The
River Ravensbourne is a
tributaryA tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the
River ThamesThe 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,...
in
South LondonSouth London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
,
EnglandEngland 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 flows into the River Thames on the
TidewayThe Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
at
DeptfordDeptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, where its tidal reach is known as
Deptford Creek.
Geography
The Ravensbourne is 11 miles (17.4 km) in length with a total
catchment areaA drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 180 km
2. It flows through the
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Boroughs of
BromleyThe London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
,
LewishamThe London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
and
GreenwichThe London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
.
The Ravensbourne rises at
Caesar's Well,
KestonKeston is a part suburban, part rural area of the London Borough of Bromley, England. It lies on the edge of Hayes Common, to the northwest of Greater London's border with Kent.-History:...
, four miles south of Bromley town centre, flowing initially in a northerly direction. For the initial third of its length the river flows across common land (including
Hayes Common and
Bromley Common) until it reaches the southern outskirts of Bromley town where it is joined by the Ravensbourne South Branch and the Ravensbourne East Branch, that substantially increase the flow. It then flows northwards alongside the A21 road (England), passing below Bromley town centre through Church Gardens and Glassmill Reservoir then on into
Beckenham Place ParkBeckenham Place Park is located mainly in Beckenham but is under the jurisdiction of the London Borough of Lewisham in South East London. The Park lies on the Lewisham/Bromley border strictly speaking between Downham, Bellingham, Beckenham and Shortlands. It was acquired from the Cator Estate by...
, the last semi-natural reach of the river, then further north through
Ladywell Fields, where considerable renaturalisation work has been taking place since 2007/08.
South of
BellinghamBellingham is a neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham, and consists mainly of social/council housing built in the 1920s on what was then farm land. Many houses have been bought by the tenants under the Right to Buy Scheme. However, the majority are still rented out to...
, the small river
Spring Brook joins the Ravensbourne after flowing only about one mile (1.6 km) from the east through
PlaistowPlaistow is a locality in the London Borough of Bromley, bordered by the London Borough of Lewisham to the north. It is within the Bromley post town and the BR postcode area....
and
DownhamDownham is a district located in south-east London, occupying much of the boundary between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley; it is the name of an electoral ward covering much of the area on the Lewisham side...
; it crosses the borough boundary from Bromley to Lewisham and narrow parkland named Shaftesbury Park Recreation Ground and Downham Playing Fields follow it along its short course.
Just above
CatfordCatford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
it is joined by the River Pool. The Ravensbourne is also joined by the
River QuaggyThe River Quaggy is an urban river, 17 km in length, passing through the south-east London boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham; it is known as the Kyd Brook, in its upper reaches...
(known upstream of Sundridge Park as
Kyd Brook) (3.5 miles (5.6 km) in length). This rises near Farnborough Hospital at Pratts Bottom then flows north through
Petts Wood-History:The name appeared first in 1577 as "the wood of the Pett family", who were shipbuilders and leased the wood as a source of timbers. William Willett, a campaigner for daylight saving time, lived in nearby Chislehurst for most of his life, and is commemorated by a memorial sundial in the...
to Sundridge Park in Bromley where its name changes to the River Quaggy. It then flows northwards through the
MottinghamMottingham is a district of south London, England; located at the convergence of the London Borough of Bromley, the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich...
area to
KidbrookeKidbrooke is a district of South East London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.The district takes its name from the Kyd Brook, a watercourse which runs from Orpington to Lewisham, by which point it is part of the River Quaggy...
where it then turns westwards through Manor Park in
LeeLee is a district of south London, England, located mostly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Greenwich. The district lies to the east of Lewisham, one mile west of Eltham, and one mile south of Blackheath village...
, before joining the Ravensbourne at Loampit Vale in
LewishamLewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. Numerous other small streams and surface water outfalls join the main river between its source and confluence. Until the 19th century one such stream flowed from Brockley Cross crossing Tanners Hill before joining at Deptford Creek.
Its
confluenceIn geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
with the Thames is in
Greenwich Reach, north-east of
DeptfordDeptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
town centre and downstream of the A2 (and west of Greenwich).
History
The
Domesday BookDomesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
recorded eleven corn
millsA watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
on the Ravensbourne in the 11th century.
The 17th century
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
diaristA diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
John EvelynJohn Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
bought one of these mills – Brookmills – in 1668 for "grinding colour".
The bridge over Deptford Creek was the site of the Battle of Deptford Bridge, 17 June 1497, the last battle of the
Cornish Rebellion of 1497The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 was a popular uprising by the people of Cornwall in the far southwest of Britain. Its primary cause was a response of people to the raising of war taxes by King Henry VII on the impoverished Cornish, to raise money for a campaign against Scotland motivated by brief...
.
From the 16th century onwards until its closure in the 19th century, the proximity of
Royal DockyardRoyal Navy Dockyards are harbours where either commissioned ships are based, or where ships are overhauled and refitted. Historically, the Royal Navy maintained a string of dockyards around the world, although few are now operating today....
created by
Henry VIIIHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
at Deptford gave employment to many small shipbuilders on the
creekA tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...
. Queen Elizabeth I knighted
Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
on board the
Golden HindThe Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake...
in Deptford Creek on Drake's return from his circumnavigation of the globe in 1580. The Golden Hind remained moored in the creek until it broke up.
Deptford Creek was also host to a large
power stationDeptford Power Station was a coal-fired power station on the south bank of the River Thames at Deptford, south east London.-Deptford East:The first station was designed in 1887 by Sebastian de Ferranti for the London Electric Supply Corporation. It was located at the Stowage, a site to the west of...
, now dismantled ; as well as many other heavy industries. Now regeneration of the area is under way. For much of the lower reach between
LewishamLewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and the Thames, the Ravensbourne (and Deptford Creek) is joined by the
Docklands Light RailwayThe Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
. Indeed the channel was diverted in Brookmill Park so that the DLR could run along the route of the river. A new bend in the river was constructed that gave more natural banks and created a better habitat for flora and fauna. There are also a number of new developments, including the
Laban Dance CentreLaban in Deptford, south-east London, is a conservatoire and centre for contemporary dance, and includes 13 dance studios, a 300-seat theatre, dance health suite, Pilates studio, library and café...
and apartment blocks at the mouth of the creek alongside the Thames, just a short walk away from Greenwich town centre. The comedy club Up the Creek is located near the historic Deptford Railway Bridge and has hosted several noted comedians.
Between 1974 and 1997, the name of the river was used for the
Ravensbourne Parliament constituencyRavensbourne was a borough constituency in south London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first-past-the-post system...
within the London Borough of Bromley. It also gives its name to a
railway stationRavensbourne railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is in Travelcard Zone 4, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern....
.
See also
- Tributaries of the River Thames
This article lists the tributaries of the River Thames, in England. It also includes significant backwaters and waterways which also have confluences with the main stream of the River Thames.Most of the tributaries are natural, but a few were man-made...
- List of rivers in England
- The River Quaggy
The River Quaggy is an urban river, 17 km in length, passing through the south-east London boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham; it is known as the Kyd Brook, in its upper reaches...
External links