Editing River Nene (section)

===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>