Bourne Rivulet facts for kids
The Bourne Rivulet is a special river in Hampshire, England. It is a small branch, or tributary, of the larger River Test.
This river is known locally as 'The Bourne'. It's a unique type of stream called a winterbourne. This means it only flows during certain times of the year. Its water level goes up and down with the ground's water supply.
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What is a Winterbourne?
A winterbourne is like a seasonal river. It usually starts flowing in January and dries up around August each year. This happens because it's a chalk stream. Chalk streams get their water from underground. When there's a lot of rain, the underground water level rises, and the river flows. When it's dry, the water level drops, and parts of the river can disappear.
Where Does the Bourne Rivulet Flow?
The Bourne Rivulet usually begins near the village of Upton. From there, it flows through several villages. These include Hurstbourne Tarrant, St Mary Bourne, and Hurstbourne Priors. Finally, it joins the River Test near Tufton.
Sometimes, the part of the river above Hurstbourne Tarrant is called the Swift, or River Swift.
Helping the River Stay Healthy
Sometimes, people take water from the ground in the area. This can make the upper part of the river flow less often than it naturally would. However, a company called Vitacress Salads Ltd. helps keep the river flowing. They have a watercress farm at the start of the river. They pump water they don't need back into the stream. This helps make sure the river always has water.
The river is home to some large wild brown trout. In the past, there was a small problem with the tiny creatures that live in the river. But since 2007, Vitacress Salads Ltd. has worked to fix this. Their efforts have helped the river's health improve a lot. In fact, their work on the river won an award from the Wild Trout Trust in 2008!
The Bourne in Books
The Bourne Rivulet is famous because of a book by Harry Plunket Greene. The book is called "Where the Bright Waters Meet." In it, he wrote that the Bourne was "unquestionably the finest trout stream in the south of England."
Many people who love this book still come from all over the world to fish here. The book shares his fishing adventures on the Bourne between 1902 and 1912.
