Letcombe Brook
Encyclopedia
Letcombe Brook is a 7.5 miles (12 km) stream in the Vale of White Horse
in Oxfordshire
, England
. It rises at the foot of the Berkshire Downs
at Letcombe Bassett
and flows through Letcombe Regis
, Wantage
, Grove
and East Hanney
to join Childrey Brook, which is a tributary of the River Ock
, which is a tributary of the River Thames
.
Letcombe Brook is a chalk stream
, which is globally rare. Development, agriculture and water demand have degraded its habitats, but its water is now cleaner than for many years, and it supports a rich diversity of wildlife, including water voles, bullhead
s and brook lamprey
s, which are protected species.
The Letcombe Brook Charitable Trust was established as a memorial to the poet Sir John Betjeman, who lived in the area for many years. In 1972, the year he was appointed Poet Laureate
, he wrote the poem On Leaving Wantage, which begins "I like the ways these old brick garden walls run unevenly down to Letcombe Brook".
The brook runs through the Letcombe Valley Nature Reserve, a 19 acres (7.7 ha) reserve near Letcombe Regis which was opened in 2010. The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
has been given a 50-year lease and a grant of £230,000 to manage the site as a nature reserve by a local developer.
Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. The main town is Abingdon, other places include Faringdon and Wantage. There are 68 parishes within the district...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It rises at the foot of the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
at Letcombe Bassett
Letcombe Bassett
Letcombe Bassett is a village and civil parish about southwest of the market town of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire....
and flows through Letcombe Regis
Letcombe Regis
Letcombe Regis is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire...
, Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
, Grove
Grove, Oxfordshire
Grove is a village and civil parish on Letcombe Brook about north of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Parish churches:...
and East Hanney
East Hanney
East Hanney is a village and civil parish on Letcombe Brook about north of Wantage. Historically East and West Hanney were formerly a single ecclesiastical parish of Hanney...
to join Childrey Brook, which is a tributary of the River Ock
River Ock
The River Ock is a small English river which is a tributary of the River Thames. It has as its catchment area the Vale of White Horse, a low-lying and wide valley in South Oxfordshire and flows into the River Thames, at Abingdon on the reach above Culham Lock.-Course:The River Ock rises near the...
, which is a tributary of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
Letcombe Brook is a chalk stream
Chalk stream
Chalk streams have characteristics which set them apart from watercourses associated with other rock types.Aside from those with an interest in the geological and ecological disciplines, the term chalk stream is most widely used among a small group of fly fishermen ,...
, which is globally rare. Development, agriculture and water demand have degraded its habitats, but its water is now cleaner than for many years, and it supports a rich diversity of wildlife, including water voles, bullhead
European bullhead
The bullhead is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the Cottidae family, a type of sculpin...
s and brook lamprey
Brook lamprey
The European brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater...
s, which are protected species.
The Letcombe Brook Charitable Trust was established as a memorial to the poet Sir John Betjeman, who lived in the area for many years. In 1972, the year he was appointed Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, he wrote the poem On Leaving Wantage, which begins "I like the ways these old brick garden walls run unevenly down to Letcombe Brook".
The brook runs through the Letcombe Valley Nature Reserve, a 19 acres (7.7 ha) reserve near Letcombe Regis which was opened in 2010. The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in England....
has been given a 50-year lease and a grant of £230,000 to manage the site as a nature reserve by a local developer.