Woodbridge Brook

Woodbridge Brook
stream
Country England
Region West of England
District Wiltshire
Source Midgehall Copse
 - location Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire, England
 - elevation 374 ft (114 m)
 - coordinates 51°33′38″N 1°54′41″W / 51.5605°N 1.9115°W
Mouth Bristol Avon
 - location Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England
 - elevation 213 ft (65 m)
 - coordinates 51°34′42″N 2°04′50″W / 51.5783°N 2.0805°WCoordinates: 51°34′42″N 2°04′50″W / 51.5783°N 2.0805°W
Length 9 mi (14 km), westerly
Discharge
 - average 20.5 cu ft/s (1 m3/s)
 - min 0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
River system Bristol Avon

The Woodbridge Brook, is a tributary of the Bristol Avon. It rises near Lydiard Millicent in Wiltshire in the West Country of England, and flows in a generally westerly direction, joining the Bristol Avon at Malmesbury. The brook has a mean flow of 20.5 cubic feet per second (0.58 m3/s) and the waters were used in the past to power watermills.

Course

The Woodbridge Brook rises at Midgehall Copse, just north of the M4 motorway, in the parish of Lydiard Millicent. It flows first in a northerly direction, and then to the west through Webbs Wood, passing to the north of Brinkworth. Continuing westwards through Garsdon Wood it begins to turn to the south and is joined on the right bank by two unnamed streams which have their sources at Braydon Wood and Charlton respectively. The stream now flows almost due south to Crab Mill Farm and then turns west again to join the Bristol Avon, just above Cow Bridge to the east of Malmesbury.

History

A watermill at Lydiard Millicent was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. Other mill buildings at Crab Mill and Garsdon Mill survive but not in working order.

Hydrology

The brook has a mean flow of 20.5 cubic feet per second (0.58 m3/s) recorded by the Environment Agency gauging station at Crabb Mill. No maximum low is recorded but a minimum of 0 cubic feet per second (0 m3/s) is recorded on 20 September 1976, during the 1976 United Kingdom heat wave.[1]

References

  1. Marsh, Terry and Hannaford, Jamie, ed. (2008). UK Hydrographic Register. Hydrological data UK series. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-9557672-2-7.