Hinksey Stream facts for kids
Hinksey Stream is a cool waterway near Oxford, England. It's like a smaller arm that branches off the famous River Thames. This stream actually starts with a different name: Seacourt Stream. It splits off from the Thames near the village of Wytham. Then, after flowing for a while, it changes its name to Hinksey Stream and eventually joins the Thames again near Kennington.
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Where Does Hinksey Stream Flow?
The Journey of Seacourt Stream
The journey begins when Seacourt Stream splits from the Thames. It flows south, passing by Wytham village. You can see it go under the busy A34 Oxford Ring Road.
Near a place where the old village of Seacourt used to be, another small stream called Botley Stream branches off. It flows for about 0.8 kilometers before joining Bulstake Stream. Seacourt Stream then continues its path. It flows under Botley Road and meets Bulstake Stream near North Hinksey.
Seacourt Stream is quite long, stretching for about 12.7 kilometers!
The Path of Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream begins its own journey by branching off from Seacourt Stream. This happens just before Seacourt Stream meets Bulstake Stream. Hinksey Stream flows between two villages: South Hinksey to the west and New Hinksey to the east.
It also flows under the Oxford Ring Road, close to where it meets the Abingdon Road (A4144). Soon after, another branch of the Thames, called Weirs Mill Stream, joins Hinksey Stream. Weirs Mill Stream is 2.1 kilometers long and leaves the Thames near Donnington Bridge.
Finally, Hinksey Stream flows into the main River Thames. This happens just above the Kennington Railway Bridge. If you're walking the Thames Path, you'll cross Hinksey Stream on a footbridge right at this spot.
Did you know there used to be a ferry across Hinksey Stream? It connected Ferry Hinksey Road in west Oxford to North Hinksey. But the ferry stopped running in 1928. Now, bridges connect these areas instead.
Hinksey Stream itself is 4.2 kilometers long.
A Stream with a History
Hinksey Stream and Seacourt Stream have played important roles in history.
In ancient Anglo-Saxon times, Seacourt Stream was a significant boundary. It helped mark the border between two powerful kingdoms: Mercia and Wessex. Imagine, a stream acting as a border between kingdoms!
Later, until 1974, it was part of the border between the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. In the 1500s, people even called the stream "Shire Lake." "Shire" is an old word for a county.
Further downstream from North Hinksey, another stream called Hogacre Stream (or Hogacre Ditch) was also part of the boundary. It runs next to Hinksey Stream and joins it after 1.9 kilometers. Between 1889 and 1974, Hinksey Stream itself formed the boundary south of where Hogacre Stream joined it.
