River Itchen, Hampshire
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The River Itchen in
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
, England, rises to the south of
New Alresford New Alresford or simply Alresford ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is northeast of Winchester and southwest of the town of Alton, Hampshire, Al ...
and flows to meet
Southampton Water Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point, where the estuaries of the River Test and River Itchen meet. Along its salt marsh-fringed we ...
below the Itchen Bridge. The
Itchen Navigation The Itchen Navigation is a disused canal system in Hampshire, England, that provided an important trading route from Winchester to the sea at Southampton for about 150 years. Improvements to the River Itchen were authorised by act of parliam ...
was constructed in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to enable
barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
s to reach
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
from
Southampton Docks The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. After the Port of Felixstowe, ...
, but ceased to operate in the mid-19th century and is largely abandoned today. The river is one of the world's premier
chalk stream Chalk streams are rivers that rise from springs in landscapes with chalk bedrock. Since chalk is permeable, water easily percolates through the ground to the water table and chalk streams therefore receive little surface runoff. As a result, th ...
s for
fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...
, amenable to
dry fly Dry fly fishing is an angling technique in which the Fishing lure, lure is an artificial fly which floats on the surface of the water and does not sink below it. It was developed originally for trout fly fishing. The fish and the dry fly Fly fishi ...
or nymphing. The local
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
aquifer has excellent storage and filtration and the river has long been used for drinking water.
Watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Eurasia. It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetabl ...
thrives in its upper reaches. Much of the river from its source to Swaythling is classified as a biological
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI), and a
Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
, of which the
Hockley Meadows Hockley Meadows is a nature reserve south of Winchester in Hampshire. It is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It is part of the River Itchen SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and Special Area of Conservation. ...
nature reserve is a part. The Itchen estuary is part of the separate
Lee-on-The Solent to Itchen Estuary Lee-on-The Solent to Itchen Estuary is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches along the coast between Southampton and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. It is part of Solent ...
SSSI.


Etymology and other name

The name is likely from a Brittonic language and in meaning unknown. The settlement of
Itchen Abbas Itchen Abbas is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Itchen Valley, in the Winchester district, in the county of Hampshire, England. The village is on the River Itchen about north-east of Winchester. Parish church The Ch ...
, before its abbot's ownership, is transcribed by early
Middle English orthography Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
which used the letter ''c'' followed by ''e'' or ''i'' to denote the sound and an ''e invariably after an n'' to avoid those down strokes being ambiguous thus, as ''Icene'' in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086. The name, in upper parts was once seen as interchangeable with the tributary Alre.


Course

The source is north of Kilmeston, in that civil and ecclesiastical parish. The river flows north, through Cheriton village and east of overwhelmingly agricultural Tichborne village, before joining with tributaries the
River Alre The River Alre (also, occasionally, Arle) is a tributary of the River Itchen, Hampshire, River Itchen in Hampshire in the south of England. It rises in Bishop's Sutton and flows west for to meet the Itchen below New Alresford. The river is a c ...
and Candover Brook immediately north-west of the town of
New Alresford New Alresford or simply Alresford ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is northeast of Winchester and southwest of the town of Alton, Hampshire, Al ...
. The river then carves its way west passing the villages of Avington,
Itchen Stoke Itchen Stoke and Ovington () is an English civil parish consisting of two adjoining villages in Hampshire, England, west of New Alresford, Alresford town centre in the valley of the River Itchen, Hampshire, River Itchen, north-east of Wincheste ...
, Itchen Abbas, Martyr Worthy, Easton, and Abbots Worthy; to enter the cathedral city of
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
it crosses Winnall Moors to turn south for its remainder. It flows in
anabranch An anabranch is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel or stem of the watercourse and rejoins the main stem downstream. Local anabranches can be the result of small islands in the watercourse. In larger anabranches, ...
es through the city, some close enough to
Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...
to cause problems to the foundations in the past. The main channel flows through Winchester City Mill and to the east of the city's Roman walls, along a promenaded reach known as "The Weirs". Its waters can overflow into
water-meadow A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Working wate ...
s, passing: the
Hospital of St Cross The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has been described as "England's oldest and most perfect almshouse". Most of the buildings and grounds are open to the publ ...
; the villages of Twyford; Shawford; between the town of
Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the United Kingdom 2011 census, 2011 census. The town ...
and the village of Bishopstoke; and through Itchen Valley Country Park before reaching the northern suburbs of
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
at Mansbridge. Between Winchester and Mansbridge, sections were deepened or widened for the long-disused
Itchen Navigation The Itchen Navigation is a disused canal system in Hampshire, England, that provided an important trading route from Winchester to the sea at Southampton for about 150 years. Improvements to the River Itchen were authorised by act of parliam ...
, and the former towpath forms part of the Itchen Way. Monks Brook flows into the Itchen at Swaythling, and the river then passes under Woodmill Bridge and becomes tidal. Four further bridges cross it before the
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...
estuary in
Southampton Water Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point, where the estuaries of the River Test and River Itchen meet. Along its salt marsh-fringed we ...
: * Cobden Bridge, a road bridge connecting Bitterne Park and St Denys. * Cobden railway bridge carrying the Southampton –
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
railway line Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
. Opened in 1866, the bridge is supported by two sets of cast iron cylinders resulting in three 115-foot openings. The bridge's girders are made from wrought iron. In order to try to prevent the Northam Bridge Company from trying to block the bill authorising the railway, it was agreed that pedestrians would not be allowed to use the bridge. Even so the opening of the viaduct diverted traffic from other crossings with the Woolston Floating Bridge seeing a significant fall in income. * Northam Bridge, a road bridge carrying the A3024 road from Bitterne Manor to Northam, which was originally opened in 1799. * The Itchen Bridge, a high-level toll road bridge connecting the docks area with Woolston. This replaced the Woolston Floating Bridge (a
chain ferry A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
) which had previously crossed the river at this point. Between the latter two, the river passes
St Mary's Stadium St Mary's Stadium is a seated but also safe-standing football stadium in Southampton, Hampshire, England, which has been the home stadium of club Southampton since 2001. The stadium has a capacity of 32,384 and is currently the largest footbal ...
, the home of Southampton F.C. As the river meets Southampton Water it passes several rowing clubs, sailing clubs and the major mixed-development on the
left bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrain alongsid ...
in Woolston, called Centenary Quay.


Watermills

Surviving mills on the Itchen include Winchester City Mill (restored to working order by the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
), Abbey Mill, Winchester; converted to a restaurant, Wharf Mill, Winchester; converted to apartments, St Cross Mill, Winchester; converted to private dwellings, College Mill, Winchester; converted to a private dwelling, Hockley Mill, Winchester; converted to private dwellings, Gaters Mill, Southampton; converted to offices, and Woodmill, Southampton; now a recreational water activities centre and the limit of navigation. Sites of demolished mills include those at Durngate, Winchester; at the southern entrance to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve, St Catherine's lock, Winchester and Shears Mill in Bishopstoke.


Marinas and boatyards

The lower part of the river is an important yachting centre and contains several marinas, sailing centres and boatyards. From seaward they are: * Ocean Village Marina (MDL), on the western shore just below the Itchen Bridge and close to the city centre * Southampton Water Activities Centre, almost underneath the bridge on the western shore * Itchen Marine, just above the bridge, principally a towage business but with some berths for yachts and the only fuel berth in the river * Merlin Boatyard, opposite Itchen Marine, on the eastern shore * Lauren Marine Services, a small marina on the eastern side * Ocean Quay and Solent Breeze Yacht Charter on the west side * Shamrock Quay (MDL), the biggest marina in the river, also on the west * Saxon Wharf (MDL) is almost adjacent to Shamrock Quay, containing the biggest boat lift in Britain (200t) * Kemps Quay Marina on the eastern (now northern) shore, a drying marina and boatyard * Quayside Marina, a single long pontoon next to Kemps * Drivers Wharf, another single long pontoon, parallel to the shore, with a crane and boatyard Above Northam Bridge, the limit of navigation for masted craft, are the Vespasian Road boatyard and numerous small establishments.


Ecology

The SSSI covers the river and its banks, with fen, flood meadows, wet woodland and swamp. It has populations of the nationally rare southern damselfly and
white-clawed crayfish ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish. Distribution It is found from the easter ...
. Other fauna include
otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Rank (zoology), subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic, or Marine ecology, marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae Family (biology), family, whi ...
, water voles,
Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Hucho taimen, Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlan ...
, shovelers and
Cetti's warbler Cetti's warbler (''Cettia cetti'') is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after ...
s.


Water quality

The Environment Agency measure water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of
invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...
s,
angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit ...
s and fish, and chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations. Chemical status is rated good or fail. Text was copied from this source, which is available under a
Open Government Licence v3.0
© Crown copyright.
Water quality of the River Itchen in 2022:


In popular culture

''Death and the Maiden'', a 1947 novel by Gladys Mitchell features the river.


See also

*
List of rivers of the United Kingdom For details of rivers of the United Kingdom, see * List of rivers of England * List of rivers of Scotland * List of rivers of Wales * Northern Ireland: see List of rivers of Ireland and Rivers of Ireland * Longest rivers of the United Kingdom Ov ...
* List of watermills in the United Kingdom


References


External links

* Map source for the and * {{DEFAULTSORT:Itchen, River Rivers of Hampshire Geography of Southampton Eastleigh Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire