Editing River Nene (section)

==Course==
[[File:M1 Viaduct over the River Nene.jpg|thumb|right|200px|M1 Motorway viaduct over the River Nene just south of junction 16]]

The River Nene is the [[Longest rivers of the United Kingdom|tenth-longest river]] in the United Kingdom. From one of its sources, that near [[Arbury Hill]], to [[Northampton]], the river falls a total of {{convert|300|ft|m}} in {{convert|17|mi|km}}.<ref name="OS_223">OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. {{ISBN|978-0-319-23735-9}}</ref> For the remainder of its course, the Nene falls less than {{convert|200|ft|m}}.<ref>OS Explorer Map 249 Spalding & Holbeach, Long Sutton & Kirton. {{ISBN|978-0-319-46418-2}}</ref> It has a catchment area of {{convert|631|sqmi|km2}} and a mean flow of {{convert|328|cuft/s|m3/s}}.<ref name=owen>{{harvnb |Owen |2005 |p=230}}</ref> The final {{convert|88|mi|km}} from Northampton to the Wash is navigable.<ref>{{harvnb |Smith |2006 |p=3}}</ref>

The river's most westerly source can be found near the village of [[Badby]], near [[Daventry]]. On the eastern slopes of [[Arbury Hill]], and in pools between Arbury Hill and Sharmans Hill, are two tributaries that converge at [[Dodford, Northamptonshire|Dodford]] Mill to form the upper reaches of the Daventry Nene. The northern stream flows by the villages of Badby and [[Newnham, Northamptonshire|Newnham]] to the confluence, whilst the southerly stream runs through [[Fawsley Park]] and past the village of [[Everdon]] before the confluence. From Dodford, the river passes through the village of [[Weedon Bec|Weedon]] where it flows under the main [[West Coast Main Line|west coast railway line]], the [[Grand Union Canal]], and [[Watling Street]]. A little west of Weedon, the river converges with a further northerly tributary arising at Nenmoor Spring to the northwest of [[West Haddon]]. The river then flows towards Northampton, passing [[Flore, Northamptonshire|Flore]] and [[Nether Heyford]], where it is joined by small streams on either bank. A little past [[Bugbrooke]] Mill, the Nene passes under the [[M1 motorway]] and falls over a weir towards [[Kislingbury]].

Another tributary merges from the south at Kislingbury. The Nene's course is closely followed by the Grand Union Canal's Northampton arm at [[Upton, Northamptonshire|Upton]] Mill.

===Northampton===
[[File:Cole-roper northampton 1810.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Cole-Roper 1810 map of Northampton]]
[[File:South Bridge Northampton UK.jpg|thumb|right|200px|South Bridge over the River Nene looking east with fast current warning notice displayed, 26 February 2010. On the south bank, the Cotton End district of Northampton]]

At Upton Mill, another tributary, called [[Wootton Brook]], joins the river from the south. The River Nene now approaches Northampton town from the west, passing between the suburbs of [[St James End, Northampton|St James]] (locally known as Jimmy's End), [[Cotton End, Northampton|Cotton End]] and [[Far Cotton]]. The Nene's third northern source, the [[Naseby]] Source or Brampton Nene, converges at the [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] Brewery. This tributary flows through the north of Northampton where several streams join. Three of these streams supply water for reservoirs at [[Pitsford Water|Pitsford]], [[Hollowell]] and [[Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire|Ravensthorpe]], north of Northampton, before joining the Brampton Nene. At Cotton End, the Nene passes under South Bridge, then through Beckett's Park and past the [[University of Northampton]]'s Waterside Campus, which is on the site of the former [[Northampton Power Station]], on the south bank of the river opposite Midsummer Meadow on the north bank.<ref>Author Unknown ({{circa}} 1988) ''Barnett's Northampton Street Plan with Index''. Barking, Essex: G.I. Barnett and Son Ltd.</ref> Northampton Sea Cadets is based in Nunn Mills, and uses the river for the training of boating skills, following the training schemes of the [[Royal Yachting Association]] (RYA) and the [[British Canoe Union]] (BCU).<ref>[http://www.sea-cadets.org/northampton/home.aspx Northampton Sea Cadets]</ref> A short way downstream, a weir can divert some of the Nene's flow to supply the [[Nene Whitewater Centre]].

The River Nene at Northampton was the location of England's first water-powered cotton spinning mill. It was installed on the site of a former corn mill, to the south-west of the town centre, in 1742.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northampton – Home Of The First Water Driven Cotton Mill {{!}} Northamptonshire Family History Society |url=https://www.northants-fhs.org/northampton-home-of-the-first-water-driven-cotton-mill/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Nene Valley===
From Northampton, the river flows along a broad valley, formed by the enormous amount of water released by the melting ice during [[Last glacial period|the Ice Age]],<ref name="Smith 2006, p.10">{{harvnb |Smith |2006 |p=10}}</ref> towards the east coast. The Nene now meanders through this wide, flat valley with flood plains, lakes, pools and mature gravel pits on either bank, a byproduct of the large glacial deposits in the valley. At [[Great Billing]] is [[Billing Aquadrome]], a popular caravan and camping park with leisure facilities and a funfair, which is based around the river and various mature gravel pits.<ref>{{harvnb |Smith |2006 |p=19}}</ref> The park is popular with fishermen and water skiers alike. The river's landscape is now dominated by mature gravel pit lakes. Some [[gravel]] extraction still takes place along the valley's basin. At [[Cogenhoe]] (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ʊ|k|n|oʊ}} locally<ref>{{harvnb |Butler |Eaton |1998}}</ref>) the river passes through a [[watermill]]. The mill is a red-brick building built in the late nineteenth century, with a slate roof, from which all the machinery has been removed. Adjacent is a Mill House, built of coursed limestone rubble, and dated 1725.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1189993 |desc=Mill House Cogenhoe |access-date=24 June 2011}}</ref> At [[Earls Barton]] the river again passes an area of mature gravel pit lakes, and lock gates numbers 9 and 10. Further on, the river passes through Doddington Lock No 11 and the nearby Hardwater Watermill. This watermill, mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]], ground wheat into flour for almost 1000 years. [[Thomas Becket]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], used the mill as a hiding place after escaping from [[Northampton Castle]] in 1164 and fleeing down the Nene to be sheltered by the miller before fleeing to France. The watermill ceased grinding flour after the [[World War II|Second World War]]. The present buildings date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and have been converted into dwellings.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1189935 |desc=Hardwater Mill, Gt Doddington |access-date=24 June 2011}}</ref>

===Wellingborough===
[[File:Victoria Mill.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Victoria Mills and its jetty at Wellingborough]]
The river's course turns to the north-east, passing the town of [[Wellingborough]] on its north bank and the village of [[Irchester|Little Irchester]] to the south. At Wellingborough, the river passes through Victoria Mills. Founded in 1886 by the Whitworth family, they are still run by the firm today, producing fine flours for the bakery trade. In front of the mill, there remains a jetty from the days when the river was used for transportation of goods to and from the mills. A little further on, the river is joined from the north by the [[River Ise]]. On the opposite bank are the remains of the Roman town of [[Irchester]]. The river now passes under a viaduct that carries the [[Midland Main Line]], which links [[St Pancras station|London St Pancras]] to [[Sheffield railway station|Sheffield]] in northern England via [[Luton railway station|Luton]], [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]], [[Kettering railway station|Kettering]], [[Leicester railway station|Leicester]], [[Derby railway station|Derby]] and [[Chesterfield railway station|Chesterfield]].

Passing [[Irthlingborough]] on its north-western bank, the Nene now flows past the demolished [[Nene Park]], one of the former grounds of [[Kettering Town F.C.]] Further on, the river is crossed by the disused track bed of the [[Northampton and Peterborough Railway]] which was constructed in 1845. The river is now characterised by large curving meanders as it passes the villages of Little Addington, [[Great Addington]], Woodford and Denford.

===Thrapston===
[[File:Thrapston Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Nine Arched Bridge at Thrapston]]

At Denford the river divides into two channels, one of which is used for navigation. The channels approach the town of [[Thrapston]], passing under two adjacent viaducts. One carries the busy [[A14 road (Great Britain)|A14]] trunk road; the other carries the disused railway track bed. Between the town of Thrapston and the village of [[Islip, Northamptonshire|Islip]], the Nene is spanned by a low nine-arched bridge. Just north of Thrapston the river forms part of the {{convert|73|ha|acre|order=flip}} of [[Titchmarsh Nature Reserve]].<ref>[http://www.titchmarsh.info/reserve.htm Titchmarsh Nature Reserve]</ref> The reserve, designated in 1989, consists of two lakes, a woodland, river banks and areas of grass and scrub in which some ponds have been dug. The reserve is operated by the [[Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire]]. At [[Aldwincle]] another tributary, called [[Harpers Brook]], joins the Nene from the north-west. Harpers Brook flows between gravel pit lagoons before converging with the river. The river flows south of [[Oundle]] passing [[Barnwell, Northamptonshire#Barnwell Country Park|Barnwell Country Park]] and Oundle Marina under a bridge of the [[A605 road]]. At {{gbmapping|TL116976}}, the [[Roman Britain|Romans]] [[bridge]]d the river with [[Ermine Street]] in the first century. Between Oundle marina and Peterborough the Nene falls, with navigation passing through 11 locks on the way.

===Peterborough===
Having passed among the gentle hills of Northamptonshire the river enters the rural part of the [[City of Peterborough]], passing the [[Nene Valley Railway]] and through the [[Nene Park, Peterborough|Nene Park]]. {{convert|1/2|mi|m|-2}} upstream of the city centre is Woodston Wharf&mdash;the site of the old sea lock&mdash;originally the extent of the tidal River Nene until the Dog-in-a-Doublet lock at [[Whittlesey]] was opened in 1937.  To the east of Peterborough city centre a branch of the river passes under the former Great Eastern Railway, now connected to the main East Coast main line and running through to Cambridge via Whittlesey and Ely. The branch terminates, for navigation, at [[Stanground]] Lock, a connection to the Middle Levels, the drainage system of the Fens through which access is possible to the River Great Ouse. Below Peterborough, the river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and [[Norfolk]] for about {{convert|3.7|mi|km}}.

Continuing downstream leads to the 'Embankment' area and after the [[cathedral]] city itself, passing through [[Whittlesey]] the landscape changes to the [[Nene Washes]] in [[The Fens]] and their vast horizons. Beyond [[Flag Fen]] the river flows under the A47 bridge at [[Guyhirn]], through the [[port]] of [[Wisbech]], then [[Sutton Bridge]] in [[Lincolnshire]], and it finally enters [[The Wash]] between two towers known as "the lighthouses".

The Nene links the [[Grand Union Canal]] to the [[River Great Ouse]], via the [[Middle Level Navigations]]. Much of its route has been upgraded to a wide canal with locks at regular intervals. Some sections where artificial cuts run adjacent to the course of the river are known as the "Nene Navigation".

<gallery widths="200" heights="160">
File:Peterborough River Nene.jpg|River Nene from Frank Perkins Parkway, Peterborough
File:Cross Keys Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 28541.jpg|[[Cross Keys Bridge]] swing bridge on the Nene before the mouth of [[The Wash]], built in 1897, in the village of [[Sutton Bridge]], south Lincolnshire
</gallery>