River Ember
Encyclopedia
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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 is a distributary
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
of the River Mole
River Mole, Surrey
The River Mole is a tributary of the River Thames in southern England. It rises in West Sussex near Gatwick Airport and flows north west through Surrey for to the Thames near Hampton Court Palace. The river gives its name to the Surrey district of Mole Valley...
which splits in two at the Island Barn Reservoir
Island Barn Reservoir
The Island Barn Reservoir lies south of the River Thames in England at West Molesey. The reservoir is large with a capacity of 992 million gallons and is managed by Thames Water. It is within the borough of Elmbridge and is surrounded by the River Mole to the west and the River Ember to the east...
to the South of East
East Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
and West Molesey. The larger portion becomes the River Ember and flows in an easterly and then northerly direction around the reservoir
Island Barn Reservoir
The Island Barn Reservoir lies south of the River Thames in England at West Molesey. The reservoir is large with a capacity of 992 million gallons and is managed by Thames Water. It is within the borough of Elmbridge and is surrounded by the River Mole to the west and the River Ember to the east...
. The River Mole flows in a northerly and then easterly direction around the reservoir. The two rivers then flow side by side in a north easterly direction, merging 400 metres before joining the River Thames
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,...
on the south side of the reach above Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
opposite Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
.
History
The River Mole once flowed into the River Thames separately further upstream at a point where the present Hampton Court BridgeHampton Court Bridge
Hampton Court Bridge crosses the River Thames in England in a north to south direction between Hampton, Greater London and East Molesey, Surrey. It is on the reach above Teddington Lock and about hundred yards upstream of the bridge is Molesey Lock....
now crosses the river. However, during the early 1930s, when Hampton Court Way and the bridge were built, the River Mole was redirected to flow into the River Ember and both rivers now enter the Thames in a single widened and straightened channel once occupied only by the River Ember. There have been further alterations to the courses of these two rivers in a major flood prevention scheme since serious flooding in the area in 1947 and 1968.
Ember Mill stood on an island in the Ember near Hampton Court Way. This can be reached from a footbridge at the end of Orchard Road. The mill was demolished in around 1837 and the sluices and waterfalls on either side are all that remain to indicate the site. The mill was originally a corn mill but was later used for manufacturing brass and iron wire. This part of the Ember is by-passed by the new channel of the flood prevention scheme, but a small flow runs into the old course to keep it looking as it used to.
Fishing
There is a section of the river at Old Cow Common, East MoleseyEast Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
where there is free fishing for pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
(to 15 pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s), bream, carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
, chub
European chub
The European chub , sometimes called the round chub, fat chub, chevin, pollard or simply "the" chub, is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae...
, dace
Common dace
The common dace , also known as the dace or the Eurasian dace, is a fresh- or brackish-water fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams of Europe north of the Alps as well as in Asia. It is most abundant in France and Germany, and has also spread to...
, perch
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
, roach, Catfish (to 22 lb), tench, bullhead (to 3 lb), ell, orfe, goldfish and rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
.
See also
- Tributaries of the River ThamesTributaries of the River ThamesThis article lists the tributaries of the River Thames, in England. It also includes significant backwaters and waterways which also have confluences with the main stream of the River Thames.Most of the tributaries are natural, but a few were man-made...
- List of rivers of England