River Malago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malago |
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Malago in Windmill Hill
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Diagrammatic map of the Malago and Pigeonhouse
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| Other name(s) | Bishopsworth Brook, Bedminster Brook |
| Country | England |
| Region | West Country |
| District | Bristol |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Dundry Hill, Somerset/Bristol borders, England 508 ft (155 m) 51°23′54″N 2°36′17″W / 51.3984°N 2.6046°W |
| River mouth | New Cut Bristol, England 33 ft (10 m) 51°26′44″N 2°35′54″W / 51.4456°N 2.5982°W |
| Length | 5 mi (8.0 km), northerly |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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| River system | Bristol Avon |
The Malago is a small river in southwest England. It is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long. The Malago flows into the River Avon in Bristol.
The river starts from springs on the north side of Dundry Hill. This is near the borders of Somerset and Bristol. Its main helper river is the Pigeonhouse Stream. This stream also starts on Dundry Hill. A lot of the Malago flows through pipes underground. This is because it goes through busy parts of South Bristol.
The river's path has changed a lot over time. Today, it joins the New Cut in Bristol. The New Cut is a man-made channel. The Malago river helps support some wildlife, especially in its upper parts. The water here is quite clean.
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Where the Malago River Flows
The Malago river starts from springs on Dundry Hill. These springs come from limestone rock. The Malago Spring artwork near Aldwick Avenue shows one of these starting points.
The Pigeonhouse Stream is a smaller river that joins the Malago. It flows through the lower parts of Dundry. Then it goes through a small valley near Hartcliffe. It passes under Hengrove Way. It also feeds a lake at an old factory site.
From this lake, the Pigeonhouse Stream flows north through Crox Bottom. The Malago river itself flows mostly underground. It goes through pipes in areas like Withywood and Bishopsworth. The Pigeonhouse Stream joins the Malago after passing under the A4174 road.
The Malago then flows under Novers Hill into Bedminster. Here, it goes underground again. It comes out through storm drains into the New Cut. This is across from the old entrance to the Bathurst Basin.
History of the Malago
For a long time, until the 1800s, the Malago flowed into the River Avon. This was at a place called Treen Mills in Redcliffe. There were special mills here called tide mills. These mills used the power of the tides to grind grain. Some people think these mills might have been used even in Roman times. They were definitely working by the late Middle Ages.
In 1641, the city leaders of Bristol had a big event. They walked around the city's borders. They ended with a party and a duck hunt at Treen Mills.
In the early 1800s, the New Cut was built. This was part of creating Bristol's floating harbour. The old mill pond at Treen Mills became the Bathurst Basin. This basin was an entrance to the harbour.
As the area of Bedminster grew in the 1800s, the lower parts of the Malago river were changed. They were put into underground pipes and moved. Because of this, it's hard to know exactly where the river flowed originally.
In recent years, there were plans to cover up some open parts of the Malago. This was in Windmill Hill. The idea was to make way for a special bus route. But local people did not like this plan. They wanted to keep the green spaces. So, the plans were stopped in 2009.
Wildlife Around the Malago
The Manor Woods Valley is a special nature area. It is located on the upper parts of the Malago Stream. Many different animals live here. You might see kingfishers and herons.
Like other rivers in the Bristol Avon area, the Malago has some invasive species. These are plants that are not native and can harm local plants. One example is Himalayan Balsam. But people are working to remove these plants.
Bristol City Council checks the river's health. In 2010, they found that the river had low levels of pollution. This is good for the animals living there. However, some pollutants were found in the Pigeonhouse Stream. This was especially near Hartcliffe Way.
What Does "Malago" Mean?
The name "Malago" might come from an old Celtic language. Some people think it comes from two words: melis and agos. Melis means "mill" and agos means "place". So, Malago could mean "mill place".
