River Bourne, Dorset
Encyclopedia
The River Bourne is a small river in Dorset
, England. It flows into the English Channel
at Bournemouth
, taking its name simply from Middle English
bourn or burn, a small stream, and giving it to the town at its mouth.
The Bourne stream comprises two main tributaries totalling just over 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) of waterway; of this total length 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) is culverted and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) is open stream. Its drainage catchment is some 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi), about 70% of which lies within the Borough of Poole
.
The stream is fed from a number of sources but there is little documentary evidence and the actual origins of some are unknown. The head of the stream consists of three culverts emerging from below Ringwood Road; it is believed that one drains Canford Heath
, one is fed from the Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water works at Francis Avenue and the third is supplied by road run-off. After flowing across Alderney Recreation Ground the stream is culverted for 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) and re-emerges at Coy Pond Gardens. The stream is also fed by natural seeps
and flushes, and there are 62 documented surface water discharges to the watercourse.
In the upper reaches, the catchment boundaries are approximately defined by Ringwood Road to the west, Wallisdown Road to the north and Ashley Road/Poole Road to the south. In the lower reaches, the catchment width gradually narrows towards the outfall at Bournemouth Pier. The overall fall between the highest levels in the upper catchment to the Poole Bay
outfall is approximately 60 metres (196.9 ft), giving an overall gradient of approximately 1:100 which is considered to be steep.
Reaching Bournemouth, it flows through public gardens, known as the Upper, Central and Lower Gardens. It goes underground at The Square
(which divides the Central Gardens from the Lower Gardens) and again just before it reaches the beach immediately east of Bournemouth Pier, so that its mouth is no longer visible.
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England. It flows into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, taking its name simply from Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
bourn or burn, a small stream, and giving it to the town at its mouth.
The Bourne stream comprises two main tributaries totalling just over 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) of waterway; of this total length 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) is culverted and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) is open stream. Its drainage catchment is some 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi), about 70% of which lies within the Borough of Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
.
The stream is fed from a number of sources but there is little documentary evidence and the actual origins of some are unknown. The head of the stream consists of three culverts emerging from below Ringwood Road; it is believed that one drains Canford Heath
Canford Heath
Canford Heath is a suburb and area of heathland in Poole, Dorset with a population of just under 14,500.-Geography:Canford Heath has also given its name to a housing development built on the heathland during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s...
, one is fed from the Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water works at Francis Avenue and the third is supplied by road run-off. After flowing across Alderney Recreation Ground the stream is culverted for 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) and re-emerges at Coy Pond Gardens. The stream is also fed by natural seeps
Seep (hydrology)
A Seep is a moist or wet place where water, usually groundwater, reaches the earth's surface from an underground aquifer.-Description:Seeps are usually not of sufficient volume to be flowing beyond their above-ground location. They are part of the limnology-geomorphology system...
and flushes, and there are 62 documented surface water discharges to the watercourse.
In the upper reaches, the catchment boundaries are approximately defined by Ringwood Road to the west, Wallisdown Road to the north and Ashley Road/Poole Road to the south. In the lower reaches, the catchment width gradually narrows towards the outfall at Bournemouth Pier. The overall fall between the highest levels in the upper catchment to the Poole Bay
Poole Bay
Poole Bay is a bay in the English Channel, off the coast of Dorset in southern England, which runs from the mouth of Poole Harbour in the west to Hengistbury Head in the east. It consists of steep sandstone cliffs and several 'chines' that allow easy access to the sandy beaches below...
outfall is approximately 60 metres (196.9 ft), giving an overall gradient of approximately 1:100 which is considered to be steep.
Reaching Bournemouth, it flows through public gardens, known as the Upper, Central and Lower Gardens. It goes underground at The Square
The Square, Bournemouth
The Square is a public square that marks the centre of Bournemouth, England. It has been almost totally pedestrianised since 2000. Prior to this it was a large roundabout.-History:...
(which divides the Central Gardens from the Lower Gardens) and again just before it reaches the beach immediately east of Bournemouth Pier, so that its mouth is no longer visible.