51°10′08″N 0°37′12″E / 51.169°N 0.620°E / 51.169; 0.620
63-653: Download coordinates as: The Loose Stream sometimes called the River Loose or Langley Stream is a tributary of the River Medway notable for the number of watermills that it powered in its short length. It rises in Langley , flows through Boughton Monchelsea , Loose and enters the Medway at Tovil . The river valley is deep sided, and there is much evidence of the paper and wool trades which once flourished here:
126-483: A draft of 4 feet (1.2 m) can navigate the river. The shallowest point is just below Sluice Weir Lock, which is prone to silting after heavy rain. Small craft such as canoes can sometimes travel as far as Penshurst . The stretch from Leigh to Allington is known as the Medway Navigation , and is 19 miles (31 km) in length. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority . Downstream of
189-463: A flood barrier was constructed downstream from Leigh to protect Tonbridge, which had been severely affected by the flooding of 1968. During periods of high flow, the flow is controlled by impounding the water and allowing up to 1 square mile (2.6 km ) of farmland upstream of the barrier to flood. However, this did not prevent significant flooding in Tonbridge in winter 2013–14. In recent years
252-495: A turbine but the pentrough remained. Papermaking had ceased before the First World War. TQ 75681 53644 51°15′18″N 0°30′58″E / 51.254896°N 0.516199°E / 51.254896; 0.516199 ( Bockingford Mill ) This was once a washing (fulling) mill, converted to corn milling by the mid-nineteenth century. The present building dates from c. 1880 and last worked c. 1892, Mrs Marsham,
315-527: A 400kV electricity circuit. There is no public access. The middle section of the Medway above Tonbridge, partly because of the various tributaries entering the river in this stretch – in particular the River Eden – has always been subject to extensive flooding . Tonbridge has suffered frequent flooding over the centuries, so much so that the higher part of the town to the north is called "Dryhill". Flood protection measures have therefore been taken. In 1981,
378-448: A bridge over the road. This meant a level crossing would be built at Cave Hill, with gates. Maidstone Borough Council withdrew its objection after this was agreed. Opposition from property owners included the owner and tenant of Hayle Place, and the owner of Park House Farm, Chart Sutton. Green raised further objections based his insurance premiums rising considerably in view of the increased fire risk. The enquiry concluded on 27 April, and
441-505: A bridge since Roman times. In the 14th century the Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge were instituted by Sir John de Cobham to pay for the rebuilding and upkeep of the bridge. Until 1963 the nearest crossing to Rochester Bridge was the 14th-century bridge at Aylesford, 12 miles (19 km) upstream. Since then the following additional crossings have come into use: Three other major crossings are at Tonbridge, where bridges carry
504-522: A railway was the Greensand Ridge south of Maidstone, with the villages of Chart Sutton and Town Sutton (Sutton Valence) on the ridge. The line from Paddock Wood to Maidstone had already taken the only gap in the ridge south of the town. But the River Loose had cut a channel into the ridge, which could possibly be used to drive a railway through to reach the top of the ridge. The line
567-484: A short branch at Tovil , opened to goods only, was built. Maidstone , the county town of Kent, had been reached by the railway in 1846, when the South Eastern Railway built a branch from Paddock Wood . In 1856, a branch was built from Strood to make an end-on junction with the branch from Paddock Wood at what is now Maidstone West station. Headcorn had been reached by the railway in 1842, on
630-472: A steep and narrow valley near Rochester , before its final section to the sea. Until 1746, the river was not navigable above Maidstone. Below that point each village on the river had its wharf or wharves: at Halling , Snodland , New Hythe and Aylesford . Cargoes included corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber. In 1746, improvements to the channel meant that barges of 40 long tons (41 t) could reach East Farleigh , Yalding and even Tonbridge. In 1828,
693-839: Is a river in South East England . It rises in the High Weald , West Sussex and flows through Tonbridge , Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent , before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness , a total distance of 70 miles (113 km). About 13 miles (21 km) of the river lies in East Sussex, with the remainder being in Kent. The Medway has a catchment area of 930 square miles (2,409 km ),
SECTION 10
#1732766046785756-532: Is a song by local man George Gilbert; it was written in the mid-1960s and is often played in local folk clubs and at festivals in Kent. The River Medway is featured at Maidstone in the studio backdrop of the ITV1 regional news programme Meridian Tonight . At 7.15 p.m. on 1 May each year, local Morris dancers Kettle Bridge Clogs dance across Barming Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge) to mark
819-646: Is managed purely for wildlife, landscape and recreation. It was designated a Conservation Area in September 2000. The village pond in Loose was recently surveyed and contained a mixture of the following species: water mint , meadowsweet , common reed mace , water dropwort , bittersweet , yellow iris , branched bur-reed , greater tussock sedge , brooklime , water figwort , water forget-me-not , great willowherb , and marsh marigold . Chrisbrook ponds host moorhens , coots and tufted duck , Canada geese visit in
882-403: Is working for a commercial trade. See Medway watermills , and Medway watermills on the upper tributaries , the middle tributaries and the lower tributaries for more details. Medway scenes: Headcorn %26 Maidstone Junction Light Railway The Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was a proposed railway in Kent . An Act of Parliament authorised its construction, but only
945-669: The A227 road and a rail link over the river; there is also a two-span viaduct which takes the A21 over the Medway Valley near Haysden. The lowest crossing of the Medway are two cable tunnels between the Isle of Grain and Chetney marshes. These were built between 1973 and 1976 in anticipation of the commissioning of Grain power station . The tunnels are 1700 m long, 2.54 m in diameter and between 34 and 47 m below ordnance datum; each carries
1008-614: The Light Railways Act 1896 and the engineer was to be H. F. Stephens . The public enquiry into the building of the line was held at the Star Hotel, Maidstone on 17 March 1905. H F Stephens said that the proposed line would bring benefits of development of the local stone quarries at Boughton Monchelsea, then in decline, and lead to an increase in the population of the villages served. Stephens predicted traffic receipts of £20 per mile per week. William Rigby also supported
1071-598: The Thames is given extensive treatment by Edmund Spenser 's The Faerie Queene in the 16th century (Book IV, Canto xi). Joseph Conrad describes the view up the Medway from the Thames Estuary in The Mirror of the Sea (1906). For the 1999 film The Mummy the river was filmed at Chatham Dockyard , in an imitation of a "port at Cairo ". The scene is brief but involves the main protagonists departing on their mission to
1134-568: The main line between Tonbridge and Ashford . This situation left Maidstone in a position where there was no direct access to either London or the Channel Ports by rail. In 1874 a branch was built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway from Swanley to the current Maidstone East station. This line was extended in 1884 to Ashford. There were various railways proposed to link Maidstone and Headcorn: The main obstacle to building
1197-578: The 1960s. The derelict waterwheel survived in the early 1970s and has now been restored, the mill buildings being house converted c. 1975. Both the Crisbrook mills were the property of the dean and chapter of Canterbury. The ancient spelling of these mills was 'Christbrook/Chrisbrook'. TQ 756 542 51°15′36″N 0°30′55″E / 51.259916°N 0.515312°E / 51.259916; 0.515312 ( Lower Crisbrook Mill ) This late eighteenth-century mill housed an internal water wheel; it
1260-700: The Brook, Chatham (not to be confused with the main tributary River Bourne). The river and its tributaries flow through largely rural areas, Tonbridge , Maidstone and Medway being the exceptions. The Medway itself initially flows in a west–east direction south of the North Downs ; at the confluence of the River Beult, however, it turns north and breaks through the North Downs at the Medway Gap ,
1323-675: The Light Railway Order involved a tunnel which was considerably longer than that which was originally proposed, a fact which pleased Mr. Green, who prophesied that "the longer the tunnel the less chance the line would be built." The mill house burnt down on 20 June 2003, but the mill survived. The house was rebuilt in 2006–07 as part of the conversion of the Mill to apartments. The waterwheel is 12 feet (3.66 m) diameter and 9 feet 9 inches (2.97 m) wide, being an unusual combination of pitchback and high breast shot, having
SECTION 20
#17327660467851386-635: The Medway , in 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War . In the 18th century Samuel Ireland published an illustrated book about a journey up the river, to the River Bewl at Bayham Abbey. The book's map shows some of the tributaries (unnamed). The illustrations include the castles at Queenborough , Upnor , Leybourne , Tonbridge and Hever ; Penshurst Place ; and the bridges at Teston , Maidstone , Aylesford, East Farleigh , Barming , Branbridges and Tonbridge. The hop fields in
1449-453: The Medway bridges (M2, HS1) the river comprises a sequence of tidal reaches: One of the channels on the southern side of the estuary, Stangate Creek, is the subject of a painting by William Turner . In a location described as "opposite the Isle of Grain , Sharpfleet Creek, and the lower-end of the Hope", a quarantine site for ships was proclaimed on 16 September 1709, during an outbreak of
1512-547: The River Medway terminated at the goods station in Tovil. It served the paper mills at Upper Tovil Mill , Lower Tovil Mill and Bridge Mill , and general goods traffic. It crossed the river on a substantial girder bridge. It was latterly worked by class 08 and 09 shunters , the bridge being deemed unsafe for anything heavier. The line was 21 chains (420 m) long and it closed to traffic on 3 October 1977. After closure
1575-513: The Wilson family in the 1870s. In its later life, the mill was converted into three cottages, now demolished. The head of water being some 12 feet (3.66 m) to 15 feet (4.57 m) indicates an overshot waterwheel . TQ 760 521 51°14′27″N 0°31′21″E / 51.240810°N 0.522413°E / 51.240810; 0.522413 ( Old (Gurney's) Mill ) Only the foundations of this paper mill remain, by Salts Lane. The mill
1638-422: The ability to apply water to the wheel in two different positions. The waterwheel bears the legend 'F. Clark, Millwright, Ashford 1875'. TQ 756 541 51°15′32″N 0°30′55″E / 51.259018°N 0.515263°E / 51.259018; 0.515263 ( Upper Crisbrook Mill ) The seventeenth-century structure latterly had a cast iron overshot waterwheel driving pumping machinery, working until
1701-452: The cast iron waterwheel, some 12 feet (3.66 m) diameter and 8 feet (2.44 m) wide remains under the building. TQ 756 538 51°15′22″N 0°31′03″E / 51.256207°N 0.517523°E / 51.256207; 0.517523 ( Hayle Mill ) This has been the site of a mill for many centuries. The last mill was a paper mill, built in 1808 and was noted for its handmade paper until production ceased in 1987. The mill
1764-500: The channel was further improved up to Leigh . There are eleven locks on the river. The lowest, opened in 1792, is at Allington , and is the tidal limit . The others are at East Farleigh , Teston , Hampstead Lane , Stoneham Old Lock (disused), Sluice Weir Lock , Oak Weir Lock , East Lock, Porter's, Eldridge's and Town Lock in Tonbridge . The locks will take craft up to 80 feet (24 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), and vessels with
1827-551: The city of the dead. The Maidstone River Festival, to celebrate the River Medway, running annually since 1980, is held on the last Saturday of July. It features events on and around the river and attracts thousands to Kent's county town. The festival was cancelled in 2012 due to the London Olympics, but returned in 2013. However, the 2013 event did not include a funfair or a fireworks display as in previous years, and lasted just one day instead of two. Medway Flows Softly
1890-546: The commissioners held a further meeting on 9 May to discuss various deviations etc. proposed. In June 1905, the commissioners granted a Light Railway Order , the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway Order, 1906, signed by David Lloyd George on 6 May 1906. Amongst the changes made were a bridge over the main road at Sutton Valence instead of a level crossing, and a 428 yards (391 m) long tunnel at Loose . The mouth being some 100 yards (91 m) from Hayle Mill
1953-475: The extra being to cover the cost of the tunnel. In 1907 an amendment order was obtained to vary the borrowing structure, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway (Amendment) Order, 1907. In its Annual Report for 1913, the K&;ESR reported that the construction of the extension had not been commenced, but further powers were being asked for. The purchase monies were refunded to the landowners in 1917, but
Loose Stream - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-533: The flood-swollen river. In 1914 HMS Bulwark exploded while moored at Kethole Reach near Sheerness, killing 741 men with only 12 survivors. The following year HMS Princess Irene exploded in Saltpan Reach with the loss of 352 lives. In 1942 the world's first test of a submarine oil pipeline was conducted with one laid across the Medway in Operation Pluto . The Medway's 'marriage' to
2079-505: The line continued to be mentioned in the K&ESR's accounts until the mid-1930s. In 1904, an 0-8-0 tank locomotive was purchased for the K&ESR. It is widely thought that this locomotive was purchased to work on the H&;MJLR. The builder was Hawthorn Leslie & Company (works number 2587/1904) and it became K&ESR No.4 Hecate , later Southern Railway No. 949 and British Railways No. 30949. A single-track branch line over
2142-470: The line would mean demolition of cottages he owned, and that smoke from the engines would ruin handmade paper produced at the mill. Green suggested two separate proposals involving tunnels in the Loose Valley. The public enquiry was reconvened in London on 10 April 1905. Further objections to the level crossings were raised, and it was agreed to replace the level crossing at East Farleigh Hill with
2205-413: The line, claiming the cost of £56,000 was reasonable. He was engaged on building the northern extension of the K&ESR from Tenterden to Headcorn at the time, and stood to gain the contract to build the proposed line. There were objections to the level crossings required in the Loose Valley. Amongst the objectors was Herbert Green, who owned Hayle Mill in the Loose Valley. His main objections were that
2268-564: The lower Medway Valley; later Jutish burial sites have also been found. The Domesday Book records many manors in the Medway valley. Castles became a feature of the landscape, including Rochester , Allington , Leeds (near Maidstone), and West Malling . Two military actions are named after the river: the Battle of the Medway (43 CE , during the Roman invasion of Britain ); and the Raid on
2331-400: The mornings and egrets and kingfishers eat the fish. The quarries provide nesting tunnels for kingfishers. Winter time is a good time for birdwatching with kingfisher , little grebe , little egret , water rail , ring-necked parakeet , grey wagtail , mallard , moorhen , black headed gull , grey heron and jackdaw regularly seen. On the dry calcareous semi improved grasslands of
2394-511: The owner gave notice to the miller that she wished to terminate his tenancy in April 1891. The mill was extended and converted into a house shortly after. The last miller was a Mr. Wilson, with Tom Bates preceding him. A Mr. Rose, foreman at Little Ivy Mill was one of the first inhabitants of the converted mill. The mill pond was some 300 feet (91 m) long and 70 feet (21 m) wide, giving an area of 2,333 square yards (1,951 m). The frame of
2457-473: The plague . The area had been leased to oyster fisherman, so compensation was paid to them. Nearly 150 ships quarantined there in the first six months of 1712, and the site was again used between 1721 and 1743. In 1918 to 1920, damages were sought for damage done to an oyster fishery in Stangate Creek. Until recently the lowest public crossing of the Medway was at Rochester , where there has been
2520-470: The quarries at Boughton Monchelsea and following the Loose Valley to link up with a branch from the Medway Valley Line at Tovil across the River Medway to a goods station in Tovil, which had opened in 1886. This line crossed the Medway by a substantial girder bridge. The entire line was to be single throughout and have 17 level crossings , all ungated. The line was to be constructed under
2583-597: The river at Yalding . At West Peckham , it is joined by the Wealdway which continues through Tonbridge, thus linking with the Eden Valley Walk. Maidstone Millennium River Park is a 10 kilometres (6 mi) walk from Teston Country Park to the Museum of Kent Life at Sandling . The park, built between 1998 and 2001, has transformed 18 acres (7.3 ha) of wasteland and three new footbridges have been built over
Loose Stream - Misplaced Pages Continue
2646-501: The river. Ancient sites abound throughout the length of the River Medway. The area around Aylesford is a notable Stone Age site where the Medway megaliths are a group of Neolithic chamber tombs including the Coldrum Stones and Kit's Coty House . Bronze Age ornaments and beakers have been found along the river; other burial sites and finds come from the pre-Roman Iron Age . The Romans left evidence of many villas in
2709-556: The second largest in southern England after the Thames . The map opposite shows only the major tributaries : a more detailed map shows the extensive network of smaller streams feeding into the main river. Those tributaries rise from points along the North Downs , the Weald and Ashdown Forest . The major tributaries are: Minor tributaries include: Former minor tributaries include the Old Bourne River, which flowed through
2772-400: The site of a mill. There is little evidence supporting the claim to a mill, which would have been demolished by the mid-eighteenth century if it existed. TQ 762 521 51°14′27″N 0°31′31″E / 51.240748°N 0.525276°E / 51.240748; 0.525276 ( Leg-o-Mutton mill ) This mill took its name from the shape of the mill pond. It was in the ownership of
2835-415: The start of their Morris dancing season. Recreationally the river is used by many. For example, individuals and many clubs have paddling trips along many different parts of the Medway (e.g. Bewl Canoe Club). Individuals and club members paddling on the Medway and most other rivers should be members of British Canoeing . The Medway is said to divide the county of Kent into two parts: this may allude to
2898-628: The stream has been classified by the Environment Agency as ‘very good’ close to its confluence with the River Medway at Tovil. The eastern side of the Valley starts as heavily grazed horse pasture. It then becomes a series of long narrow fields bordered by scrub/woodland on the upper edges of the Valley, which are very lightly grazed by cattle. This section of the Valley is owned by the Loose Amenities Association and
2961-611: The stream has been dammed in many places, resulting in many mill ponds. Lambarde mentions 13 fulling mills and one corn mill . Camden gives thirteen fulling mills. By c.1715, the Kentish cloth trade had declined, and Harris only mentions two fulling mills and one paper mill . Owing to the purity of the stream, paper making rose in importance in the nineteenth century. TQ 779 515 51°14′07″N 0°32′51″E / 51.23528°N 0.54750°E / 51.23528; 0.54750 The ancient manor of Brishing Court may have been
3024-407: The traditional county absorbed into London since the 1880s. The power of the Medway has been harnessed for a millennium or more. Waterwheels and turbines powered by the waters of the Medway and its tributaries have been used to mill corn , make paper, make cloth , smelt iron, pump water and generate electricity. There are over 200 sites on the Medway where such usage is known. Today, only one mill
3087-625: The two dioceses into which Kent has been divided since the year 604: Canterbury and Rochester. The tradition has grown up, and is kept alive by the "Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men", that those born in West Kent – the area north of the river, but including Maidstone, Gillingham (other than Rainham), Rochester and Chatham – are labelled Kentish Men (or Maids ); while those born in East Kent are Men (or Maids ) of Kent . This labelling applies equally to those born in those parts of
3150-425: The upper valley meadow vetchling , meadow-pea , and bird's-foot trefoil are found. In the transitional scrub, hawthorn , blackthorn and rose are found. It is an extremely valuable habitat and supports species such as dormouse , warblers and butterflies. The woodland of the Loose Valley contains species such as oak , ash , sycamore , hazel and sweet chestnut . River Medway The River Medway
3213-427: The vicinity of the latter are also described; and the easterly River Len , which then supplied Maidstone with its piped water. The book states that Within about two miles of Tunbridge the Medway branches out into several small streams, five of which unite at the town ... having each its stone bridge . The Thames and Medway Canal , duplicatively linking the estuary at Strood to Gravesend for adverse tides and weather
SECTION 50
#17327660467853276-560: The village of Yalding , about 12 km downstream at the confluence with the River Beult, has been more prone to flooding than Tonbridge. The Medway Valley Walk follows the river from Rochester to Tonbridge along the bank most of the way above Allington . It starts on the Saxon Shore Way at Rochester. The North Downs Way crosses the river using the Medway Viaduct or motorway bridge. The Greensand Way crosses
3339-479: Was a corn mill c. 1719. It had an overshot waterwheel driving four pairs of millstones. The mill last worked in 1905 and the machinery scrapped some thirty years later. An earlier mill on this site was probably the mill leased by the prior of Canterbury to Robert De Hucham. Only parts of the walls remain today. TQ 7545 5445 51°15′44″N 0°30′48″E / 51.262208°N 0.513287°E / 51.262208; 0.513287 ( Upper Tovil Mill ) This
3402-412: Was a fulling mill, later a paper mill. The large overshot waterwheel was scrapped in 1941 but papermaking continued after the war. The buildings have all been demolished and developed for housing. TQ 750 547 51°15′53″N 0°30′25″E / 51.264592°N 0.506966°E / 51.264592; 0.506966 ( Bridge Mill ) Originally a fulling mill, then a corn mill. A powder mill
3465-613: Was a fulling mill, later a paper mill. The mill had an overshot waterwheel but was burnt down in 1894. The fire damaged mill was bought and rebuilt by Albert Reed , acting as the founding point of the company that would go on to become Reed International . The rebuilt mill was powered by steam. The site of the mill was cleared in the 1980s to make way for a housing development. One of the Tovil mills belonged to Maidstone College in 1525. TQ 7520 5475 51°15′54″N 0°30′35″E / 51.264980°N 0.509854°E / 51.264980; 0.509854 ( Lower Tovil Mill ) This
3528-482: Was acceptable to Herbert Green, who said that "the longer the tunnel was the less the chance that the line would actually be built." The commissioners gave permission for the railway to charge an extra mile for traffic passing through the tunnel. The railway had three years to complete compulsory purchase of land, and five years to complete construction. The authorised share capital was raised to £96,000 from £78,000 and additional loan borrowings were increased to £32,000,
3591-538: Was bought by John Green in 1817 and remained in the Green family until 2002. In 1905, Herbert Green raised objections to the building of the Headcorn & Maidstone Junction Light Railway , the extension of the Kent & East Sussex Railway , a short portion of which was built as far as Tovil. His main objection was that the smoke from the locomotives would interfere with the operation of his mill. The eventual granting of
3654-402: Was completed in 1824 but was not a commercial success; by 1849 the South Eastern Railway had taken over its tunnel through a hillside. The western part of the canal remained in use until 1934. The Hartlake disaster of 1853 saw the deaths of 30 hop-pickers when a wagon carrying them crashed through the side of a rotten wooden bridge at Golden Green near Hadlow , throwing its passengers into
3717-437: Was demolished after the First World War. It had an overshot waterwheel of 15 feet (4.57 m) diameter and 9 feet (2.74 m) wide. TQ 758 522 51°14′30″N 0°31′11″E / 51.241770°N 0.519600°E / 51.241770; 0.519600 ( Loose village watermill ) This was a corn mill, probably the one mentioned by Lambarde. It had an overshot waterwheel driving three pairs of millstones , and
3780-411: Was established here in the eighteenth century and later an oil mill. Bridge mill was latterly a paper mill, ceasing work in the late twentieth century. The site has been cleared for a housing development. A small stream enters the river at Loose, it powered a watermill. Originally a fulling mill, then a paper mill, latterly a corn mill with an overshot waterwheel driving three pairs of stones. This mill
3843-403: Was in the ownership of the Wilson family in the 1870s. It closed in 1908 and has since been demolished. Located to the south-east of Maidstone , the Loose Valley forms the boundary between the urban area of Maidstone and the surrounding countryside. Due to the large number of ponds, the Loose stream and extensive areas of semi-improved grassland, it is a haven for wildlife. The water quality of
SECTION 60
#17327660467853906-477: Was seen as an extension of the Kent & East Sussex Railway northwards from Headcorn, making an end-on junction and crossing the SE&;CR main line by a bridge of 60 feet (18 m) span and climbing towards Sutton Valence, 244 ft in 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (74 m in 4 km). Having reached Sutton Valence the line then had to drop 300 ft in 4 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (91 m in 6.85 km), passing
3969-399: Was working until the First World War but subsequently demolished. This mill was attached to the manor of Pymps Court in the sixteenth century. It was then a fulling mill. Later it was a paper mill and latterly a corn mill with was converted into a house in 1912, the waterwheel and machinery being scrapped. This was a fulling mill, later a paper mill. The overshot waterwheel was replaced by
#784215