River Loddon
Encyclopedia
The River Loddon is a river
in the English
counties of Berkshire
and Hampshire
. It is a tributary of the River Thames
, rising within the urban area of Basingstoke
and flowing to meet the Thames near the village of Wargrave
. The river has a total length of 28 miles (45 km)
and, together with its tributaries, drains an area of 1036 km²
.
The River Loddon rises at West Ham Farm in Basingstoke, and in its first mile flows under the Festival Place
shopping centre that forms the main part of the central area of that town; the adjacent bus station sits on the site of the wharf at the start of the Basingstoke Canal
. The river emerges again in Eastrop Park, where it now runs alongside and just below Eastrop Way which follows the course of the disused canal. The river then passes through some water meadows where the river flow is joined by small streams from springs and ponds at Black Dam (the flow from these previously had to pass under a wide bend of an embankment which held the Basingstoke canal). The river then flows close by the village of Old Basing
and the ruined palace of Basing House
. Leaving the environs of Basingstoke behind, the river flows north through open north Hampshire countryside and passes near the village of Sherfield on Loddon
. North of Sherfield the river passes through the ornamental grounds of Stratfield Saye House
, the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.
Entering Berkshire, the river passes the village of Swallowfield
. Just north of Swallowfield the River Loddon is joined by the River Blackwater
which adds substantially to its flow. The river then flows close to the east of the Berkshire
suburbs of Earley
and Woodley, to the west of Winnersh
, and through Dinton Pastures Country Park
. Shortly after this, near the village of Hurst
it is joined by the Emm Brook
. The river then flows close to the village of Twyford
and is joined by the St Patrick's Stream
, a backwater of the River Thames
. About a mile further on it flows into the main channel of the Thames, just downstream of Shiplake Lock
and close to the village of Wargrave.
Whilst chalk
underlies much of the River Loddon's catchment area, it only appears at the surface at either end of the river, near Wargrave and Basingstoke. For the rest of its course the chalk lies beneath the Reading Beds
and London Clay
. The terrace gravels of the Loddon valley have been extracted in a number of places, including the lakes within Dinton Pastures Country Park.
The catchment area of the River Loddon encompasses urban populations in Basingstoke and eastern Reading, whilst the urban areas of Aldershot
, Fleet
, Camberley
and Farnborough
all lie within the catchment area of the tributary River Blackwater. As a consequence the Loddon receives treated sewage effluent at nine locations, one just downstream of Basingstoke, a second at Wargrave, and seven indirectly via the Blackwater.
The River Loddon is one of Berkshire's best kept fishing secrets and is reported to hold amongst its shoals of Bream, Chub, Roach and Rudd some very large specimen Barbel. It is not commonly known but the Barbel record for the River Loddon reportedly stands at 19 lb (8.61825503 kg).
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the English
England
England 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...
counties of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. It is a tributary of the River Thames
River Thames
The 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,...
, rising within the urban area of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
and flowing to meet the Thames near the village of Wargrave
Wargrave
Wargrave is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, which encloses the confluence of the River Loddon and the River Thames. It is in the Borough of Wokingham...
. The river has a total length of 28 miles (45 km)
1 E4 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 kilometres . The myriametre is a deprecated unit name; the prefix myria- is obsolete, not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.Distances shorter than 10...
and, together with its tributaries, drains an area of 1036 km²
1 E9 m²
To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km2 and 10,000 km2. See also areas of other orders of magnitude.* areas less than 1000 km2* 1,000 km2 is equal to:...
.
The River Loddon rises at West Ham Farm in Basingstoke, and in its first mile flows under the Festival Place
Festival Place
Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened on Tuesday, 22 October 2002. It houses 165 shops including large department stores such as Bhs, Debenhams, and Marks and Spencer...
shopping centre that forms the main part of the central area of that town; the adjacent bus station sits on the site of the wharf at the start of the Basingstoke Canal
Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation....
. The river emerges again in Eastrop Park, where it now runs alongside and just below Eastrop Way which follows the course of the disused canal. The river then passes through some water meadows where the river flow is joined by small streams from springs and ponds at Black Dam (the flow from these previously had to pass under a wide bend of an embankment which held the Basingstoke canal). The river then flows close by the village of Old Basing
Old Basing
Old Basing is a village in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It is situated just to the east of Basingstoke, and in the 2001 census had a population of 7,232...
and the ruined palace of Basing House
Basing House
Basing House was a major Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing in the English county of Hampshire. It once rivaled Hampton Court Palace in its size and opulence. Today only its foundations and earthworks remain...
. Leaving the environs of Basingstoke behind, the river flows north through open north Hampshire countryside and passes near the village of Sherfield on Loddon
Sherfield on Loddon
Sherfield on Loddon is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is located at , approximately south of Reading and north of Basingstoke...
. North of Sherfield the river passes through the ornamental grounds of Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.-Early history:...
, the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.
Entering Berkshire, the river passes the village of Swallowfield
Swallowfield
Swallowfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated south of the town of Reading, and north of the county boundary with Hampshire....
. Just north of Swallowfield the River Loddon is joined by the River Blackwater
River Blackwater (River Loddon)
The River Blackwater is a tributary of the River Loddon in England and, indirectly, of the River Thames. It rises at Rowhill on the outskirts of Aldershot between Aldershot in Hampshire and Farnham in Surrey and runs northwards to join the Loddon near the village of Swallowfield in Berkshire...
which adds substantially to its flow. The river then flows close to the east of the Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
suburbs of Earley
Earley
Earley is a town and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The Office for National Statistics places Earley within the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area, for purposes of local government it falls within the Borough of Wokingham, outside of the jurisdiction of Reading Borough Council. The name...
and Woodley, to the west of Winnersh
Winnersh
Winnersh is a village and civil parish, a part of the Borough of Wokingham, in the English county of Berkshire. The parish is roughly bounded on the north-east by the A329, to the north-west by the river Loddon, Old Forest Road and Simons Lane on the south east and Bearwood Road on the south west...
, and through Dinton Pastures Country Park
Dinton Pastures Country Park
Dinton Pastures Country Park is a country park in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst, in the borough of Wokingham, near Reading in the English county of Berkshire.It is in size. The River Loddon flows through the park...
. Shortly after this, near the village of Hurst
Hurst, Berkshire
Hurst is a village in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:The parish of St Nicholas Hurst is situated at , north of Wokingham and south of Twyford in the county of Berkshire...
it is joined by the Emm Brook
Emm Brook
The Emm Brook, sometimes known as the Embrook or Emmbrook, is a small river in the English county of Berkshire. It is a tributary of the River Loddon which it meets at the village of Hurst.The Wokingham suburb of Emmbrook is named after the river....
. The river then flows close to the village of Twyford
Twyford, Berkshire
For other places of the same name, see Twyford.Twyford is a village and civil parish in the English Royal county of Berkshire. It is situated, at , in the heart of the Thames Valley on the A4 between Reading and Maidenhead, close to Henley-on-Thames and Wokingham.-History:The town's name is...
and is joined by the St Patrick's Stream
St Patrick's Stream
St Patrick's Stream or Patrick Stream is a backwater of the River Thames in England, which flows into the River Loddon near Wargrave, Berkshire. It leaves the Thames on the reach above Shiplake Lock near Buck Ait, downstream of Sonning....
, a backwater of the River Thames
River Thames
The 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,...
. About a mile further on it flows into the main channel of the Thames, just downstream of Shiplake Lock
Shiplake Lock
Shiplake Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England near the village of Shiplake, Oxfordshire. It is just above the points where the River Loddon joins the Thames and Shiplake Railway Bridge crosses the river...
and close to the village of Wargrave.
Whilst chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
underlies much of the River Loddon's catchment area, it only appears at the surface at either end of the river, near Wargrave and Basingstoke. For the rest of its course the chalk lies beneath the Reading Beds
Lambeth Group
The Lambeth Group is a stratigraphic group, a set of geological rock strata in the London and Hampshire Basins of southern England. It comprises a complex of vertically and laterally varying gravels, sands, silts and clays deposited between 56-55 million years before present during the Ypresian age...
and London Clay
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
. The terrace gravels of the Loddon valley have been extracted in a number of places, including the lakes within Dinton Pastures Country Park.
The catchment area of the River Loddon encompasses urban populations in Basingstoke and eastern Reading, whilst the urban areas of Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, Fleet
Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet is a town and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England, located 37 miles south west of London. It is part of Hart District. The 2007 population forecast for Fleet was 31,687.-History:...
, Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
and Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
all lie within the catchment area of the tributary River Blackwater. As a consequence the Loddon receives treated sewage effluent at nine locations, one just downstream of Basingstoke, a second at Wargrave, and seven indirectly via the Blackwater.
The River Loddon is one of Berkshire's best kept fishing secrets and is reported to hold amongst its shoals of Bream, Chub, Roach and Rudd some very large specimen Barbel. It is not commonly known but the Barbel record for the River Loddon reportedly stands at 19 lb (8.61825503 kg).
External links
- Map sources for the source of the river at and for the mouth at