River Darent - WikiHQ

thumb|right|River Darent, in relation to the other [[rivers of Kent]]

The Darent is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames and takes the waters of the River Cray as a tributary in the tidal portion of the Darent near Crayford. 'Darenth' is frequently found as the spelling of the river's name in older books and maps, Bartholomew's Canals and River of England being one example. Bartholomew's Gazetteer (1954) demonstrates that Darent means "clear water", a result of it springing from and running through chalk. The purity of the water was a major factor in the development of paper and pharmaceuticals in the area.

Darenth Parish (through which the river flows) derives from a Celtic phrase 'stream where oak-trees grow' (Irish: "dair" = 'oak-tree', "abha" = river) (compare e.g."Derwent"). The landscapes of the valley were painted in a visionary manner by the Victorian artist Samuel Palmer during the mid-1800s.

Fed by springs from the greensand hills south of Westerham in Kent and below Limpsfield Chart in Surrey, the Darent flows east then north by Otford and Shoreham, past the castle and the ruined Roman villa at Lullingstone, then by Eynsford, Farningham, Horton Kirby, South Darenth, Sutton-at-Hone, Darenth, and eventually to Dartford, whence it proceeds a final two miles as a tidal estuary until it drops into the Thames at Long Reach.

North of Dartford, the Darent is tidal and, just before entering the Thames, receives the waters of the River Cray at Dartford & Crayford Marshes where the rivers form administrative boundaries between Greater London and Kent, (specifically, the London Borough of Bexley and the Kentish borough of Dartford). The Darent enters Long Reach to the east of Crayford Ness.

Kent County Council has signposted a walking route along the Darent between the Greensand Hills above Sevenoaks and the Thames and named it the Darent Valley Path. The route receives no obvious attention from councils or 'focus' groups although all or part is used by joggers, cyclists, walkers, dog walkers and curious adventurers, availing themselves of the Darent Valley Path to access or view the river's amenities, such as they are. This lack of attention is being addressed in the tidal section by a group of concerned locals, the "Friends of Dartford and Crayford Creeks". , a trust was being formed to promote regeneration and give formal recognition to the protection of this valuable public amenity.

Dartford and Crayford Creek

Currently the tidal section is being furbished and improved by volunteers of "Friends of Dartford and Crayford Creek" arrived in Dartford Creek, with a crew of four canal skippers, to establish the feasibility of canal-boats visiting and by extension boats from the Medway, the non-tidal Thames and various sailing clubs along the Thames estuary. This was the first time in over forty years that a registered ship lay over in Dartford Creek.

Pentargon (SSR160910) returned in June 2015, familiarising more canalboat skippers, and stayed until October. Weeks of tide-waiting established a 'sailor's knowledge base' for future visits. During the period, the boat rested on a berm near the lock, accessible only at spring tides. Upon its departure, the feasibility of both creeks for access and dallying by a range of craft had been established.

Pentargon was the first boat to undertake an overnight stay in the creek with crew on board since the late 1970s. To facilitate her tying up on first arrival volunteers dug away forty years of neglect and inertia to provide a clean quayside and temporary mooring in the lock. This work was extended in 2016 by a volunteer lengthsman Hugh Nesbitt. who is an amateur archaeologist. In February 2016, Network Rail engineers removed trees at the top of Crayford Creek, re-establishing access to the "End of Navigation". Crayford Creek is considered capable of development for masted craft unable to proceed to Dartford because of the Bob Dunn Bridge.

Dartford library and museum provides a wealth of evidence that both creeks have been used for trade since pre-Roman times. Trade reached a modern zenith during the Industrial revolution and beyond. In 1835, almost was carried in or out, servicing and supporting considerable industrial activity. Navigational factors meant that single cargoes were limited to even on spring tides. A ship canal was proposed in the early 1800s but failed to achieve momentum. In 1839 a new proposal achieved an Act of Parliament allowing development to proceed and tolls were levied from completion in 1844. The work included straightening, dredging and shortening the navigation. with two drop-leaf gates, which may be lowered if the sea threatens to inundate the land. The barrier is managed by the Environment Agency.

Roman Connection

Dartford (Domesday Book "Tarentefort") was a major fording place on Watling Street. Research by Woodlands Junior School indicates that the ford existed even before the Roman period. Tarentefort itself flourished through the Roman period AD50 - AD 450. A ferry controlled by a hermit was established c.1235 and survived until 1518, long after the first bridge was constructed during the reign of Henry IV (1399–1413). That bridge survived into the 1700s.

Historic and pre-historic

Today's river is not much more than a stream apart from in conditions of spate, a surprise given the breadth of the valley it runs through. The "proto-Darent" was much larger than today's trickle but the River Medway, through erosion of the soft chalk and clays of the North Downs/Western Weald, has captured much of the headwaters which once supplied the Darent.

thumb|Fly fishing the Darent, c. 1834

Watermills

The River Darent powered a number of watermills. From source to mouth they are:

Westerham (Elm View) Mill

thumb|c. 1912

The miller at this corn mill in 1771 was James Marchane, who was joined by his son James. James Jr died in 1805 and James Sr died c. 1812. The mill was sketched by G. Samuel in 1818. It had an overshot waterwheel. The cast iron overshot waterwheel was by . It was fitted in 1868, replacing a wooden wheel which may have been breast shot. In 1890, the waterwheel was adapted to drive a set of pumps to supply Westerham. An average of could be supplied. The milling machinery was removed in 1936 and during the Second World War a doodlebug landed nearby and blew the roof of the mill off. The derelict building stood in April 1954, but had been demolished by July 1960.

Valence Pump, Brasted

This water powered pump was driven by a cast iron high breast shot waterwheel of by . A diameter cast iron spur geared pitwheel drove two ram pumps. The pump dated from 1858 and was still in existence in 1980. The mill ceased work in the 1920s and the machinery was removed c. 1934. The mill drove three pairs of millstones, the machinery being mostly of cast iron. The mill building survived until 1987 when the site was redeveloped. One waterwheel was of wood construction, driving three pairs of French Burr millstones and one pair of Peak millstones. The machinery was all wooden. The second waterwheel was of cast iron, driving two pairs of French Burr stones vis cast iron machinery. The low breast shot waterwheel was by . It drove machinery via a layshaft driven from the spur geared pitwheel. The paper mill had been run for over 200 years by the Wilmot family.

Horton Kirby Paper Mill

This mill is under the viaduct of the Chatham Main Line railway. In 1700 there were two corn mills and a forge here. The mill was rebuilt by Henry Hall in 1820 as a paper mill. Paper from this mill was used to print The Sphere and The Tatler; photographs of the paper making process at the mill were used in the first edition of The Children's Encyclopedia. Henry Hall was the proprietor in 1840. An illustration of the machine house c.1880 can be seen here . The mill has a chimney high, which is a listed building. The mill was last used as a factory and closed in 2003, with plans being put forward for conversion to housing use in 2005. During the First World War, a bomb hit the mill, but did not explode, although the mill was put out of action. The mill was demolished in September 1928. Photographs of the mill during demolition reveal the cast iron low breast shot waterwheel drove three pairs of millstones via a cast iron layshaft. The original wooden upright shaft and crown wheel were retained.

Dartford Powder Mills

Approximately

The Powder Mills were in operation from c. 1730, possibly on the site of Spilman's paper mill of 1588. It was in operation until the 20th century.

Colyers (Orchard's, Bridge, Acacia Hall) Mill, Dartford

In 1217 King John granted a mill worth 100/- a year, situated in Dartford to Michael de Wallensi and in 1221 William, Prior of Rochester, granted to Alan Martel, Prior of the Knights Templar, half an acre of land by the mill. The mill belonged to the Bishop of Rochester in 1253 and in 1299 was known as Orchard's mill, being then privately owned. Henry Colyer was the miller in 1840. The mill was later run by R & H Strickland Ltd, although milling ceased in 1893 and the building was stripped of its machinery, including a large cast iron waterwheel and a steam engine, in 1898. It then served as a social club for Messrs Burroughs Wellcome & Co. The mill burnt down on 24 January 1962.

Tributaries

Various tributaries feed into the River Darent. They also powered a number of watermills.

Stream at Brasted

Mill Farm Mill, Brasted

Mill Farm Mill may have been built in 1705, which is the date of the Mill House. It was worked by the Smith family, ceasing work c. 1858. The by cast iron waterwheel and machinery were removed before the First World War. The building was standing in 1954, converted to a garage.

Stream at Ightham

Ightham Mill

A tributary rising near St. Cleres is reputed to have driven a watermill, possibly the one at Ightham recorded in 1322 as the property of William Inge.

Kemsing Mill

This mill was on the tributary that drove the mill at Ightham. Kemsing is reputed to be the site of a Roman watermill at Springhead, which was excavated in 1949.

Greatness Stream

Greatness Mill, Sevenoaks

An old mill site, in 1381 a mill at Gretnarsche was in the possession of John Colepeper. The mills were later in the ownership of the Fane/Vane family, being known as "Gretness-mylls" in the 1550s, being two water corn mills. John Thorpe (miller?) was living at Greatness Mill at the time of his death in 1835. The building is of weatherboard on a steel frame on a brick base, replacing an earlier mill that burnt down after the First World War. The overshot waterwheel was by . It drove two pairs of French Burr millstones and one pair of Peak millstones. Roller milling plant had been fitted by 1906. In 1927, the mill was still worked by water power, aided by a gas engine.

Cranpit Stream

Hall's Engineering Works, Dartford

Millwright John Hall built a cast iron waterwheel to replace a windmill that powered some of the machinery at his workshops in Hythe Street, Dartford.

Farningham

There was a ford at Farningham, now replaced by a bridge.

Dartford

There was a ford in Dartford in Roman times, Dartford being a conflation of Darent-ford. The ford was still in existence in 1840.

References

External links

Dartford Town Archive
Kent place names
Darent - The History and Stories of a River and its Communities - Rod Shelton