River Dever
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The River Dever is a chalk stream in the midst of Hampshire. It rises at West Stratton near Micheldever and flows westwards for eleven miles to meet the River Test at Wherwell.
Course
The source is found alongside the A33, the main road north-east from Winchester (a road of Roman origin), and meanders west through the village of Micheldever, three hamlets: Weston Colley, Stoke Charity and Wonston, then its largest village, Sutton Scotney, followed by Upper and Lower Bullington. The river skirts to the north of Barton Stacey and through the hamlet of Bransbury, meeting the Test on Bransbury Common, opposite the east fields of Wherwell.
Name
The river's name possibly predates the Anglo-Saxon period. A record in Old English of Myceldefer, [1] has the prefix micel meaning "great": the latter part may be from the Common Brittonic, "water, river", found also locally in Andover or the Candover Brook nearby.[1]
Alternatively the Old Welsh michen for "bog" is suggested by the earliest-known form, from 862, Mycendefr, not relatively prevalent due to the gradient and alkaline water.[1]
Attributes
The river is essentially fed by very close chalk aquifers, likewise to its continuation the Test, a highly abundant watercourse in Europe for large trout. It includes two trout farms, at the otherwise almost wholly green locality of Bransbury, and at Difford, north of Barton Stacey. The watermill at Weston Colley is a Grade II listed building/.[2] The mill at Bransbury is also Grade II listed.[3]
Location
- Location map: 51°9’31"N, 1°14’11"W
Outside links
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ekwall, Eilert: English River Names (OUP, 1928) pages 290–291
- ↑ National Heritage List Old Mill Cottage: Mill Cottage 1350775 (Grade II listing)
- ↑ National Heritage List Bransbury Mill: Mill 1093471 (Grade II listing)