River Cole, Wiltshire

Last updated

River Cole
River Cole flowing north - geograph.org.uk - 305872.jpg
Cole near Sevenhampton
Location
Country England
Counties Wiltshire, Oxfordshire
Towns Swindon
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location Swindon, Wiltshire
  coordinates 51°34′21″N1°43′31″W / 51.5726°N 1.7252°W / 51.5726; -1.7252 [1]
Mouth River Thames
  location
Above Buscot Lock, Oxfordshire
  coordinates
51°41′19″N1°40′37″W / 51.68861°N 1.67694°W / 51.68861; -1.67694 Coordinates: 51°41′19″N1°40′37″W / 51.68861°N 1.67694°W / 51.68861; -1.67694

The River Cole is a tributary of the River Thames in England which flows through Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, forming part of the border between the two counties. [2]

Contents

Course

The river rises in Swindon, west of the town centre in the Walcot area. [1] Much of its upper course has been culverted and built over; it can be seen east of the Greenbridge retail park, which it flows through in a northeasterly direction. From there it is culverted, across to Slade Drive where it turns southeast for about three quarters of a mile. At the Piccadilly roundabout it turns abruptly east and skirts the Coleview Estate. It flows east past Covingham and under Merlin Way, through a flood marsh and out under the A419 road. It runs to the east of the town through Stratton St Margaret, South Marston and Coleshill, Oxfordshire. It joins the Thames near Lechlade from the southern bank near the A417 bridge on the reach above Buscot Lock. The river flows in part through National Trust land, with many mills adjacent to the river that have altered it by straightening and pollution.

Restoration

The river had become polluted and was restored in the 1990s near Coleshill, by allowing it to flow on its natural course and by redeveloping the river bed. This was intended to help increase the biodiversity of the area and of the river itself. The actions taken include raising the river bed to create natural flood meadows and floodplains, and putting in meanders to recreate a natural environment. This should also help the local population as the flood risk will decrease as a result of allowing flooding further upstream and in fields adjacent to the river. The restoration works were carried out in 1995 by the River Restoration Project as one of three EU-LIFE demonstration projects. [3] The River Restoration Centre (previously known as the River Restoration Project) hold reports and documents detailing the restoration of the Cole. [4]

Flooding

In the heavy rains of late July 2007 the Cole burst its banks and flooded the Covingham area of Swindon, and Covingham Drive immediately to the south of the river. Extensive remedial works were carried out to reduce the risk of future flooding.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

River Thames River in southern England

The River Thames, known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 215 miles (346 km), it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.

Wilts & Berks Canal Canal linking the Kennet & Avon Canal to the River Thames

The Wilts & Berks Canal is a canal in the historic counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire, England, linking the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Melksham, to the River Thames at Abingdon. The North Wilts Canal merged with it to become a branch to the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton near Cricklade. Among professional trades boatmen, the canal was nicknamed the Ippey Cut, possibly short for Chippenham.

Thames and Severn Canal

The Thames and Severn Canal is a canal in Gloucestershire in the south of England, which was completed in 1789. It was conceived as part of a canal route from Bristol to London. At its eastern end, it connects to the River Thames at Inglesham Lock near Lechlade, while at its western end, it connects to the Stroudwater Navigation at Wallbridge near Stroud, and thence to the River Severn. It has one short arm (branch), from Siddington to the town of Cirencester. It includes Sapperton Tunnel, which when built was the longest canal tunnel in Britain, and remains the second-longest complete tunnel. There were always problems with water supply, as no reservoirs were built, while the summit section near the tunnel ran through porous limestone, and there were constant difficulties with leakage. Competition from the railways took much of the canal's traffic by the end of the 19th century, and most of the canal was abandoned in 1927, the remainder in 1941.

River Tame, West Midlands River in the West Midlands of England

The River Tame is a river in the West Midlands of England, and one of the principal tributaries of the River Trent. The Tame is about 95 km (59 mi) long from the source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e. the Tame and its main tributaries, is about 285 km (177 mi).

River Cole, West Midlands River in the English Midlands

The River Cole is a 25 miles (40 km) river in the English Midlands. It rises on the lower slopes of Forhill, one of the south-western ramparts of the Birmingham Plateau, at Red Hill and flows south before flowing largely north-east across the plateau to enter the River Blythe below Coleshill, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets the Tame. This then joins the Trent, whose waters reach the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. Its source is very near the main watershed of Midland England : tributaries are few and very short except in the lower reaches, so the Cole is only a small stream.

River Wandle Tributary of the River Thames, England

The River Wandle is a tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about 9 miles (14 km), the river passes through the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth, where it reaches the Thames. A short headwater – the Caterham Bourne – is in Surrey, the historic county of the river's catchment. Tributaries of the Wandle include the River Wrythe and the Norbury Brook.

River Blackwater (River Loddon) Tributary of the River Loddon in England

The River Blackwater is a tributary of the Loddon in England and sub-tributary of the Thames. It rises at two springs in Rowhill Nature Reserve between Aldershot, Hampshire and Farnham, Surrey. It curves a course north then west to join the Loddon in Swallowfield civil parish, central Berkshire. Part of the river splits Hampshire from Surrey; a smaller part does so as to Hampshire and Berkshire.

River Quaggy

The River Quaggy is a river, 17 kilometres (11 mi) in length, passing through the south-east London boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham. In its lower reaches it is an urban river, in its upper reaches further from London it is more natural and known as the Kyd Brook. The river rises from two sources near Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) at Locksbottom and is a tributary of the River Ravensbourne which it flows into near Lewisham station in Lewisham.

River Lambourn River in Berkshire, United Kingdom

The River Lambourn is a chalk stream in the English county of Berkshire. It rises in the Berkshire Downs near its namesake village of Lambourn and is a tributary of the River Kennet, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames.

River Brent River in London, England

The River Brent is a river in west and northwest London, England, and a tributary of the River Thames. 17.9 miles (28.8 km) in length, it rises in the Borough of Barnet and flows in a generally south-west direction before joining the Tideway stretch of the Thames at Brentford.

River Frome, Bristol River in south west England

The Frome, historically the Froom, is a river that rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows southwesterly through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, and the mean flow at Frenchay is 60 cubic feet per second (1.7 m3/s). The name Frome is shared with several other rivers in South West England and means 'fair, fine, brisk'. The river is known locally in east Bristol as the Danny.

Hogsmill River River in Surrey and Greater London, England

The Hogsmill River in Surrey and Greater London, England is a small chalk stream tributary of the River Thames. It rises in Ewell and flows into the Thames at Kingston upon Thames on the lowest non-tidal reach, that above Teddington lock.

Beverley Brook River in London, England

Beverley Brook is a minor English river 14.3 km (8.9 mi) long in southwest London. It rises in Worcester Park and joins the River Thames to the north of Putney Embankment at Barn Elms.

River Crane, London

The River Crane, a tributary of the Thames, runs 8.5 miles (13.6 km) in west London, England. In effect it is the lower course of the Yeading Brook. It adjoins or bisects three London boroughs: Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames. The drainage basin is mainly urbanised but many of the Hayes to Whitton flood-meadows have been conserved to form a narrow, green vale, opening out to what remains of Hounslow Heath in the centre – a near-continuous belt of semi-natural habitat.

Prittle Brook Stream in south Essex, England

The Prittle Brook is a 7.2 mile watercourse in south Essex, England. A tributary of the River Roach, the brook rises in Thundersley and passes through Hadleigh, Leigh-on-Sea, Westcliff, Prittlewell, Rochford and discharges into the Roach and then into the North Sea via the Roach and Crouch estuaries.

River Skerne River in County Durham, England

The River Skerne is a tributary of the River Tees. It flows through County Durham in England.

River Roach River in Essex, England

The River Roach is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex. It is one of four main streams that originate in the Rayleigh Hills to the west, and flow east. They then flow towards the centre of the Rochford Basin, a circular feature which may have been caused by an asteroid impact in the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene periods. To the east of Rochford, the river becomes tidal, and is governed by the Crouch Harbour Authority. It joins the River Crouch between Wallasea Island and Foulness Island. To the west of Rochford, there is some doubt as to which of the four streams is officially the Roach.

The Cut, Berkshire River in Berkshire, England

The Cut is a river in England that rises in North Ascot, Berkshire. It flows for around 14 miles (23 km), through the rural Northern Parishes of Winkfield, Warfield and Binfield in Bracknell Forest on its way down to Bray, where it meets the River Thames just above Queens Eyot on the reach below Bray Lock, having been joined by the Maidenhead Waterways.

Markeaton Brook

The Markeaton Brook is an 11-mile-long (17 km) tributary of the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. The brook rises from its source south of Hulland Ward, and flows for most of its length through the countryside north-west of Derby before entering a culvert to the north of the city centre; it reappears from this culvert and runs through a short section of open channel on the other side of the city before joining the Derwent.

Eller Beck River in North Yorkshire, England

The Eller Beck is a small river in North Yorkshire, England, that flows through the town of Skipton and is a tributary of the River Aire. Its channel was heavily modified to supply water to mills in the 18th and 19th centuries, and although all the mills have closed, the water now supplies power to the National Grid, generated by a turbine at High Corn Mill. The beck flows through several underground culverts in Skipton that contribute to the flood risk. To alleviate flooding in Skipton town centre, a scheme involving two flood water storage reservoirs has been designed, but the start of the work to implement it was delayed in October 2014 by a shortfall in funding.

References

  1. 1 2 "Cole (source to Lenta Brook)". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  2. River Cole on swuklink.com
  3. "Cole and Skerne". The River Restoration Centre. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. "R Cole and R Skerne Reports". The River Restoration Centre. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
Next confluence upstream River Thames Next confluence downstream
River Leach (north)River Cole, Wiltshire River Windrush (north)