River Malago
Encyclopedia
The Malago is a tributary
of the Bristol Avon in southwestern England
, some 5 miles (8 km) long. The river rises in springs on the north side of Dundry Hill
on the borders of Somerset
and Bristol
. The main tributary is the Pigeonhouse stream which also rises on Dundry. Much of the river has been culvert
ed as it flows through built-up South Bristol
.
The river's course has been much altered in the past; presently it joins the New Cut
opposite the former entrance lock to the Bathurst Basin
. The river supports some wildlife in its upper reaches and pollution is relatively low.
, lying above Early Jurassic
clays on the northern slopes of Dundry Hill, form the sources of the Malago and its tributary, the Pigeonhouse stream. The Malago Spring artwork near Aldwick Avenue marks one of the sources. The Pigeonhouse runs through the lower Dundry slopes and then through a small valley to the east of Hartcliffe
, passing under Hengrove Way and feeding a lake on the former W.D. & H.O. Wills
factory site.
From the lake the Pigeonhouse runs northwards through Crox Bottom. The Malago is culverted through much of Withywood and Bishopsworth
, and is joined on the right bank by the Pigeonhouse after passing under the A4174 road
. The Malago flows below Novers Hill into Bedminster where it disappears into culverts before emerging through storm drains into the New Cut opposite to the former entrance to the Bathurst Basin.
. Tide mill
s were in operation here, possibly in Roman
times when it has been suggested that they were used for Christian baptism
s. They were certainly in place in the late Middle Ages
. Latimer's Annals of Bristol in the Seventeenth Century records that in 1641 the Corporation
, the predecessor of Bristol City Council, concluded a perambulation
of the city boundaries with an open air banquet and a duck hunt at Treen Mills.
When the New Cut
was constructed in the early 19th century and part of the construction of Bristol's floating harbour
, the former mill pond became the Bathurst Basin
, a side entrance to the harbour. As Bedminster was developed in the 19th century the lower reaches of the Malago were culverted and diverted into storm drains so that it is not possible to determine the original course of the river.
Threats in the 21st century to cover over some of the remaining open stretches in Windmill Hill
to make way for a rapid transit
bendy bus
scheme through South Bristol were opposed by residents concerned at the loss of green space and abandoned in October 2009.
such as Himalayan Balsam
have infested parts of the Malago, but efforts are being made to remove them.
Monitoring by Bristol City Council shows that in 2010 the river had a relatively low biochemical oxygen demand
, but some pollutants were present, especially in the Pigeonhouse near Hartcliffe Way.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Bristol Avon in southwestern 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...
, some 5 miles (8 km) long. The river rises in springs on the north side of Dundry Hill
Dundry Down
Dundry Hill is immediately south of Bristol, England: it includes farmland, a small number of houses and a church. It stretches east-west for some two miles....
on the borders of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The main tributary is the Pigeonhouse stream which also rises on Dundry. Much of the river has been culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
ed as it flows through built-up South Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
The river's course has been much altered in the past; presently it joins the New Cut
New Cut (Bristol)
The New Cut is an artificial waterway which was constructed between 1804 and 1809 to divert the tidal river Avon through south and east Bristol, England. This was part of the process of constructing Bristol's Floating Harbour, under the supervision of engineer William Jessop...
opposite the former entrance lock to the Bathurst Basin
Bathurst Basin
Bathurst Basin is a small triangular basin adjoining the main harbour of the city of Bristol, England. The basin gets its name from Bristol MP Charles Bathurst....
. The river supports some wildlife in its upper reaches and pollution is relatively low.
Course
Springs issuing from limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, lying above Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
clays on the northern slopes of Dundry Hill, form the sources of the Malago and its tributary, the Pigeonhouse stream. The Malago Spring artwork near Aldwick Avenue marks one of the sources. The Pigeonhouse runs through the lower Dundry slopes and then through a small valley to the east of Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe
Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and a district of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and Bishopsworth....
, passing under Hengrove Way and feeding a lake on the former W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.-History:...
factory site.
From the lake the Pigeonhouse runs northwards through Crox Bottom. The Malago is culverted through much of Withywood and Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth
Bishopsworth is the name of both a council ward of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and a suburb of the city which lies within that ward.As well as the suburb of Bishopsworth, the ward contains the areas of Bedminster Down, Highridge and Withywood....
, and is joined on the right bank by the Pigeonhouse after passing under the A4174 road
A4174 road
The A4174 is a major road in England which runs around the northern and eastern edge of Bristol, mainly in South Gloucestershire, and through the southern suburbs of Bristol...
. The Malago flows below Novers Hill into Bedminster where it disappears into culverts before emerging through storm drains into the New Cut opposite to the former entrance to the Bathurst Basin.
History
Until the 19th century, the Malago flowed into the Bristol Avon at Treen Mills, RedcliffeRedcliffe, Bristol
Redcliffe, also known as Redcliff, is a district of the English port city of Bristol, adjoining the city centre. It is bounded by the loop of the Floating Harbour to the west, north and east, the New Cut of the River Avon to the south...
. Tide mill
Tide mill
A tide mill is a water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a sluice is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide...
s were in operation here, possibly in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times when it has been suggested that they were used for Christian baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s. They were certainly in place in the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Latimer's Annals of Bristol in the Seventeenth Century records that in 1641 the Corporation
History of local government in Bristol
Bristol City Council, formerly known as The Bristol Corporation , is the local government authority governing the city of Bristol, England. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, successive royal charters granted increasing rights of local governance to Bristol...
, the predecessor of Bristol City Council, concluded a perambulation
Beating the bounds
Beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for...
of the city boundaries with an open air banquet and a duck hunt at Treen Mills.
When the New Cut
New Cut (Bristol)
The New Cut is an artificial waterway which was constructed between 1804 and 1809 to divert the tidal river Avon through south and east Bristol, England. This was part of the process of constructing Bristol's Floating Harbour, under the supervision of engineer William Jessop...
was constructed in the early 19th century and part of the construction of Bristol's floating harbour
Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
, the former mill pond became the Bathurst Basin
Bathurst Basin
Bathurst Basin is a small triangular basin adjoining the main harbour of the city of Bristol, England. The basin gets its name from Bristol MP Charles Bathurst....
, a side entrance to the harbour. As Bedminster was developed in the 19th century the lower reaches of the Malago were culverted and diverted into storm drains so that it is not possible to determine the original course of the river.
Threats in the 21st century to cover over some of the remaining open stretches in Windmill Hill
Windmill Hill, Bristol
Windmill Hill is situated in the south of the city of Bristol and is often referred to as being part of Bedminster. It is a predominantly residential location, and became popular in the 1990s and 2000s with students, artists and environmentalists, often sharing rented accommodation...
to make way for a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
bendy bus
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
scheme through South Bristol were opposed by residents concerned at the loss of green space and abandoned in October 2009.
Natural history
The Manor Woods Valley Local Nature Reserve on the upper reaches of the Malago Stream supports a variety of wildlife including kingfishers and heron. In common with other rivers of the Bristol Avon catchment invasive speciesInvasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
such as Himalayan Balsam
Himalayan Balsam
Impatiens glandulifera is a large annual plant native to the Himalayas. Via human introduction it is now extant across much of the Northern Hemisphere.-Etymology:...
have infested parts of the Malago, but efforts are being made to remove them.
Monitoring by Bristol City Council shows that in 2010 the river had a relatively low biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand
Biochemical oxygen demand or B.O.D. is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The term also refers to a chemical procedure for...
, but some pollutants were present, especially in the Pigeonhouse near Hartcliffe Way.