Rainworth Water facts for kids

Rainworth Water is a small river in Nottinghamshire, England. It flows into a bigger river called the River Maun. This river is special because it has several lakes along its path, including a large one at Rufford Abbey Country Park. Another important lake, called L Lake, is part of a protected area known as the Rainworth Lakes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). There are also two Local Nature Reserves along the river, which are places where nature is protected and people can visit.

Quick facts for kids Rainworth Water
Rufford mill and lake, which is fed by Rainworth Water
Country	England
County	Nottinghamshire
Physical characteristics
Main source	Ravenshead
River mouth	River Maun Ollerton
Length	12.5 mi (20.1 km)
Basin features
Tributaries	Left: Foulevil Brook Right: Gallow Hole Dyke

River Journey

The Rainworth Water starts in Normanshill Wood, near Ravenshead. It flows east, going under the A60 road. Along its way, it passes two lakes that used to be fish ponds. Near the second lake, you can find the old Fountain Dale moat. This moat was built in 1251 and had a hunting lodge on an island where people collected tolls.

South of the lake is Fountain Dale House, a historic building from the 1700s and 1800s. The river then reaches a special well called Friar Tuck's well, which is also a historic site. After this, it flows into another artificial lake called Cave Pond.

As the river reaches the edge of Rainworth, it enters an L-shaped lake known as "L Lake". This lake is a private fishing spot, full of fish like bream, carp, and pike. L Lake is part of the Rainworth Lakes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This area is protected because of the many different plants that grow in the water and nearby marsh. A famous naturalist, Joseph Whitaker, used to live by these lakes.

The river then flows through the middle of Rainworth village, passing under the B6020 and the A617 bypass. You'll find the Rainworth Water Local Nature Reserve along its bank. After this, the river goes through a tunnel under an old railway line. Near Inkersall Manor, there are more ponds in a wooded area called Damside Covert, which used to be a large wetland.

A slanted bridge carries Rainworth Water through a railway embankment just before it joins the River Maun

Further east, the river flows under the A614 road at Red Bridge. It then turns north, passing under another small road and a disused railway line. The Bilsthorpe water treatment plant is on its east bank. After Robin Dam Bridge, the holiday complex of Center Parcs is to the west. Water from Center Parcs' own treatment plant flows into Gallow Hole Dyke, which then joins Rainworth Water.

The river then reaches the southern part of Rufford Abbey Country Park, where Gallow Hole Dyke joins it. Parts of Gallow Hole Dyke and some ponds in the park are part of the Rufford Country Park Local Nature Reserve. This area is home to water voles and many kinds of birds.

Rufford Abbey was first built as a Cistercian monastery in 1147. It was later partly taken down and turned into a country house. Today, it's a very important historic building and ancient monument, looked after by English Heritage.

Beyond the Abbey ruins, there's a large lake created by a dam. This lake used to power a saw-mill. The main mill building was built around 1740 and still has its old waterwheel and gears. The monks at Rufford Abbey had a water mill long ago. Later, a saw mill was built next to the corn mill. The saw mill was still working in 1949. In the 1950s, Nottinghamshire County Council bought much of the estate, and it became Rufford Country Park in 1969.

In the 1970s, the lake became muddy, so the council cleaned it out. In the 1980s, the ground started sinking because of coal mining, which damaged the lake and dam. Many repairs were needed and finished in 1991. Below Rufford Lake, Rainworth Water crosses the road to Wellow through a shallow crossing called a ford.

Near Ollerton, the A614 road crosses the river again. The river then goes through a railway embankment using a slanted bridge. Soon after, it joins the River Maun near another bridge.

Most of the river flows through the Newark and Sherwood area. However, it starts in Ashfield and briefly forms the border between Ashfield and Gedling. Near Rainworth, it also marks the border between Mansfield District and Newark and Sherwood. The area around the river is mostly flat countryside with farms and forests.

River Management

Rufford Lake is held back by a dam that is about 660 feet (200 m) long and 13 feet (4 m) high. Because it holds a lot of water, it has to follow important safety rules for dams. The lake is in an area where coal mining has caused the ground to sink for many years. This sinking ground has changed the levels of the dam, the lake bed, and the overflow channel.

Because of this, a lot of engineering work has been needed. This work is tricky because there's a historic mill building nearby, and the park is open to the public. In 1974, the dam had to be raised and sealed, and the overflow system was rebuilt. A wall was also built to protect the mill building.

The main overflow, which controls the lake's normal water level, is at the east end of the dam. Water flows over a curved wall and then across the road as a ford. In 1986, a new channel was built to help with flooding during wet weather.

The ground kept sinking, which meant the dam wasn't as high as it needed to be for safety. In 1988, the water level in the lake had to be lowered. Engineers studied the problem to find a lasting solution. They decided to lower the height of the main and auxiliary overflow channels instead of raising the dam wall. This was better for the look of the area and avoided major repairs to the existing walls, which were already cracked from the ground sinking.

The overflow channels were lowered and made wider. The slope below them was reshaped, and special concrete blocks covered with grass were used to keep it looking natural.

Because the water level was permanently lowered, some parts of the lake's southern end became dry. To fix this, the muddy bottom of the lake was removed, the sand and gravel underneath were dug out, and then the mud was put back to seal the lake again. This helped the dry areas fill with water. Work on this was finished in May 1991. However, the lake had to be drained again later that year so that a crack in the lake bed, caused by mining, could be sealed. The lake started refilling in March 1992. In November 1992, heavy rain caused water to flow over the main overflow, damaging the concrete and grass below. This was fixed with new paving in 1993, and the overflow has worked well since then.

Nature and Wildlife

The Rainworth Water Local Nature Reserve (LNR) used to be part of the Rufford Colliery, a coal mine. The piles of waste from the mine now form a bowl around the river. After the mine closed, thousands of trees were planted on these piles, which helped make the ground stable.

The river itself is a wetland habitat with artificial pools, shallow areas, and bends that look natural. These areas are home to dragonflies and damselflies. Marshy areas have grown naturally along the river since the restoration. There are also open grasslands and thick scrubland. A rare type of butterfly in Nottinghamshire, called the dingy skipper, lives in the open grasslands. The area was officially made a Local Nature Reserve in 2005. Most of the work to keep the reserve nice is done by Nottinghamshire County Council and a group called the Friends of Tippings Wood.

The Rainworth Lakes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) includes the main lake and the area around it, starting from where Rainworth Water goes under Blidworth Lane. The streams in this area flow over rocks from the Triassic period, which makes the water slightly acidic. This site is known for having some of the best marshland and open-water plants in Nottinghamshire that like this type of water. Many of the plants found here are not common in other parts of the East Midlands.

To help keep the water flowing through the SSSI, the Severn Trent Water company and the Environment Agency have a plan to pump groundwater into the river if the water levels get too low.

Water Quality

Since 2003, there have been laws to protect and improve the quality of water in rivers and groundwater. Locally, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust helps manage the River Idle Catchment, which includes Rainworth Water. Their job is to bring together everyone who affects or is affected by water quality, so they can work together to make improvements.

Early discussions showed that parts of both the River Ryton and Rainworth Water were not meeting the required water quality standards. Over the years, much of the river channel has been straightened. This helps move large amounts of water quickly during wet periods or floods, but it also scours the channel, making it hard for wildlife to live there. In the summer, there can be problems with low water levels because water is taken out to water the sandy farmland next to the river.

In 2013, the river's ecological status was poor because of pollutants. Rainworth Water had chemicals like Triclosan and nickel, while Gallow Hole Dyke had copper, nickel, cadmium, and lead. These problems are made worse by low water levels, polluted water running off roads, pollution from farms and towns, and discharges from water treatment plants.

To fix these issues, several projects have been proposed, including creating new wetland habitats. For example, a wetland area at Thieves Wood would help clean water running off the A60 road before it enters the river. This would also help control water flow, making it more even during wet and dry periods.

The Environment Agency checks the water quality of rivers in England. Each river section is given an overall ecological status: high, good, moderate, poor, or bad. This status is based on things like the number and types of invertebrates, plants, and fish, as well as the levels of different chemicals. Chemical status is either good or fail.

Here's how the water quality of Rainworth Water and its smaller rivers was rated in 2016:

Points of Interest