Holy Brook facts for kids

The Holy Brook is a special water channel that flows through the town of Reading in England. It's actually a branch of the River Kennet. This brook has a long and interesting history, but exactly how it started is still a bit of a mystery!

Some parts of the Holy Brook might be natural streams. But it's also likely that parts of it were dug by the monks of Reading Abbey way back in the Middle Ages. They probably used the water to power their mills and fill their fish ponds.

Long ago, around 1610, maps showed the Holy Brook flowing openly through Reading. But by 1835, much of the town centre part was hidden underground in culverts. Today, it's still mostly hidden in the town centre.

Where the Holy Brook Flows

The Holy Brook starts near a village called Theale. It splits off from the main River Kennet at a brick structure known as the Arrowhead. From there, it flows north of the main river. It eventually rejoins the Kennet just after passing through the centre of Reading.

The entire channel is about 6 miles (10 kilometres) long. About 600 metres (0.4 miles) of it are hidden underground in culverts.

The Brook's Path Through Reading

For the first part of its journey, the Holy Brook forms a boundary. It separates areas like Beansheaf Farm, Fords Farm, Calcot, Southcote, and Coley Park (which are north of the brook) from the Kennet flood meadows (which are south).

At Calcot, the brook passes Calcot Mill. This was one of two water mills that used the brook's power and originally belonged to Reading Abbey. The brook even gives its name to the nearby area, the civil parish of Holybrook.

In some places, like behind Coley Park, you can see that the brook is built up along the hillside. This shows that it was likely made by people, not just a natural stream. Once it passes Coley Park, the Holy Brook flows through the old Victorian area of Coley before reaching the town centre. In Coley, there's a special overflow gate. It sends extra water back to the Kennet, where a swimming pool (lido) used to be.

Hidden Sections in Town

In the centre of Reading, the Holy Brook often disappears underground. You can only see it in short sections. One clear spot is where it flows under an entrance to The Oracle shopping centre. The shopping centre even named its lower mall the 'Holy Brook Mall' after it! You can also see it for a few metres outside the front door of Reading Central Library.

The hidden parts of the Holy Brook were built using different methods over many years. A very old and important section, behind buildings on Castle Street, is a protected historical site. It's built with ribbed limestone blocks that might have come from Reading Abbey itself! Other parts are made of brick arches, iron beams, concrete tunnels, or modern corrugated steel.

Rejoining the River Kennet

At its eastern end, after flowing under the Central Library, the Holy Brook comes out into the open again. This spot used to be the southern edge of Reading Abbey. Here, the brook powered the Abbey Mill, though only small parts of the mill remain today. It also supplied water to the Abbey's toilets (necessarium).

Today, the brook flows between modern office buildings. Then, it finally rejoins the north channel of the River Kennet. This happens where the Kennet makes a sharp turn, just south of the ruins of the Abbey church.

Images for kids

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  The Holy Brook near its start, south of Calcot.

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  The Holy Brook at Coley Park Farm as it gets closer to Reading.

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  The Holy Brook near where it rejoins the main river, with the old Abbey Mill in the background.