River close to home try4

A River Close to Home Rebecca Thorp

A River Close to Home

This river holds a great sentiment to myself, having been visiting

The waters once inviting and warm having seen the changes

spent wading through the chalk stream catching minnows and

like glass but cut through you like ice. The beds will be barren all

its banks and waters my whole life. Many summers have been

sticklebacks with my net as a child. As I grew older it became a place to escape with friends and family, enjoying the views and the opportunity to cool yourself in the summer months.

It became a place to escape and de stress, to reflect upon the days that had passed.

from green to red will now be dark and cold. They will glisten

plant life will have died off, leaving fallen leaves to travel through

the icy course freely. The sticklebacks and minnows once in their abundance will no longer be seen. While the surrounding banks

start to turn from green to brown as the plant life dies off for the winter months. For the cycle will soon be starting again and as always I will miss this.

As I moved away from the river I never realised how much

When returning to the river it felt like I had finally come home.

and part of my home, never felt quite complete when I was away.

the same course the waters had always travelled. I no longer felt

loosing this place would impact me. I lost of my sense of place

I missed the continually intertwining water with the Water Crowfoot, fallen leaves and branches, moving and flowing

as one organ of life. I missed The Sticklebacks and Minnows dodging the oncoming obstacles while fighting the prevailing waters as the current took the debris further downstream.

Away from home there were no trees, no farms and no harvest; to me the seasons had disappeared. At home I knew that the seasons were continuing bringing great change to the river.

Seeing the familiar waters flowing as they always had, through lost in place but also time. I knew now that it was early Summer.

I waded through the waters like no time had passed, feeling the

water flow past my bare skin and the pain of my feet shaping themselves around the rocky bed.

Everywhere was green; the river, banks and woodland. It overwhemled me, it was the most vibrant green I had seen in

years. It was here when I realised the importance of the river in my life.

Rebecca Thorp

Afterword The River Chess is a chalk stream that rises in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. Which is located North West London within the Chiltern Hills. The River continues through the Chess Valley and ends

sightings of the rat like creature yet evidence of their existence has been discovered.

in Rickmansworth. Here The River Chess becomes an estuary to The

Within the waters of the river, plants and insects live alongside each

through London ending in the North Sea.

Stream Water Crowfoot (R. Penicillatus) and the other being Brook

River Thames where the chalk rich waters continue their journey Historically the river has had many uses, in the middle ages the water meadows were home to varying agriculture but primarily cattle were

to graze alongside the river. In later years the river power paper mills

and sustained numerous watercress beds, tony only one watercress farm exists.

The River now mainly has two uses: fishing and leisure. The waters contain large amounts of Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta.) This due to the

other. In the Chess there are two main species of plant life one being

Water Crowfoot (R. Peltatus). Brook Water Crowfoot is only present

in winterbourne stretches of the river, where the water only flows

during the spring and summer months. Stream Water Crowfoot can only be found where the waters flow permanently. It starts to grow in

spring and is in full growth by May to June, here an abundance white flowers will emerge through the water’s surface. After this the life of

the Water Crowfoot starts to end for that year allowing the watercress to dominate the stream.

good quality, oxygen rich water the River Chess holds. Thus making

The Crowfoot plays and important role in the River’s ecosystem. The

(Lampetra Planeri,) Grayling (Thymallus Thymallus) and Bullheads

a clear gravel bed, collecting any small silt around its roots. Many fish

it highly popular with fishermen. Along with trout, Brook Lamprey (Cottus Gobio) also inhabit the river.

The Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris) is one of the few mammals to make the river its home. He hides within the banks of the Chess.

Being shy creatures not wanting to be seen there have been very few

plant manages to maintain the water level through the year along with call the plant home. Trout and Yellow May Dun Mayfly (Heptagenia

Sulphure) use the Crowfoot as a sanctuary which is essential to their survival. Sticklebacks and Minnows weave in and out using the plant for cover from predators.