Mixed news from Sussex and the Downs

December 2014

• Good news - River Lavant flowing again
• Bad news - Arundel bypass
•  

  River Lavant flowing again

My collage inspired by the Lavant (2012)

I headed into Chichester on Monday morning (8th December) to drop off my paintings for the Journeys exhibition at the Oxmarket Centre of Arts. After this and a few bits of Christmas shopping, I headed to The Trundle, following our regular walking route out of the city to East Lavant and along the valley up Haye's Down to The Trundle. Though it wasn't the frosty morning we'd had along the Severn over the weekend, it was clear and bright, if cold in the north wind. I had to be quick sketching today, beginning with the view towards the church at East Lavant from the SW with The Trundle behind. During my brief lunch stop, gulls and crows in the valley at the foot of Haye's Down. 

When I got to East Lavant and crossed Sheepwash Lane to take the path across the footbridge and along the valley, I was pleased to see the River Lavant flowing again. When I last looked at the beginning of November, it was still dry, but I'd hoped it would be flowing again by now. Rainfall during October and November made up for the shortfall in September. By now, some of this rainfall should have percolated through the soil into chalk to raise the water table once again. It still looked a bit low: it's still fairly early in the season, with the rainfall during the latter half of November possibly still to infiltrate. According to Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the groundwater level in the Chilgrove well, on the chalk to the west of Chichester, dropped rapidly from the highs of last winter and was still below the long term average depth at the end of October. It still had some catching up to do after the exceptionally dry September.

Unsustainable developments along the Arun

At the beginning of December 2014, the government announced a string road “improvements” . Many in southern England are along the south coast, along the M27-A27 corridor between Southampton and Lewes. Those in densely populated south Hampshire (mainly road widening) are closer to home. However, I feel more strongly against the proposals for the A27 through rural Sussex, especially The Arundel bypass. This and the new Chichester bypass (also on again) were dropped by the Blair government in 2003 on the grounds that they would be too environmentally damaging. Sadly now, it seems that protecting the environment, the countryside or people’s health and wellbeing in the future is deemed less important than growing the economy for the benefit of vested interests in the road lobby.

The £15 billion programme comes despite the Chancellor’s insistence that the deficit between public spending and tax revenue must be cut during the next parliament: reportedly to the tune of £55 billion. If true, public services – including health, social care, public transport and local authority budgets would take an even heavier hammering than they've done up to now. That isn't belt tightening: more twisted prioritising favour of vested interests.

When I first heard about Arundel in Emma Tristram’s letter to The Guardian, 3rd December, I was depressed, disappointed and angry. This is a part of the country I've come to love as an artist, river and downland walker over several decades. As southeast England goes, this area has remained relatively unspoilt until now, though the traffic in the area is already off-putting. 

The existing bypass built in the 1970s comprises the A27 coming down the hill from Crossbush to the east, crossing the railway near the train station; a left turn at the roundabout; across the Arun downstream of the town centre; then uphill to the west; with the A284 coming in from the north at another roundabout. The narrow stretch of road across the railway line near the train station is oppressive. Though there is a pelican crossing near the roundabout, there is no footway across the railway bridge. Crossing the A27 here on foot to reach Crossbush Lane to Warningcamp and Burpham can be nigh impossible. Clearly, then there is big room for improvement here, but wouldn't it be better to simply widen the existing road and improve the juncitons here rather than build a beefed-up trunk road to the south.  SCATE, the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment, have some constructive and more sustainable ideas here. Not only would they be less environmentally damaging, they would also benefit a wider cross-section of people, including walkers, cyclists and overdue investment in public transport. 

The new dual carriageway, to the south and west of Arundel, will cut across the floodplain and intrude into the South Downs National Park. To the west of Arundel, it will either slice through a large area of woodland within the National Park, or damage the villages of  Tortington, Binsted and Walberton. Until now, when I've walked from Ford  to Arundel along the River Arun, I've enjoyed the view of north upriver to the town and Castle with the Downs behind (picture above, last August). The new road will cut straight through that. And what will it be like with all the noise, dust and lorry movements while the road is being built?

If it really must be built, how about firstly ensuring safe, pedestrian and cycle access along the more minor but busy roads all along the valley. I’d still like to be able to get off the train at Ford and walk into Arundel along the river without having to take my life into my hands crossing a trunk road. Currently, the footpath along the west bank of the Arun passes under the A27 at the existing bypass bridge. Further up the valley how about safer crossings where the South Downs Way crosses the A29 and B2139 across the river at Houghton? There is no footway along the B’road through Houghton and the traffic over Houghton Bridge is oppressive. This is a busy road, apparently a cut-through between the A29 and A283 at Storrington.

Experience on the road network so far has shown that new roads generate more traffic. Before long, the roads are just as, or even more, congested than they were before - M25, M27 and A34 all notable examples in the south. All the more with chronic under-investment in public transport, walking or cycling.  

The Sussex area is being squeezed at both ends: the growth of outer London to the north; and ribbon urban development along the south coast. Calls for expansion of Gatwick Airport with a second runway are growing louder and louder. A decision here looms in 2015. As if the latest road building announcement isn’t enough,  I understand from the government report that a study into an orbital motorway around the M25 is in the offing.  I’m also concerned about the potential impacts of fracking, ie exploitation of shale gas in the Sussex Weald, including Fernhurst near Blackdown.

The transport sector, particularly road and air, is a major contributor to human-induced climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution through particulates, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

Receiving considerably less attention during the first week of December were press releases about both these issues. The Met. Office say that 2014 was the hottest year in the UK and globally.  There has been a cluster of such announcements during the past twenty to thirty years, with records broken seemingly ever year or every other year. If this warming doesn’t reflect the rising levels of greenhouse gases through human activities – including traffic – what else is doing it?

UK and global temperature records, 2014

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2014/2014-global-temperature

Then, as if to indicate completely disjointed thinking in government, came a press release  from Parliament.uk, also reported on the BBC News website, about the urgent need to tackle increasing levels of air pollution.

Change planning rules to protect children from air pollution

To quote from the press release from the Department of Transport published on 1st December:

·investing around £350 million to transform the A27, with a new bypass at Arundel to complete the ‘missing link’, plus further improvements around Worthing, Lancing and Lewes - this will help the A27 link together as a single route, supporting the development of the local economy and removing notorious congestion hotspots .

Uncritical news coverage and local media give the impression of unanimous public support. According to SCATE discussions about alternatives to the new bypass were completely off the agenda during the run-up to the announcement. Subsequently, there’s has been a drought of follow up news reports or debate, the media quickly moving on. I don't remember this being so much the case in the 1990s amid the controversial Twyford Down or the Newbury Bypass. At Twyford Down, near Winchester, the  M3 is now routed through an ugly gash in the Downs, instead of a less visually intrusive but more costly tunnel (unlike on the A3 at Hindhead). Unlike now, road protests were reported widely. The A34 is the link road between Southampton and the M40 / Midland. It now skirts Newbury and slices through the Wessex Downs. Unlocking the A34 there has simply shifted the traffic jams north to Oxford.

Links

South Coast Alliance Transport and the Environment (SCATE)

http://scate.org.uk/

Tony Whitbread, Chief Executive of Sussex Wildlife Trust

http://tonywhitbread.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/money-to-burn-road-building-bonanza.html

A wintery walk along the Severn

River Severn Tewkesbury - Deerhurst - 6th December 2014

After a very enjoyable evening with our folk in the Midlands, we awoke at our comfortable B&B to a bright, frosty morning. After a generally very mild year, it felt a long time since we'd had one of these. We headed into Tewkesbury and parked near the Abbey. When we arrived, the sun was on SE side. Here, too was one of the more "junior" river of Tewkesbury, the Swilgate. This flows behind the Abbey into the Mill Avon near lane we took to the Severn at Lower Lode. Here the Mill Avon joined the Severn, pub on far side , with a ferry for late night revellers, apparently.

I'd left the Severn in September perturbed by bore wave rushing up it (Lower Rea, 12th September). Here today it was gentle and reflective. The water level now was relatively low, perturbed only by the slightest breeze, the odd mallard, moorhen, a couple of swans and the odd boat or two. 

We followed the Severn Way along the east side of the river towards Haw, diverting briefly to Deerhurst to see Odda's Chapel. 

Shortly after joining the path at Lower Lode, we passed the boat house. Here, on the wall facing the river flood marks painted from the two biggest floods on the Severn in during the past century: 1947 [March] and [July] 2007. I'd forgotten  2007 mark was the higher one of the two - see Note 1 below.

These were both exceptional floods. Nonetheless, amid the calm conditions today,  it seemed hard to believe that, even during the normal floods which occur in this area roughly annually (eg last winter and spring 2012), that the river that it is capable of rising several metres up and over the banks and filling the floodplain. I got my other half to stand in front of the marks for scale.   The boat house stood a good two metres above the river level here now. When we came back through here later, a disembodied voice told people following the Severn Way through here that this was private property, our images being recorded on cctv. Big Brother or what?  The usual notices to notices would have sufficed. 

As far as I know, no overspills this autumn-winter, though I was glad I'd worn the new wellies - even if my toes were cold in the frost to begin with - as it was still muddy in places after rain in November. During the morning, it was still fairly frosty, with some of the muddy areas still frozen. By the middle of the day, most of this had melted, making it muddier. Worst bit was along the floodbank just south of Deerhurst. Signposts here for Severn Way and Sabrina Way. Sabrina was the Roman name for the river, otherwise didn't know the difference.

Odda's Chapel, Deerhurst

Colder inside the chapel, not much sun getting in to it today. A quick sketch in here, but warmer in the sun along the river sketching the early winter trees. Most of the autumn leaves are off the trees now, though a few remnants of leafy colour on the hedgerows. Some younger upper branches on the trees growing along the bank had a warm golden colour with sun on them against the clear blue sky. Some mistletoe with white berries. Winter oaks. Little blue birds in one of the trees growing on the slope of the bank.

Winter trees along the Severn near Deerhurst

Alongside the fence on the north side of the field where the path headed into Deerhurst, several dip stick gauges at intervals going down towards the river, four tall masts in the river, presumably for marking where the usual course of the river in the event of a flood covering the fields here. An odd sign on the gate, the graphics seemed to indicate - Don't skew or fry fish here, or carry big flat-pack fish under your arm.

After a quick look at Odda's Chapel, we carried on down the river towards Haw Bridge, though most attractive stretch was the first bit between Lower Lode and Deerhurst: the river here more open with variety of winter trees.Turned  round just before the caravan park on the near side.

Got back to Tewkesbury about half-two and had a quick look round along the Mill Avon between the Abbey Mill and former flour mill. Alongside the latter, a disorientating illusion of the Avon flowing uphill at the latter, apparently defying gravity.  

Abbey Mill, Tewkesbury

Note 1 - Severn flooding around Tewkesbury - a link here to an interesting website bringing together local memory and blogs. 

Sustainable Flood Memories

https://floodmemories.wordpress.com/tag/river-severn/

There is more information here about the 1947 and 2007 floods. Also how, how and again the media put a negative, Terrible Disaster spin on when reporting on flooding and weather events generally (at the time of writing, it's a "weather bomb in northern Britain", 10th December). The 2007 flood was a national emergency and took residents and business affected around Tewkesbury many months to clear up the mess. During more normal, if again unseasonal floods in spring 2012, the media again reached for the photos from 2007 giving a false impression that things were worse than they really are. Rather than carrying as normal, well used to living on a floodplain at the confluence of two major British rivers, people living and working in the area were portrayed as victims under siege.  I stand guilty as one of the "outsiders" associating Tewkesbury with flooding probably more than anywhere else in England. Even so, I expect realistic, sensible information in news reports about weather events, rather than sensationalism so that I can get a true picture of what the situation is. Sensationalist, screaming headlines about storms, floods and disaster can frighten vulnerable people and are not fair on local businesses such as hotels and shops who find their bookings / takings down.

Tunnels, churches and water around Pulborough

Sunday 28th September

Window at Greatham church

This was a trip run by the London branch of Open University Geological Society (OUGS), primarily looking at building stones used in some of the churches along the outcrop of Lower Greensand near Pulborough. The leader was West Sussex Geologist David Bone. The good thing about these trips is, as well as learning something geological, is getting to visit places I either hadn't known about, or I wouldn’t have got round to going to otherwise. A new, different perspective on familiar places, too.

I travelled by train along the south coast and up the Arun valley to Pulborough, the group meeting in the station car park at 10.30am. A very mild, dry and bright day, bright from the start along the coast, though the fog took longer to clear along Arun valley / north side of the Downs. The sun came through at Pulborough just as we were getting started. During the middle of the day, it was very warm (still too warm for me at times) in the sunshine.

Geology overview

The Lower Greensand (LGS) ridge here was the one on the southern side of the Weald Anticline, running from Midhurst and Petworth. It’s called Lower Greensand as there’s a lot of sandstone in it, only it doesn’t look very green. Any green comes from the marine mineral glauconite. Most of looks gold, rusty red, or dark brown from iron oxidation, or darker brown / grey where there are harder bands of ironstone.

It is subdivided into the Atherfield Clay, Hythe, Sandgate and Folkestone Formations named after the areas of the south Kent coast where they are exposed in the cliffs. These are in turn subdivided. The harder sandstones, ironstones and cherts were the main source of building stones before the about the Victorian era, in an area otherwise short of sufficiently tough, strong building stone material. We also saw a more gritty ironstone from the Gault Clay (GC) above the LGS, Ironstone Grit, along with Horsham Stone (mainly church roof tiles)  Sussex Marble (mainly church interiors) from the Weald Clay Group (WC).

To fit in with Sunday services at the churches, our first port of call was a sand mine.

Marehill sand mine 

Marehill sand mine

This was on the east side of Pulborough, the only mine in West Sussex. Work stopped just after the last war. Now it is a nature reserve managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust. During the autumn and winter, bats hibernate in the tunnels, meaning no access from October - March. David is the Geological warden here. It was as well David brought spare torches – it was dark inside.  We a good look round the network of tunnels dug out of the sandstone manually with picks during the C19th. The tunnels sloped southward following the dip of the beds. Shining the torch on the less weathered bedding inside, I could see the laminated cross-bedding, iron oxide staining: in painterly terms raw sienna, burnt sienna, Indian red. This was the Pulborough Sand Rock (PSR) in the Sandgate Formation - too easily confused to the similarly named Pulborough Stone (PS). The latter is part of the Hythe Formation which lies below the Sandgate. The PSR is self-supporting, therefore great for tunnelling into. Above it was the Marehill Clay (also Sandgate). This was where much of the ironstone we saw in the churches came from. David took sample pebbles to compare with some of the ironstone in the churches later. It weathers dark brown to burnt sienna. It is more clayey / less sandy / finer grained than the carstone from the Folkestone Beds.

The Churches

We looked round inside and outside, though mostly outside where the various building stones were more visible: The Pulborough Stone (PS) was widely used, mainly as dressed (squarely carved) blocks in the walls, along with window frames. churches we saw later. The ironstones were common too, We also saw some Malmstone, quarried flints from the Chalk of the Downs (black core), more weathered white and brown flints (exposed to air near the surface of the Downs) and Sussex Marble.

The interiors tended to be plain, with white plastered walls. An attractive mix of  stained glass and clear panes in the windows. The smaller churches had no electricity and were lit by gas lamps and candles.

Wiggonholt Church

We started with Wiggonholt Church on the ridge to the east of the Arun, near the RSPB reserve. The was of the smaller churches. Before we got eyes in on the walls, we admired the view from car park of the South Downs escarpment towards the Arun gap. The Wildbrooks are in the broader, very low lying floodplain between the LGS and South Downs ridges. To the west, the Rother joins the Arun at Hardham, to the east, smaller streams. In winter, the area is frequently underwater – see my watery notes later.

It felt very warm in the sun in the churchyard, enough to send me scurrying into the shade. This was one of the smaller, single room Wildbrooks churches, roofed with tiles cut from Horsham Stone.  Inside were, gas lamps, no electrics.

Our lunch stop was at the café  / visitor centre at Pulborough RSPB Reserve. Here, there was a view from tea terrace overlooking the eastern Wildbrooks, though unfortunately we arrived at peak time, when all the tables were taken. A big queue inside for food and drink. Not surprising it was packed out, being a Sunday, fine weather David wondered if flat topped hill where the car park was one of the Arun river terraces, i.e. the past level of floodplain, the river subsequently cutting downwards. There were flints amongst the sand, which would have gotten there somehow or other from the Chalk – assuming, of course they hadn’t been put there by a big truck to lay out the car park, no paved / madeover tracks, though.

Parham House

Parham ("Parram") Church – A church with a bell tower on the west side, and annex behind it on the south side, situated on the Parham estate, near Parham House. That’s the stately home we’ve seen from Rackham Hill, being built beneath the Downs escarpment, separated from it by a small valley. Much of the greenery around the house given over to parking, there being an event on. The church and house lie on the  Folkestone Beds (FB). Near the north wall, a line of oak trees and an unusual looking clump of fungi which appeared to be growing straight out of the grass, though more likely from a buried branch or trunk. Much of the building stone comprise Pulborough Stone. The dressed blocks were rich in pale lichens and weathered to a fairly rough, laminated surface. Some of the newer, less weathered stones around the window frame near the annex had grey streaks. The annex looked obviously different: smaller pale grey and pale brown blocks. This was Malmstone, from the Upper Greensand, a thin outcrop between the Chalk and the Gault. Inside, a font carved of Sussex Marble. This grey and very shelly, containing fossilised snail (gastropod) shells which were most obvious in the polished stone . Strictly, it is not a marble (metamorphosed limestone subject to intense heat / pressure), but a sedimentary limestone. A slab of this at the entrance, too, rough and not polished.

St. Peter's Church, Parham

The South Downs from Parham church

Fungi at Parham

Greatham church

Greatham ("Gretham" ) Church. As at Wiggonholt, a small, single room unassuming building. A small spire on the west side. It was situated lower down nearer the floodplain on the east of the Arun, along the lane from Greatham Bridge. The churchyard was now a metre or so above the surrounding ground, dipping down again to the entrance on the south side. Over the centuries, burials had raised the ground level. Though, C12th we noticed a filled in middle window between the glazed windows on the east wall. As this was common in Saxon times, this suggested there had been an pre-existing building here. An abundance of, for want of a name as there isn’t one, Marehill Ironstone. More Pulborough Stone with grey streaks, too. Inside, simply decorated with plain plastered walls. Again no electricity, hence the gas lampas hanging from the ceiling and the candles at the altar. The sun shone through window at the west end, projecting the colour on the stained glass onto the recess of the arch. As at Parham, some Sussex Marble.

Greatham church interior

Leaving the church to head to Stopham, crossed Greatham Bridge and turned right onto the A29.

David pointed out two more churches near the main road: Coldwaltham (L), Hardham (R). Crossed the Arun again at the A29 London Road bridge and the A283 via Lord Young of Graffham's bridge alongside the old Stopham Bridge.

St. Mary's Church, Stopham

Stopham Church - our last church of the day, some way up the hill from the river, off the lane north towards Pallingham. This was built on the Pulborough Stone outcrop and made wide use of it. The stones  here were particularly varied, with some larger blocks, PS and chert. Ironstones were  very common, too: the “Marehill” and Carstone from the Folkestone Formation.

Stopham Bridge, the quarry, River Arun

Quarry in the Folkestone Beds, Stopham

Leaving the churchyard, we turned left and walked a little way along the lane to look at the wall of a farm building on out left. Blocks here a uniform size – local Pulborough Stone. Here, we thanked David formally for leading our tour of churches. There was time, though to visit the quarry in Folkestone beds just upstream of Stopham Bridge. For this we parked near the White Hart. A view of the old Stopham Bridge from the riverside garden. The quarry was just upstream of the road bridge. I’ve passed this quarry when walking to Stopham Bridge along the footpath off Coombelands Lane on the north side of Pulborough. This was the Folkestone Beds. Though the bedding planes were linear, it all looked contorted, riddled with layers and veins of carstone, curving pipe formations. As an artist I liked the mix of earthy golds and reds, with darker greys.

Stopham Bridge

The White Hart pub was hit badly by last winter’s flooding, particularly over Christmas. It’s been closed ever since. Badly hit by flooding in the January 2003, too. A quick look at the pub’s Facebook page indicates that they plan to reopen at the end of October under new ownership. I wish them all the best,  nonetheless, particularly susceptible location. Riverside pubs may be pretty in the summer, but…

Sensibly, all the churches were visited, likewise most of Pulborough have been built comfortably above the floodplain.

When David talked this morning at Wiggonholt about the Wildbrooks and flooding in the floodplain, he mentioned the particularly bad flooding last winter. I remember the view of the big lake we saw from Bignor Hill late last December well. David said that it’s not just a case of floodwater spilling down the Arun from the Weald round Horsham way; the Rother from Selborne way; and the tidal effect. Because the Downs gap is relatively narrow, drainage of floodwater away to the sea is impeded and backs up round the Pulborough area.

Today, the river was gentle and languid looking here, though I wasn't the only who noticed it was  flowing the wrong way.

All headed back to the station about 4.45pm, from where we all headed off. As I had at least half an hour to wait before my train, I walked down the bridges at the A29-A283 junction. Crossed the A29 at the road island opposite the antiques place. The old London Road bridge was off to the left of the newer one. Between the bridges a pump. Stood on the old bridge, now a foot-cycle bridge and viewed the Downs escarpment. Again here, the river ran gently, though with a definite tidal current, flowing upriver towards Stopham. I had my ginger muffin, debating which of the building stones of the LGS it most closely resembled in colour and texture – the ironstone from Marehill, the Folkestone Formation?

Pulborough - A29 (London Road) bridges old and new

Note on water levels

The Met. Office say that this September has been in the driest in the UK since their records began in 1910, with only a fifth of the average rainfall. It’s also been one of the warmest. They say October will be more unsettled, though as it’s started off warm, pressure still high, I’ll believe that when I see it. 

Further to what I said a fortnight ago (Notes along the Mole, Wey and Thames), there isn’t a drought yet and overall I don’t think anything, anyway is any lower than it was at this time last year which had a drier summer. The Met Office press release (29^th September says that this year overall has been wet, though that’s largely down to the record soggy winter. The Environment Agency said in their latest Weekly water resources report for England & Wales (17-23 Sept) that many rivers in impervious catchments have been running below normal, reflecting the very dry weather this month. The Swale in North Yorkshire and the Tone in Somerset (drains Somerset Levels another area badly hit by flooding last winter) exceptionally so. Among the others were the Derwents of Cumbria and North Yorkshire, the Severn and Wye, the Eastern Rother in East Sussex. Most other river and groundwater levels have been in the normal range, it’s the normal range for September, when they tend to be at a minimum. After the highs of last winter, groundwater levels at Chilgrove near Chichester fell sharply (EA Weekly water levels: Hampshire, West Sussex, IOW, 25/09/14) It’s now down to the level it usually is at this time of year, when groundwater levels tend to be at their minimum after the summer. Likewise river flows on the Itchen and Test. It seems, then that the record wet winter of 2013/14 saw us more than comfortably through the summer, everything still needs topping up now. In monetarist terms, last winter’s rain topped up the savings account, but it’s all / nearly all gone now following a spendthrift a combination of an early mild spring and warm, extended summer. Not that this is the first year that September /the early has been dry and more like summer. September 2003 was warm and very dry. The ground looked much more parched than it does now. In 2011, there was a heatwave at the beginning of October after a relatively cool summer. 1997 was similar to both: still shirt sleeves along the Arun as today.

Notes from the Mole, Wey and Thames - September 2014

15th - 17th September 2014

North Downs and River Mole - Monday 15th September

View from Denbies Vineyard towards Leith Hill

Walk from Dorking to Leatherhead via Denbies Vineyard, Ranmore Common, Norbury Park, Thorncroft, Leatherhead.

Fine, warm settled weather great for walkers and plein air painters, though it's been a long dry summer for rivers.

Dorking Deepdene. Arrived about half-ten. Across the A24 to the park and pond, then path across the A'road and railway into Denbies Vineyard. Vineyard extensive, extending out the west. Grapes ripening. 

Box Hill from Denbies Vineyard

Started off following tracks through vineyard west, but couldn't find a way up the hill (not PRW), anyway. Retraced steps north acrosd vineyard to NDW and followed that up the hill and round to the west at the edge of the woodland of Ranmore Common. Shade pleasant as it felt warm and sticky in the sun. Continued along NDW to St. Barnabas Church, Ranmore, spire seen further back.

Grapes ripening on the vines, Denbies

Took the bridleway opposite the church north across the Ranmore Common wood. Came out into the combe near Bagden Farm. Sign pointing left to youth hostel about 3/4 mile west at Tanner's Hatch.

St. Barnabas Church, Ranmore

Crossed Chapel Lane, continuing north through Chapel Wood, past Phoenice Farm behind hedge on left - guard dog warnings - into Bookham Wood and the march larger woodland area of Norbury Park. Lunch in the clearing a bit further up the hill from the crossroad of the main paths near the western end.

Following the paths down towards, Norbury House, passed the sawmill. A pair of sculpted tree stumps outside the gates. One had finger / toe like digits, a bit like the tree on the riverbank near Box Hill. The other looked like the head of a pig - or maybe a wild boar (or bore after my trip to the Severn last week). From another angle (like in the pic below) it could have been a fish.  Viewed facing, though, it looked more distressed and gargoyle like than it came across in my drawing.

Lunch stop in Norbury Park

Wood sculpture outside Norbury Park Sawmill

From there, I followed the road down the hill and joined a path off to the left which crossed the railway tunnel and came out of the woods at Icehouse Copse. Then took the path on the west under the A246. The graffiti art enhanced the otherwise barren, boring concrete, though the Flow River arrow in metal was pointing upstream rather than towards the Thames.

Graffiti gracing the Leatherhead bypass bridge

At Thorncroft House I turned right to the footbridge. Between there and the redbrick multi-arched town bridge, the river flowed between islets. Stopped to sketch at bench facing the flint stone bridge between two of these on the far side. A large oyster like shell over the archway. Then carried on crossing the road at Town Bridge, under the concrete B'road bridge and two viaducts into the open area of the Common Meadow.

The Mole near Norbury Park

Thorncroft bridge, Leatherhead

There were scenes around Leatherhead, I recognised from You Tube footage of last winter's flooding. such as the Thorncroft footbridge with the 10mph speed limit sign, where on Christmas Eve I wondered if the river was so fast and furious that it achieved that. Here, too, at the beginning of February, on the day I saw the double whammy fluvial-tidal spillages on the Arun, a lady videoed her trudge through the over flowing River Mole, probably ruining her walking boots.  A forgottten Deep Flood Water sign by a now dry ditch near leisure centre.

The Shell bridge

Leatherhead Town Bridge

Leatherhead Common Meadow

What a contrast with what I saw now:  River levels were very low throughout. I wasn't surprised: the Mole is like that.

A note on local geology and water levels

At Leatherhead, the Mole leaves the Chalk of the North Downs for the London Clay of the London Basin (BGS online geo maps).

Low water levels - Common Meadow,

There is a superficial cover of alluvium all along the floodplain. Beneath this at the southern railway viaduct - Lewes Chalk (later Cretaceous); Thanet Beds (Palaeogene) - sand and silt at the northern viaduct; and London Clay (Eocene) beneath the Common Meadow. If the low water level I saw today was due to alleged swallow holes in the Chalk, I'd have expected water levels through the Common Meadow to have been better than they were upstream. They weren't. Therefore, must be due to the currently very low rates of run-off in the catchment.

The Environment Agency A and CEH say rainfall in England and Wales was above the long term average throughout August, with soil moisture increasing, river and groundwater levels within the normal range for August. Rainfall was well above average over much of Scotland, with flooding in some areas, including the River Lossie near Elgin. EA flow gauge data this week (10th - 16th September) shows the Thames (Kingston) and groundwater dominated rivers such as chalk streams comfortably normal. However, this September so far has been very dry throughout the UK (data from the Met. Office, via this report). As of 16^th September, overall rainfall across England has been just 15% of the long term average. In SE England, just 2mm of rain has fallen during the first half of September. The EA say most of their indicator rivers are still flowing within their normal range for the time of year, though rivers in northern and western England, in generally impermeable catchments are running a bit below normal.

Environment Agency - weekly and monthly water reports for England

Environment Agency - River and Sea Levels for England and Wales

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - National River Flow Archive - monthly hydrological summaries for the UK and flow gauge data

On the Mole, things must be better than they were around this time in 1976: compare water levels beneath the A246 bridge today with the photo of from summer 1976 with the completely dry river bed, Surrey Weather Book (Currie et al, 1990) which I'm pretty sure was taken here.

Though we may not have had the hottest or driest of summers, I reckon the past six months have been particularly hard on the Mole and rivers in impermeable catchments generally, especially in SE England where rainfall is lower. Even in March, barely a month after the flooding, the CEH said that it was notably low. Spring was early, dry and very mild. Plants growth has been prolific throughout, sucking up moisture from the ground. Even with the wetter August, I noted from the EA's website that the Mole was below normal during the second half of the month. The soggy August Bank Holiday revived it briefly, though only briefly as it soon all ran away. See my musings along and near the Mole near Box Hill earlier this year:

Christmas 2013 storms and floods

Plenty of water and art, 10th February 2014

Notes from the Surrey Hills - Peace returns to the Mole with the arrival of Spring

Trees along the Mole / water levels falling with warm spring weather and vigorous plant growth

Wey and Godalming Navigations, Guildford  - Tuesday 16th September

Water meadows - St.Catherine's

A late start before heading into Guildford on the train around midday. There, a leisurely walk along the Wey to Shalford, cuppa overlooking the river in Debenhams, then another stroll up to Dapdune Wharf and the Woodbridge Meadow tree / train sculptures. Didn’t rush as, once early cloud / drizzle had cleared and sun came out, it felt warm and sticky. Still very much that into the evening.

Mooring by Shalford bridge

Along the Wey, I did a sketch of tree reflections on the bend near St. Catherine’s Lock. Enjoyed flowers growing in the meadow / more marshy land inside the bend.

Signs up at various intervals along the towpath with photographs – 250 years of the Wey and Godalming Navigations – thought it was 360 years last year, but never mind. Near St. Catherine’s Lock, a photo of the drownded lock and meadow at the height of the 1968 floods. That was the big exception the usual back-to-school-back to-better-weather / rivers low and tired after the summer rule. Took a photo now to show what it usually all looks like, looking upstream towards Godalming.

St. Catherine's Lock today

St.Catherine's Lock in aftermath of 1968 mega-sog

Reflections beneath railway bridge I’d crossed on the way to Dorking yesterday. A temporary pontoon, scaffolding etc across the river, work being done on the pipe which crosses here.

Opposite Dapdune Wharf later a bit about the Wey barges, constructed here and launched here, from the side shed nearest the railway viaduct, side off the wall.

Relections at Dapdune Wharf

Further to yesterday, the Wey didn’t look nearly as low as the Mole, though a lot lower than it did in the spring, particularly noticeable at Millmead. Think the canalisation of the river, with more ability to direct flows, must help. Along with perhaps a more permeable catchment, though by now the upper reaches of the North Branch in Farnham can look overgrown and anaemic.

Fish eat fish eat fish, Woodbridge Meadow

Tree creature and phone guy in Woodbridge Meadow

My blogs along the Wey 2013 - 2014

Along the Wey during heatwaves past - July 2013

Walk along the Wey and Godalming Navigations, July 2013 (heatwave)

Guildford after the [Christmas 2013] flood - 11/01/14

The Wey Rises Again - around Godalming - 19/01/14

Plenty of water and art, including Guildford floods, February 2014

Spring on the Wey - March 2014

The Thames Barrier, Greenwich and the Tower of London - Wednesday 17th September

Arriving in London about 11:00am, I took a train from Waterloo East to Charlton and walked down to the Thames Barrier. It was still foggy and rather gloomy. After the highs on the Severn last week with the spring tides, the Thames was subdued on the neap. All a fitting vibe perhaps for my thoughts of the wider world situation. See above and hints scribbled beneath the water in my sketches, along with notes on flooding and the Barrier's role in protecting London, as witnessed last winter. Not that the is likely bothered about petty human affairs to do with referendums, being probably upwards of two million years old. Even so, I write this on the way home, the long way round from Victoria, just crossed Grosvenor railway bridge, view upriver to the Albert Bridge outline lit up against the fading evening twilight. I wondered to the longest river in England what we'd wake up to on Friday morning.

The sun partially broke through the fog from about early afternoon, shining some light on the Barrier and the river, though the persistence of the fog took the edge of the threatened heatwave. Essentially a re-run of late September 2011. The autumn and winter went on persistently dry threatening drought, numerous rivers dwidling visibly by the year's end. Hope no re-run of that, but the freebie paper I picked up on the train this morning speaks of a "blowtorch" heatwave, with temperatures as high as 27C tomorrow. Presume that's London and hope it's a bit cooler back home, though I get the impression it's foggier to the east. Come October, I could use a bit of autumn, with fresher weather to knuckle down. Don't know what the pollution levels were in London, today, but anywhere near busy roads, eg Tower Bridge early this evening, wasn't pleasant. As in the summer heatwave, the heat builds later in the day, too.

Sketched near play area and cafe in front of floodbank just below the most southerly gate of the Barrier (gate 9) and control tower. In due course, a party of school children turned up for a lunch stop and slide on the slide. The City of Westminster marine aggregate boat passed through the Barrier on the nearside. It had probably come from the works just upstream of the Barrier and Charlton. I had my sandwiches and did another sketch, this time looking between gates 7 and 8  towards the O2 arena (before then the Millennium Dome) and the multiplying Canary Wharf Towers.

Profile of the River Thames beneath the covered walkway near the Barrier

 I then went under the covered walkway marking the eastern end of the 184 mile Thames Path. On the concrete wall on my left, a profile of the River Thames from sea to source. At the eastern seaward end, a mark marking the high tides on 11th January 1993 (the higher one) and Christmas Eve 1988. Below these, near the base of the wall , a line marking the profile of the Thames with height in metres relative to Ordnance Datum, Newlyn, the line rising moving towards the source, most steeply nearer the source at Thames Head near Cricklade, Gloucestershire, about 105m AOD. Along the way, landmarks, major towns and cities such as Oxford, the inflows of tributaries, including the Wey, the Mole (aka Ember nearing Hampton Court), the Hogsmill, Cherwell etc.

From there, I followed the Thames Path and Jubilee Greenway around the Greenwich Peninsula, where the river loops round Blackwall Point, and the O2. on the far side of the Thames the outlet of Bow Creek, where the River Lee / Lea comes out. Went under the chutes / passed the gravelly stockpiles of the Angerstein and Murphy's aggregate works, later under the new chairlift / gondola ride passing high over the river - Emirites something or other. As with the O2, everything round here being named more by brand - usually foreign - than a landmark with any direct connection to the Thames or London. Seeing the chairlift, with it's relatively big ticket to ride, had this surreal idea of suited executives riding the chutes etc of the aggregate workings once they run out of aggregate to dredge out of the North Sea.

Around the O2 - seemingly more successful as a gig arena than its relatively short incarnation as the Millennium Dome through the year 2000. A Monty Python reunion and Kate Bush's first live stage gig for 35 years taking place here recently. Rounding Blackwall Point, a gathering of gulls and comorants on the sand accumulated on the inner bend. View across to the Isle of Dogs with the Canary Wharf Towers. The Blackwall Tunnel passes under the Thames here.

Towers of London

More or less right round the bend from the O2 to the old power station at Greenwich, a building site, with lots of new blocks going up, a luxury cruise ship stop in the making, preparation for a Tall Ships event somewhere here this year. All looked very corporate, big biz, like much of the rest of London's becoming. I sympathise with Scots not wanting be ruled by faraway London, but the dominance of the City, rich foreigners buying up the property pricing everyone else out is making many people living much closer to it feel cut off from the Capital. Building sites at least honoured the route of the Thames Path and cycleways, so I got round to Maritime Greenwich without any obstacles or detours. Another historic high tide mark, this one on a wall in by the Trinity Hospital, for the highest tide of the first half of the twentieth century. 

Approaching Maritime Greenwich

The Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark

Busy around Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark. Didn't go up into the Park as time  was getting on. Had a cuppa in Costa and looked round the Cutty Sark area. Cutty Sark, where it always was, with the masts prominent from the river, the base of the hull now undercover, in the new museum. The restoration, of course, the subject of my father's paintings, wood engravings and the big five block linocut.

Left Greenwich via the subway under the Thames to Island Gardens - unlike the Tube / Docklands, refreshingly cool beneath the river. There, I took the Docklands light railway to Bank. Got a bit lost there trying to get out of the station. Inevitably for this time of a weekday (half-five ish), streets strewn with suits. Big crowds streaming across London Bridge. I crossed Tower Bridge, passing the Tower of London, the moat area in front of the outer walls strewn with poppies. The carpet of red growing August 4th - 11th November, remembering the fallen on the centenary of the start of WW1.

My blogs about the London Thames during 2014

Plenty of water and art, including central London, February 2014

Carl's Ramble through London, May 2014