River Great Stour

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River Great Stour
River Stour and Tributaries
River Stour and Tributaries
Origin Ashford TR 01539 42793 51°08′56″N 0°52′49″E / 51.14890, 0.88020
Mouth River Stour TR 26943 63444 51°19′29″N 1°15′21″E / 51.32480, 1.25590
Length 50 miles (80.1km)
A branch of the Great Stour in Canterbury city centre
A branch of the Great Stour in Canterbury city centre
Another branch of the Great Stour Westgate Gardens, outside the walls, Canterbury
Another branch of the Great Stour Westgate Gardens, outside the walls, Canterbury

The River Great Stour (50 miles (80.1km) in length, including the Upper Great Stour [1] is the name by which the upper stretches of the River Stour in Kent, England, is known. The section from its source at Lenham is also known as the River Upper Great Stour, and is above the confluence, of the Upper and East Stours which occurs either side of Pledge’s Mill at the bottom of East Hill in Ashford, helping to form part of the Ashford Green Corridor.

Contents

[edit] The route

The river flows from Ashford, through Wye, Chilham and Canterbury to Plucks Gutter, where it is joined by the River Little Stour and the River Wantsum to form the River Stour. The route of the Stour Valley Walk follows the river.[2]

[edit] Fishing

The Great Stour estuary at Plucks Gutter and Grove Ferry is renowned for its coarse fishing, particularly bream stocks. [3]

[edit] Flooding

The lower-lying parts of Canterbury have in the past been particularly prone to flooding [4]. The River Stour (Kent) Internal Drainage Board has the responsibility of reducing that risk in the river catchment area [5]

[edit] Environment

In May 2006 male fish were found with signs of "feminisation" after having been exposed to treated sewage effluent in the river near Ashford.[6]

[edit] References

River Stour in Kent
and tributaries

River East StourRiver Great StourRiver Little StourRiver Upper Great StourRiver WantsumRiver WinghamAylesford StreamBrook Stream (Spiders Castle Dyke)Kennington Stream (Pen Lee)NailbourneRuckinge DykeSarre Penn (Fishbourne Stream)Whitehall DykeWhitewater Dyke

List of rivers of Great Britain