River Penk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Penk |
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The Penk at Penkridge, with Penkridge Viaduct in the background.
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| Country | England |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Penk Rise, Tettenhall Wood, West Midlands |
| River mouth | Confluence with the Sow 52°48′12″N 2°04′55″W / 52.80333°N 2.08194°W |
| Length | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Sow—Trent—Humber—North Sea |
| Basin size | 356 km2 ([convert: unit mismatch]) |
| Tributaries |
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The River Penk is a small river that flows through Staffordshire, England. Most of its journey is within South Staffordshire. It collects water from the northern part of this area, as well as parts of Cannock Chase, Stafford, Wolverhampton, and Shropshire.
The Penk flows into the River Sow. The Sow then joins the River Trent. Eventually, the Penk's water reaches the North Sea through the Humber Estuary.
What's in a Name?
The name "Penk" actually comes from the town of Penkridge. People used to think "Penkridge" meant "ridge by the Penk river." So, they named the river "Penk."
However, the town's name really comes from old Celtic words. Pen crug meant "the top of a hill" or a "main mound." A Roman fort in the area was called Pennocrucium, which is where the town's name comes from today. A historian named Margaret Gelling even found where this old mound might have been.
The River's Journey
The River Penk starts high up in the Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau. It then flows down to the flat plains of Cheshire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire. For much of its length, the Penk flows close to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.
The Penk begins in Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton. This is near the village of Perton, about three miles northwest of Wolverhampton's center. In 2014, a part of the river that was hidden underground in a pipe was uncovered. This was done by the Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency.
The Penk itself flows mostly within Staffordshire. It goes around the Wolverhampton areas of Tettenhall and Pendeford. Other streams join it, like the Moat Brook from Oaken, Codsall, and Bilbrook. It then flows through the village of Coven. Here, a larger stream called the Saredon Brook joins it. This brook drains water from areas like Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley.
The river then flows north to the town of Penkridge. It turns east and meets the Whiston Brook. This brook brings water from a large area, even reaching into Shropshire. The Penk then turns north again, flowing past Acton Trussell. It enters a marshy area where many drains have been built to stop flooding. Finally, near Baswich on the edge of Stafford, it joins the River Sow. The Sow soon flows into the River Trent, which eventually reaches the North Sea.
Wildlife in the Penk
The River Penk is home to many kinds of fish. You can find Chub, Trout, Perch, and Pike. Some people have even reported seeing Barbel.
The river is especially pretty between the villages of Brewood and Penkridge. Here, it winds gently through the beautiful Staffordshire farmland. Many different water birds and mammals live along its banks.
The Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve is located on the Penk, north of Pendeford. This reserve is 24 hectares (about 60 acres) of lakes, wetlands, old grassy meadows, and woodlands. It used to be part of a large country estate called Pendeford Hall, which had a watermill and grew willows. Wolverhampton council developed it after 1976. Today, it's a great place to see lots of wildlife, especially birds.
Streams Joining the Penk
Many smaller streams, called tributaries, flow into the River Penk. Here are the main ones, listed from where the Penk joins the Sow, going south:
- The Deepmoor Drain is like a canal. It collects water from many streams east of the lower Penk. It runs next to the Penk for several kilometers before joining it just before the Sow.
- The Rickerscote Drain does a similar job on the west side of the Penk. It collects water from the Rising Brook, Silkmore, and Pen Pleck Drain.
- The Pothooks Brook is a small river that starts northwest of Penkridge.
- The Whiston Brook joins the Penk just above Penkridge. It brings water from the Longnor, Church Eaton, and Wheaton Aston Brooks. This area stretches into Shropshire.
- The Saredon Brook drains a large area to the east, around Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley. It joins the Penk north of Coven.
- The Watershead Brook joins the Penk just south of Coven. It drains water from the Fordhouses and Bushbury areas of Wolverhampton.
- The Moat Brook collects water from many smaller streams around Oaken, Codsall, and Bilbrook. It joins the Penk near the Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve.
