Monks Brook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monks Brook
Monks Brook flowing through Chandler's Ford
Location of the mouth of Monks Brook
Country	England
Counties	Hampshire
Physical characteristics
Main source	Bucket's Corner Hampshire, England 50°59′22″N 01°25′30″W / 50.98944°N 1.42500°W / 50.98944; -1.42500
River mouth	Swaythling (flows into River Itchen), Hampshire, England 50°56′08″N 01°22′33″W / 50.93556°N 1.37583°W / 50.93556; -1.37583
Basin features
Basin size	49 km2 (19 sq mi)

The Monks Brook is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows into the River Itchen at a historic salmon pool in Swaythling. This brook starts from seven smaller streams that come from the chalk hills of the South Downs. The main starting point is called Bucket's Corner.

The Monks Brook collects water from a clay area of about 49 square kilometers (19 square miles). It is considered a "main river." This means the Environment Agency is in charge of managing it, not local councils. The brook has even given its name to a local public house, a street in Eastleigh, a junior football team, and a petrol station. In 2007, a part of a stream that feeds the brook was uncovered. This section had been covered up in the 1970s for a golf course. This project was part of a £2.5 million community effort.

History of Monks Brook

Monks Brook has a long history. It was first written about in a document from 932 AD. In this document, King Athelstan gave the land of North Stoneham to a man named Alfred. The brook was used as a boundary for this land. People think the brook was made in Saxon times to stop a field in South Stoneham from flooding.

How the River Got its Name

The river got its current name much later. Monks from Hyde Abbey near Winchester owned the North Stoneham Estate in the 14th century. They gave the brook its name. However, at first, the name "Monks Brook" only referred to the northern part of the stream. The southern parts were called Swaethling Well in a document from 1045. The Old English word Swaethling likely means "misty stream." The town of Swaythling is thought to be named after Monks Brook.

The Journey of Monks Brook

The source of Monks Brook is located under the hedgerow in the foreground of this photograph

The Monks Brook starts at a place called Bucket Corner. This spot is west of Chandler's Ford, near St John the Baptist Church in North Baddesley. The stream first flows northeast, passing by Trodds Copse, which is a special nature area.

Flowing Through Towns

The brook then turns east and runs next to the Eastleigh to Romsey railway line. Both the river and the railway turn southeast as they enter Chandler's Ford. Monks Brook goes under the railway and flows along the north side of a cutting. They both pass under Flexford Road. Here, a smaller stream joins the main brook from the north. The brook then turns south, going under the railway again.

The brook continues to run alongside the railway line. Just before Chandler's Ford railway station, another stream joins from the west. The brook then flows under the railway line and a large roundabout in Chandler's Ford.

Under Roads and Through Parks

The brook keeps flowing southeast on the north side of the railway. It then turns south, moving away from the railway as it gets close to the M3 motorway. Monks Brook goes under Weardale Road and flows south between Skipton Road and Steele Close. It then enters a short tunnel that takes it under Leigh Road (the A335). More tunnels carry it under the M3 motorway and a road sliproad.

After the tunnels, the brook enters the Fleming Park golf course in Eastleigh. Here, it continues to flow mostly south through Fleming Park. It passes between Magpie Lane and Passfield Avenue, and goes under Nightingale Avenue.

Reaching the River Itchen

After passing under Chestnut Avenue, Monks Brook continues south. Monks Brook Close is to its east and Stoneham Lane is to its west. There is a station on Monks Brook at Stoneham Lane that measures how much water flows through it. This station is managed by the Environment Agency. At this point, the brook has an average flow of about 0.23 cubic meters (8.1 cubic feet) of water per second.

Doncaster Drove, a byway off Stoneham Lane, crosses Monks Brook by footbridge and ford

The brook keeps flowing south, parallel to Stoneham Lane. It passes close to the lakes of Lakeside Country Park. Then, the brook goes under the A335 road near Southampton Airport. It also flows under the M27 motorway near Junction 5.

The brook continues south before turning slightly southwest. It runs next to another railway, the South West main line. The brook eventually flows under this railway. It then appears next to the Fleming Arms public house in Swaythling, on the Mansbridge (A27) road. After flowing under the A27, the brook continues south. It passes behind South Stoneham church and enters the grounds of the Wessex Lane Halls. Here, Monks Brook was part of the gardens of South Stoneham House, which were designed by Capability Brown. It also feeds a large salmon pool. From these grounds, the brook flows into the River Itchen at Woodmill.

Wildlife Along Monks Brook

The common kingfisher, one of the species supported by Monks Brook

Between Eastleigh and Southampton, the brook and the land around it create a "green corridor." This area is a home for many animals. You might see roe deer, lizards, kingfishers, wasp spiders, and slowworms. In the meadows next to the brook, badgers look for worms. People have also said that the brook supports important species like the great crested newt and otters.

Further upstream, on the west side of Chandlers Ford, the brook is also a "green corridor" and a nature reserve. It has many large alder trees. Wildflowers in this area include bluebells, yellow archangels, and Solomon's seal. Close to the stream, wild garlic grows a lot. Wild birds like the kingfisher and grey wagtail can also be seen here.

A report from 2005 said that the water at the very top of Monks Brook is quite acidic. This means it does not support a lot of plant or animal life there.

Water Quality of Monks Brook

The Environment Agency checks the water quality of rivers in England. Each river is given an overall "ecological status." This status can be high, good, moderate, poor, or bad. This rating looks at things like the number and types of invertebrates, flowering plants, and fish. They also check the "chemical status," which compares the amounts of different chemicals to safe levels. Chemical status is rated as either good or fail.

Here is the water quality of Monks Brook in 2019:

Towns Along Monks Brook

Monks Brook flows through these towns, starting from where it meets the River Itchen and going upstream to its source:

• Swaythling
• Mansbridge
• Eastleigh
• Chandler's Ford