River Ecclesbourne

The River Ecclesbourne is a river in Derbyshire, England, which starts in the upper part of the town of Wirksworth, flows for 9 miles down to Duffield, and then opens out into the River Derwent just outside the town.

Start

The River Ecclesbourne's source (start) is in the peaceful town of Wirksworth. This is also where the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, which is named after the river, begins. The railway runs the whole length of the river's course. The start of the river is located between Steeple Grange and Sough Lane. The two main headwaters of the river come from Steeple Grange, below Bolehill, and in the fields below the National Stone Centre, Ravenstor. These two water sources contribute to the river's start. The main area of the actual source is located about a hundred metres down the railway tracks from Ravenstor railway station, where the Meerbrook Sough Mine area lies. The Meerbrook Sough drained water from the nearby quarries and lead them in an underground tunnel to Whatstandwell where the excess water from the Sough joined the River Derwent towards Ambergate. The source of the Ecclesbourne contributed to the water powering the Meerbrook Sough. The Ecclesbourne flows through the area of the Sough mostly underground, but momentarily appears in several places on the land, near Ecclesbourne Cottages at the bottom of Sough Lane, in a shallow ditch next to the railway track which is now piped underground and also near the bottom of the Fanny Shaws Park, again near to the main track of the railway. Part of the main headwaters of the Ecclesbourne flowed past the rectangular Sough Reservoir, which transported water up to the quarries around Wirksworth. This reservoir was located at the bottom left area of the Fanny Shaws Park. The Meerbrook Sough Engine House was built in the middle of the Sough area and powered the water works of the Sough and made materials for the quarries. Below the Fanny Shaws Park and skatepark the Ecclesbourne leaves the Sough area and goes underground and reappears in the Hannages further down the railway tracks and powers the mills down at the bottom of Wirksworth. The housing estate of Spring Close has recently been built over the area of the Meerbrook Sough but the Meerbrook Sough Engine House still remains in its original place but has recently been renovated into a house.

Middle

After leaving Wirksworth the River Ecclesbourne is now a quite large river with swift blackcurents. It flows slowly through the fields collecting smaller streams as it goes by and its next port of call is the village of Idridgehay. Further down, the Ecclesbourne flows through Turnditch. The Ecclesbourne follows the track of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for all of its length. After leaving Turnditch the size of the Ecclesbourne starts to increase rapidly and the speed of the river also increases. At some areas of the river it is piped underground to reduce the risk of flooding but this rarely happens anymore.

End

The River Ecclesbourne flows down for a few more miles from Turnditch and enters the town of Duffield. The Ecclesbourne School is built on the banks of the river in the town centre and the school is the town's local secondary school. The Ecclesbourne then flows out of Duffield and leaves the railway after flowing underneath its tracks. It reappears and flows through a few more fields and joins the River Derwent, which has just come down from Milford and Belper. When the two rivers meet, the Ecclesbourne is about 10 metres wide. The Ecclesbourne ends here. The area in which the Ecclesbourne and the Derwent meet is a very popular and dreamy spot for tourists and it is also a good area to catch certain species of fish. The River Ecclesbourne is a very popular fishing river and has always been known at producing good quality fish, especially in its lower reaches. After the river has met the Derwent, the railway line joins the main line to Derby which evidently continues into Nottingham and other large cities across the country.