River Ingrebourne

The Ingrebourne from the bridge on Berkeley Drive

The River Ingrebourne, 27 miles in length, is a river in Essex which ultimately is a tributary of the River Thames. It is considered a "strategic waterway" by local planers who have invented a "Blue Ribbon Network", including the Ingrebourne. The river flows roughly from north to south, joining the Thames at Rainham, Essex.

Name

The name is recorded in 1062 as Ingceburne and is from the Old England 'burna', meaning stream. The meaning of the prefix is unclear, although it could refer to a person.

Course

The Ingrebourne rises near Brentwood, Essex, whence it flows in a southwesterly direction under the M25 motorway near Junction 28, at which point the first of its tributaries, Weald Brook (2.7 miles in length) enters. Two others, Carters Brook and Paynes Brook, join soon afterwards.

After skirting south of the built-up area of Harold Hill the route is partly non-urban: a large area of flood-plain follows before the Ingrebourne threads between the suburbs of Upminster and Hornchurch. The river from here is surrounded by public open space: with Gaynes Parkway, the Ingrebourne Valley Greenway and Hornchurch Country Park taking up the area until reaching Rainham.

At Rainham the river divides, the main channel becoming Rainham Creek, which flows into the Thames between Hornchurch Marshes (to the west) and Rainham Marshes (to the east) at Old Man's Head. The second channel becomes the Wennington Sewers complex.

Significance

The Ingrebourne Marshes are designated a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" because of the diversity of its wildlife and extensive areas of wetland reeds. The river forms one of the strategic waterways identified in the Blue Ribbon Network policy in the local plan.

Pictures

Ingrebourne Valley from Hornchurch Country Park

Outside links

• Proposed English Nature Local Nature Reserve
• Flood watch