20-670: The River Lydden is a 15.25 miles (24.55 km) tributary of the River Stour that flows through Blackmore Vale in Dorset , England. Its headwaters rise at the foot of the scarp slope of the Dorset Downs near Buckland Newton . These headwaters streams coalesce south of Pulham , from where the river flows north-east to it confluence with the Wonston Brook. Continuing in a northerly direction it passes King’s Stag, to Twoford bridge where it
40-603: Is crossed by the A357 between Lydlinch and Bagber , beyond which it meets its main tributary the Caundle Brook . The lower Lydden then flows beneath the listed Bagber Bridge where it is crossed by a minor road, to join the Stour near King’s Mill south west of Marnhull . River Stour, Dorset The River Stour is a 61 mi (98 km) river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England , and drains into
60-467: Is famous for its water mill and town bridge, which still bears the notice warning potential vandals that damaging the bridge is punishable by penal transportation . The river flows through a myriad of differing settings and scenery ( reed bed , open water, coastal, estuarine, river, streams, lowland heath) and as such is host to species such as the pipistrelle bat , harbour porpoise , great crested newt , medicinal leech , Desmoulin's whorl snail and
80-518: Is navigable as far upstream as Tuckton (the tidal limit) and whilst there is a low bridge at Iford, it is possible to navigate as far as the rapids which are 0.9 miles (1.5 km) upstream of Iford Bridge. Spring tides have been known to penetrate a further 0.9 miles (1.5 km) upstream, as far as Blackwater Bridge (the A338 road ). Boats can be hired from several yards and landings in the harbour and estuary area with kayaking and canoeing being popular on
100-622: The English Channel . The catchment area for the river and its tributaries is listed as 480 square miles (1,240 km ). It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from other rivers of the same name in Kent, Suffolk and the Midlands. According to Brewer's Dictionary of Britain & Ireland , the name Stour rhymes with hour and derives from Old English meaning "violent", "fierce" or
120-575: The River Frome , the chalk reappears in a narrower strip, forming coastal cliffs east of Weymouth and, further east, the steep ridge of the Purbeck Hills . This southerly strip of the visible chalk (sometimes referred to as the South Dorset Downs or South Dorset Ridgeway ) continues westwards behind Weymouth, and rejoins the main body of the downs at their western extremity at Eggardon Hill . In
140-464: The harbour into the English Channel. From source to estuary, the river falls approximately 750 feet (230 m) over its 60 mi (97 km) length. For many miles the river is followed by the route of the now disused Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway , which bridged the river four times in a 9 mi (14 km) section between Sturminster Newton and Blandford Forum. Because much of
160-437: The starlet sea anemone . There are many fish that live and use the river, which include; barbel, bream, chub, dace, grayling, perch, pike, roach, rudd, salmon, tench & trout. The harbour at Christchurch has also been used to land oysters, crab, lobster and cuttlefish, all of which were fished from the harbour itself. Bass and mullet are known to use the estuary for feeding and as a nursery. Downstream of Blandford Forum,
180-619: The "darksome pools o' stwoneless Stour" in his The Water Crowvoot . The source of the river is fed from greensand springs at Stourhead , in Wiltshire, where it forms a series of artificial lakes which are part of the Stourhead estate owned by the National Trust . It flows south into Dorset through the Blackmore Vale and the towns of Gillingham and Sturminster Newton . At Marnhull
200-402: The "fierce one". The river burst its banks at Christchurch during the 2013–14 winter floods and 100 residents were evacuated. The Stour valley has produced rich evidence for early human (Palaeolithic) activity. Gravel pits in the lower reaches of the river (many underlying modern day Bournemouth) produced hundreds of Lower Palaeolithic handaxes when they were quarried, particular during
220-510: The Stour is host to an insect known as the Blandford Fly ( Simulium posticatum ) which is known for leaving painful bites on humans. Attempts have been made to rid the fly from the area with a special spray used on the larval habitats of the fly. The harbour at Christchurch and the lower reaches of the Stour and the Avon are host to a multitude of marinas, boat clubs and landing stages. The Stour
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#1732844644409240-619: The Stour is joined by the River Cale and then (two miles downstream) by the River Lydden. At Blandford Forum the river breaks through the chalk ridge of the Dorset Downs , and from there flows south east into the heathlands of south east Dorset. At Wimborne Minster it is joined by the River Allen , and at its estuary at Christchurch it is joined by the River Avon before it flows through
260-417: The centre of the county Dorset in south west England . The downs are the most western part of a larger chalk formation which also includes (from west to east) Cranborne Chase , Salisbury Plain , Hampshire Downs , Chiltern Hills , North Downs and South Downs . The Dorset Downs are bounded on the north, along the steep scarp face, by the Blackmore Vale , a large clay and limestone valley . On
280-480: The downs are arable agriculture , woodland and calcareous grassland , a habitat which is growing as farmers are encouraged to set aside land with subsidies . Chalk is a rough rock and the Dorset Downs hold a large water table which acts as a reservoir of drinking water for much of the county. This property of chalk also means there are many seasonal rivers, called winterbournes , that flow depending upon
300-531: The east, the Downs were once, thousands of years ago, continuous with Cranborne Chase, but the River Stour now cuts a valley between them, which is the location of Blandford Forum and the eastern boundary of the downs. From the northern scarp face, the hills dip gently southwards before the chalk disappears beneath the Bagshot Beds which form the heathlands of the county, between Dorchester and Wareham . South of
320-626: The forces of that kingdom against Locrinus. The two armies fight a battle at the river Stour where Locrinus is slain and Gwendolen becomes the ruler of both kingdoms, becoming the first queen regnant of the Kings of the Britons . The Stour also appears in more occasional fashion in The Faerie Queene . Thomas Hardy wrote about Overlooking the River Stour , while William Barnes similarly referenced
340-607: The late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Archaeological investigations around 2010 near Corfe Mullen suggested that some of the artefacts from those quarries may be around 400,000 to 500,000 years old. In Medieval Welsh literature , the river was said to be the sight of an important battle and the dividing line between ancient Cornwall and Loegria (England). According to Geoffrey of Monmouth 's Historia Regum Britanniae , King Locrinus divorces Queen Gwendolen in favour of his secret lover, Estrildis . Returning to her native Cornwall, Gwendolen assembles all
360-465: The river too. The Stour Valley Way is a designated long-distance footpath that follows almost all of the course of the river. White Mill , an 18th-century watermill on the river near Sturminster Marshall , is owned by the National Trust and open to the public. Dorset Downs 50°51′36″N 2°22′40″W / 50.8600°N 2.3777°W / 50.8600; -2.3777 The Dorset Downs are an area of chalk downland in
380-579: The river's course is across clay soil, the river's waterlevel varies greatly. In summer, low water level makes the river a diverse and important habitat , supporting many rare plants . In winter, the river often floods , and is therefore bordered by wide and fertile flood plains . A number of towns and villages in Dorset are named after the river, including East Stour , West Stour , Stourpaine , Stourton Caundle , Stour Row , Stour Provost , Sturminster Newton , and Sturminster Marshall . Sturminster Newton
400-591: The west the chalk dips down under marl . Together with Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs have been designated as National Character Area 134 by Natural England , the UK Government's advisor on the natural environment. In Dorset this area is bounded by the Dorset Heaths and Weymouth Lowlands to the south, the Marshwood and Powerstock Vales to the west and the Blackmore Vale to the north. The main land uses on
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