| Ebbsfleet River | |
|---|---|
The Ebbsfleet River just before it enters the Thames Estuary at Northfleet |
|
| Origin |
Eight Natural springs at Springhead TQ 616728 |
| Mouth |
River Thames estuary TQ 620750 |
| Length | 2.4 miles (3.9 km) |
| Source elevation | 10 m |
| Mouth elevation | 0 m |
Ebbsfleet River is a river in Kent, south-east England. It gives its name to the Ebbsfleet Valley redevelopment area. Its source was eight natural springs at Springhead. In Roman times the river was used to link Watling Street to the River Thames, in the fourteenth century it was a stopping place for pilgrims going to Canterbury. A bridge across the river at Northfleet is mentioned in 1451 and it was still tidal and used for shipping in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century the river was the earliest centre in Britain for the commercial cultivation of watercress, this was started by Mr William Bradbery in 1808. He later moved the business to West Hyde, Hertfordshire in 1820. Following the removal of its waters in around 1901, when all its waters were used by the local water company, its dried riverbed was the subject of a botanical study by Marie Stopes. Parts of the river can still be seen.