The River Croco () is a small river in
Cheshire in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It starts as lowland field drainage west of
Congleton, flows along the south edge of
Holmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Until 1974 the parish was known as Church Hulme. Holmes Chapel is about north of Crewe and south of ...
, and joins the
River Dane at
Middlewich
Middlewich is a town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, east of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,595 ...
. It is about long.
According to an historical account, dating back to 1585, the course of the River Croco begins west of Bag Mere,
Brereton cum Smethwick:
:That which they call the ''Croco'' is a small ''Brook'', which cometh out of ''Bagmer-mere'', and passeth by ''Brereton'' church and hall (the ancient house of the surname of ''Breretons'') through ''Brereton'' park, ''Kinderton'' park, through ''Middlewich'', and not far from thence, falleth into the ''Dane'' at ''Croxton'', near the same place, where the ''Wheelock'' falleth in also.
''The Place-Names of England and Wales'' (1915) suggests that the name ''Croco'' may be Celtic or even earlier.
Historical maps show the source of the river to be the lowland field drainage system to the northeast of
Brookhouse Green. From here, the river heads north past the hamlet of
Illidge Green and then northwest via
Brereton Hall, where a weir and boathouse were created to the west of
Saint Oswald's Church. The river flows northwest towards Parkmill Farm, where again a weir was constructed to for
Brereton Pool It then heads towards
Holmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Until 1974 the parish was known as Church Hulme. Holmes Chapel is about north of Crewe and south of ...
before turning west and passing under London Road (
A50) at Alum Bridge. The river continues this westward course, passing under the
M6 and Poolford Lane near Cinderhill and then Brereton Lane, north of Dockbank Farm at
Sproston. The river continues its westward journey via Fender Wood, winding its way north of Kinderton Lodge towards
Middlewich
Middlewich is a town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, east of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,595 ...
, where it is joined b
Sanderson's Brooksoutheast of the town, near Brooks Lane. It then heads northwest on the right-hand side of the
Trent and Mersey Canal until it joins the
River Dane at the northwest corner o
Harbutt's Field
Back in Fender Wood, a weir feeds a channel of water to supply a historical
mill race; this
watercourse follows the field boundaries, past what was Brookhouse Farm, then under Pochin Way (historically the start of Lodge Lane), through Midpoint 18 business park and under Holmes Chapel Road, before running through the garden of the bungalow to the east of the Old Station House. Here, it disappears through a culvert towards the railway embankment. Historically, this watercourse would have fed the
mill pond that powered the Kinderton Corn Mill, as shown in the 1882 Ordnance Survey map.
Looking at a
topographic map,
the elevation of the River Croco is about 85 m (280 ft) at source, falling to 27 m (89 ft) at the point where it flows into the River Dane.
References
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Croco
2Croco