–74 season. The club is affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association and is a FA chartered standard club. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division.

The Uxbridge branch line was a railway line to Uxbridge in the historical English county of Middlesex, from the Great Western Railway main line at West Drayton. It opened in 1856 as a broad gauge single line, 2+12 miles (4 km) long. It was converted to standard gauge in 1871. Two other branch lines were later built to Uxbridge, but without making a connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowley railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Cowley Railway Station was a station on the Uxbridge branch of the Great Western Railway in Cowley, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockley Park</span> Pioneering suburban business and public park in the United Kingdom

Stockley Park is a business estate and public country park located between Hayes, Yiewsley and West Drayton in the London Borough of Hillingdon. In August 2020 it was listed in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England as Grade II. Stockley Park is the home of the VAR hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Pinn</span> River in Greater London, England

The Pinn is a suburban, outer west London river. It has dendritic headwaters, the furthest is considered its source – in Harrow Weald. Its confluence with Frays River makes it a tributary of the Colne. It is one of three principal rivers wholly in the historic county of Middlesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otter Dock</span> Former arm of the Grand Junction Canal in Yiewsley, United Kingdom

Otter Dock was a branch of the Grand Junction Canal in Yiewsley, Middlesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colne Valley Regional Park</span>

The Colne Valley Regional Park is 43 square miles (110 km2) of parks, green spaces and reservoirs alongside the often multi-channel River Colne and parallel Grand Union Canal, mainly in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with parts in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Berkshire and a small area in Surrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frays Farm Meadows</span>

Frays Farm Meadows is a 28.2-hectare (70-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Denham in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was notified as an SSSI in 1981, and has been managed by the London Wildlife Trust on behalf of Hillingdon Council since 1999. It is part of the Colne Valley Regional Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denham Lock Wood</span> Site of Special Scientific Interest

Denham Lock Wood is a 6.3-hectare (16-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) next to the Grand Union Canal, and near Denham in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was notified in 1986 and is managed by the London Wildlife Trust on behalf of Hillingdon Council. It lies within the Colne Valley Regional Park.

References

  1. "A History of the County of Middlesex Volume 4, Hillingdon, including Uxbridge: Economic and social history". www.british-history.ac.uk. London: Victoria County History. 1971. pp. 75–82. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. "Frays Farm Meadows". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. "Denham Lock Woods". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. "Frays Island and Mabey's meadow". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. Peter Stansky and William Abrahams The Unknown George Orwell

Coordinates: 51°30′55″N0°28′54″W / 51.51528°N 0.48167°W / 51.51528; -0.48167