River Mease
Encyclopedia
The River Mease is a lowland clay river in the Midlands
area of England
. It flows through the counties of Leicestershire
, Derbyshire
and Staffordshire
and forms the administrative border between these counties for parts of its length.
The Mease stems from the coal measures of North West Leicestershire
and flows westwards for approximately 16 miles (25 km) across a largely rural and agricultural landscape to its confluence with the rivers Trent
and Tame
at Croxall
in Staffordshire, with its waters eventually reaching the North Sea
via the Trent and the Humber Estuary
.
The river flows throughout its course across alluvial soils overlying bands of Sherwood Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone. The river is a designated site of special scientific interest
due to the fish that it supports.
Of particular interest are the resident populations of spined loach (Cobitis taenia) and bullhead (Cottus gobio), two internationally notable species of native freshwater fish with a restricted distribution in England.
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
area of England
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...
. It flows through the counties of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and forms the administrative border between these counties for parts of its length.
The Mease stems from the coal measures of North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. Its main towns are Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Coalville.The district contains East Midlands Airport, which operates flights to the rest of Britain and to various places in Europe...
and flows westwards for approximately 16 miles (25 km) across a largely rural and agricultural landscape to its confluence with the rivers Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
and Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
at Croxall
Croxall
Croxall is a parish that was historically in Derbyshire, but is now in Staffordshire, England. Croxall is still very near to the boundary with Staffordshire...
in Staffordshire, with its waters eventually reaching the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
via the Trent and the Humber Estuary
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
.
The river flows throughout its course across alluvial soils overlying bands of Sherwood Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone. The river is a designated site of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
due to the fish that it supports.
Of particular interest are the resident populations of spined loach (Cobitis taenia) and bullhead (Cottus gobio), two internationally notable species of native freshwater fish with a restricted distribution in England.
Places along the River Mease
- Clifton CampvilleClifton CampvilleClifton Campville is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about east of the City of Lichfield, west of Measham and north of Tamworth. In 2001 the parish had a population of 764....
- CroxallCroxallCroxall is a parish that was historically in Derbyshire, but is now in Staffordshire, England. Croxall is still very near to the boundary with Staffordshire...
- EdingaleEdingaleEdingale is a village and civil parish in Lichfield District, Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, around north of Tamworth close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2001 the parish had a population of 598.-The village:...
- HarlastonHarlastonHarlaston is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about north of Tamworth. There is an Early English church, dedicated to St Matthew, and a public house, the White Lion....
- HauntonHauntonHaunton is a village in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about north of Tamworth, 1½ miles east of Harlaston and 1 mile west of Clifton Campville.-History:...
- MeashamMeashamMeasham is a village in Leicestershire, near the Staffordshire and Derbyshire border, located just off the A42 just south of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and within the National Forest...
- NethersealNethersealNetherseal is the southernmost village of the English county of Derbyshire, less than 2 miles from the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, and is close to the A444 and the important M42 motorway, on the banks of the River Mease.It is the final resting place of Sir Nigel Gresley and the...
- SnarestoneSnarestoneSnarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England.It lies on the edge of the National Forest and is from the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It has a population of approximately 300 people and 120 households....
- Stretton en le FieldStretton en le FieldStretton en le Field is a civil parish and hamlet in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. It is about seven miles south-west of Ashby de la Zouch, and according to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 36....