Nailbourne

Infobox River
river_name = Nailbourne


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origin = Lyminge
mouth = Little Stour
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watershed = The Nailbourne (sometimes referred to as Nail Bourne) is a chalk stream and winterbourne in East Kent that flows from Lyminge, through the Elham Valley until it becomes known as the Little Stour at Littlebourne.

The Nailbourne bubbles up beneath St Ethelburga's Well in Tayne Field in the centre of Lyminge. Whilst the stream often holds a plentiful supply of water from Lyminge to Elham throughout the year, it rarely holds any water from Elham to Bishopsbourne even in the winter months. However, in wet years the normally dry ditch can turn into a fast flowing torrent, flooding roads, fields and houses. An example of this was in 2001 when there was extensive flooding throughout the Elham Valley.

Just south of the village of Littlebourne the Nailbourne becomes known as the Little Stour. This later joins the Great Stour at Plucks Gutter and flows into the sea at Pegwell Bay.

There are a number of minor tributaries that flow into the Nailbourne throughout the Elham Valley. Most are nameless although Ordnance Survey maps do mark a stream known as the East Brooke which runs from Etchinghill and joins the Nailbourne at Lyminge.

Legend

According to legend it was St Augustine who performed a miracle and brought water to the Elham Valley. When there is a drought and the stream runs dry it is because of Woden and Thor (whom the local people had previously worshipped) who were displeased with what St Augustine had done. It is also local superstition that the Nailbourne only flows once every seven years and that when it does flow it is a sign of bad luck.

Sewage discharge application

In early 2007 it was revealed that an application had been made by a company called Newater to discharge treated sewage into the Nailbourne at Elham. The sewage would be piped from the Broomfield Banks treatment works near Dover into the Nailbourne at North Elham with the intention of addressing the water supply deficit in South East England. Whilst the Environment Agency has given assurance that the scheme is safe the application has raised concerns including those of the Little Stour & Nailbourne River Management Group. The application is one of nine similar applications by Newater PLC in the Southern part of England. The Environment Agency is expected to make a decision on the Nailbourne application later in the year.

Settlements

The Nailbourne flows through the following settlements -
*Lyminge
*Elham
*Barham
*Kingston
*Bishopsbourne
*Bridge
*Patrixbourne
*Bekesbourne

Related links

[http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/link/new_link/photographs/nailbourne_flood/index.htm Pictures of the 2000-2001 floods]

[http://www.barham-kent.org.uk/Nailbourne.htm Pictures of the 2000-2001 floods at Barham]