Hinksey Stream
Encyclopedia
Hinksey Stream is a branch of the River Thames
to the west of the city of Oxford
, England
. It starts as Seacourt Stream (also known as Wytham Stream), which leaves the Thames at a bifurcation
north of the village of Wytham
, and rejoins the river south of the city near Kennington
.
Oxford Ring Road
. Near the site of the lost village of Seacourt
Botley Stream branches off Seacourt Stream on its left bank, and flows 0.8 km to enter Bulstake Stream
. Seacourt Stream then flows under Botley Road
and enters Bulstake Stream near North Hinksey
.
Seacourt Stream is 12.7 km long.
to the west and the suburb of New Hinksey
to the east. If flows under the Oxford Ring Road
near its junction with the Abingdon Road
(A4144). Shortly after it is joined on its left bank by Weirs Mill Stream, another branch of the Thames, 2.1 km long, which leaves the river just north of Donnington Bridge
. Hinksey Stream joins the Thames just above Kennington Railway Bridge
. The Thames Path
crosses Hinksey Stream on a footbridge at this point.
A ferry used to operate between Ferry Hinksey Road
, off the Botley Road in west Oxford, and North Hinksey, former known as Ferry Hinksey. This ceased operation in 1928 and the two are now linked by bridges.
Hinksey Stream is 4.2 km long.
and Wessex
and until 1974 it was the boundary between Berkshire
and Oxfordshire
in the locality. In the 16th century the stream was known as Shire Lake.
Downstream of North Hinksey the boundary between Berkshire and Oxfordshire was Hogacre Stream (or Hogacre Ditch), a branch of Bulstake Stream which runs parallel to Hinksey Stream and joins it after 1.9 km. Between 1889 (when Grandpont and New Hinksey were absorbed into Oxfordshire) and 1974, Hinksey Stream was the boundary south of its confluence with Hogacre Stream.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to the west of the city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It starts as Seacourt Stream (also known as Wytham Stream), which leaves the Thames at a bifurcation
River bifurcation
River bifurcation occurs when a river flowing in a single stream separates into two or more separate streams which continue downstream. Some rivers form complex networks of distributaries, especially in their deltas...
north of the village of Wytham
Wytham
Wytham is a village and civil parish on Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ....
, and rejoins the river south of the city near Kennington
Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
.
Seacourt Stream
From the bifurcation Seacourt Stream flows south past Wytham and under the A34A34 road
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester...
Oxford Ring Road
Oxford Ring Road
The Oxford ring road is a ring road around the city of Oxford, England. It is a dual carriageway for most of its length apart from a short section to the North between the Woodstock and Banbury Roads....
. Near the site of the lost village of Seacourt
Seacourt
Seacourt is a deserted medieval village near Botley in Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Toponym:...
Botley Stream branches off Seacourt Stream on its left bank, and flows 0.8 km to enter Bulstake Stream
Bulstake Stream
Bulstake Stream, also spelt Bullstake Stream, is a backwater of the River Thames at Oxford, England. It leaves the main stream of the Thames at a river junction known as Four Rivers, at the south west corner of Fiddler's Island. It immediately flows past Tumbling Bay, the site of a bathing place...
. Seacourt Stream then flows under Botley Road
Botley Road
Botley Road is the main arterial road into Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close to central Oxford....
and enters Bulstake Stream near North Hinksey
North Hinksey
North Hinksey , is a small civil parish in county Berkshire, 2 miles west of Oxford, and 5 miles north of of Abingdon,situated on the right bank of the Isis...
.
Seacourt Stream is 12.7 km long.
Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream branches off Seacourt Stream on its right bank just before the confluence with Bulstake Stream. It flows between the village of South HinkseySouth Hinksey
South Hinksey is a village and civil parish just over south of the centre of Oxford. The parish includes the residential area of Hinksey Hill about south of the village....
to the west and the suburb of New Hinksey
New Hinksey
New Hinksey is a suburb in the south of the city of Oxford.-Geography:The suburb is west of the Abingdon Road . To the north is Grandpont and to the east, over Donnington Bridge, which crosses the River Thames, is Cowley...
to the east. If flows under the Oxford Ring Road
Oxford Ring Road
The Oxford ring road is a ring road around the city of Oxford, England. It is a dual carriageway for most of its length apart from a short section to the North between the Woodstock and Banbury Roads....
near its junction with the Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road is the main arterial road to the south of the city of Oxford, England. The road passes through the suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey...
(A4144). Shortly after it is joined on its left bank by Weirs Mill Stream, another branch of the Thames, 2.1 km long, which leaves the river just north of Donnington Bridge
Donnington Bridge
Donnington Bridge is a modern road bridge over the River Thames, in the south of the city of Oxford, England. At this point the river is sometimes called the Isis. The bridge carries the B4495 road from Abingdon Road to Iffley Road...
. Hinksey Stream joins the Thames just above Kennington Railway Bridge
Kennington Railway Bridge
Kennington Railway Bridge near the village of Kennington, Oxfordshire crosses the River Thames between Sandford Lock and Iffley Lock. It carries the freight railway branch line that serves the BMW Mini factory at Cowley. The freight railway is part of the former Wycombe Railway that linked and ...
. The Thames Path
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
crosses Hinksey Stream on a footbridge at this point.
A ferry used to operate between Ferry Hinksey Road
Ferry Hinksey Road
Ferry Hinksey Road is a road in west Oxford, England, leading south from the Botley Road. The road leads to the Osney Mead Industrial Estate to the east, started in 1961.- History :...
, off the Botley Road in west Oxford, and North Hinksey, former known as Ferry Hinksey. This ceased operation in 1928 and the two are now linked by bridges.
Hinksey Stream is 4.2 km long.
Boundary
In Anglo-Saxon times Seacourt Stream formed the border between MerciaMercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
and Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and until 1974 it was the boundary between Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in the locality. In the 16th century the stream was known as Shire Lake.
Downstream of North Hinksey the boundary between Berkshire and Oxfordshire was Hogacre Stream (or Hogacre Ditch), a branch of Bulstake Stream which runs parallel to Hinksey Stream and joins it after 1.9 km. Between 1889 (when Grandpont and New Hinksey were absorbed into Oxfordshire) and 1974, Hinksey Stream was the boundary south of its confluence with Hogacre Stream.