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River Arun

The River Arun (/ˈærən/) is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At 37 miles (60 km) long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex[2] and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small streams that form its source in the area of St Leonard's Forest in the Weald, the Arun flows westwards through Horsham to Nowhurst where it is joined by the North River. Turning to the south, it is joined by its main tributary, the western River Rother, and continues through a gap in the South Downs to Arundel to join the English Channel at Littlehampton. It is one of the faster flowing rivers in England, and is tidal as far inland as Pallingham Quay, 25.5 miles (41.0 km) upstream from the sea at Littlehampton. The Arun gives its name to the Arun local government district of West Sussex.

Arun
Tarrant
Stopham Bridge near Pulborough. The centre arch was raised in 1822.
Course of the Arun
Location
CountryEngland
CountyWest Sussex
TownsHorsham, Arundel, Littlehampton
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSt Leonard's Forest, West Sussex
 • elevation125 m (410 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Littlehampton, West Sussex
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length60 km (37 mi)
Basin size376 sq mi (970 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationPallingham Quay
 • average4.78 m3/s (169 cu ft/s)
 • minimum0.31 m3/s (11 cu ft/s)
 • maximum78.5 m3/s (2,770 cu ft/s)
Discharge 
 • locationAlfoldean
 • average1.84 m3/s (65 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftRiver Stor, River Kird, North River, River Lox / Loxwood Stream
 • rightRiver Rother
Protection status
Official nameArun Valley
Designated16 December 1999
Reference no.1011[1]
River Arun
River Arun source
Boldings Brook
North River
Wey and Arun Canal
River Lox / Loxwood Stream
3 Drungewick Lock
2 Malham Lock
1 Rowner Lock
 A272  Newbridge Road
River Kird
Lording's aqueduct
Arun Navigation
Lordings lock
Orfold Flood Lock
Lee Farm / Middle lock
Pallingham Double lock (Staircase)
 A283  Stopham Road
Rother Navigation
Pulborough
 A29  London Road
River Chilt
River Stor
Site of Hardham lock
River Rother
Tunnel lock
Hardham Tunnel
Coldwaltham and Greatham Bridges
Coldwaltham lock
Arun Valley line
South Downs Way National Trail
 B2139  Houghton Bridge, Amberley
WWT Arundel
Arundel
 A27  Arundel bypass
Arundel railway station
Black Ditch
Ford railway station and bridge
Portsmouth and Arundel Canal
 A259  bridge
Littlehampton
Ryebank Rife
English Channel

The first major improvements to the river were made between the 1540s and the 1570s, when Arundel became a port, and navigation up to Pallingham was improved, but barges had difficulty negotiating the flash locks that were installed. The work was carried out by Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, who made the upper section toll-free. Harbour commissioners managed the lower river from Arundel to the sea from 1732, and major improvements to keep the estuary free from silt were sanctioned by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1793. With the coming of the railways and changes in coastal shipping, Littlehampton superseded Arundel as the port of the Arun, and the Littlehampton harbour commissioners are still responsible for the river up to Arundel, collecting tolls for its use.

The river above Arundel was improved after 1785. As the main channel was toll-free, the proprietors of the scheme built two major cuts. One, which included three locks and passed through Hardham Tunnel, was built to avoid a large bend near Pulborough. The other was near the upper terminus, where a cut with three locks and a flood Lock crossed the original channel by an aqueduct to reach wharves at Newbridge. Further improvements were made when the Wey and Arun Canal opened in 1816, joining the Arun Navigation at Newbridge, and after the completion of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal, which opened soon afterwards. These two canals were an attempt to provide an inland route between London and Portsmouth, but were not as successful as the proprietors hoped. Traffic declined rapidly when the railways offered competition, and the navigation ceased to be maintained from 1888, though some traffic continued on the lower sections. The Wey and Arun Canal is currently being restored, and restoration will eventually include the cut and locks below Newbridge.

History edit

When Ptolemy wrote his Geography around 150 AD, the Arun was called the Trisantonis, with later accounts using the same name.[3] Trisantonis is thought to be a Brythonic word for 'the trespasser', indicating the river's tendency to flood land near to the river. Trisanto translates directly as 'one who goes across'. There is also a theory that the Arun may have been known as the Trisantonis in its lower reaches close to the sea, but known as the Arnus (from the Brythonic 'Arno' meaning run, go, or flow)[4] in its upper reaches. It is possible that the town of Arundel may mean Arno-dell, or dell of the flowing river.[3] By the Middle Ages the river was known as the river of Arundel, the Arundel river, or the high stream of Arundel. An alternative name, the Tarrant (derived from Trisantona), is, however, attested in 725 and 1270, and is reflected in the road name Tarrant Street, one of the main roads running through the town roughly parallel to the river. The first use of the modern name was recorded in 1577, but the alternative names of Arundel river or great river continued to be used for many years.[5]

A further possible etymology derived from the Domesday spelling Harundel[6] for Arundel comes from the Anglo Saxon hærn[7] dell[8] meaning "tidal valley", which this would mean that the name of the river probably also derives from "tidal". Other local rivers such as the Rother deriving from the Anglo Saxon róðer, which means "rower" (as in a long river[clarification needed]),[citation needed] are also descriptive of the river and its surrounds.

The mouth of the river has not always been at Littlehampton. Until the later fifteenth century it joined the River Adur at Lancing some ten miles to the east before entering the sea. This estuary became blocked with shingle by the eastward drift of the tides, pushing the Adur towards Shoreham-by-Sea, while the Arun broke out at Worthing, Goring and Ferring at various times, until it formed its present estuary at Littlehampton between 1500 and 1530.[9]

Improvements edit

The lower portion of the river, from the sea to Ford, was navigable in the eleventh century at the time of the Norman conquest. In the sixteenth century, Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel built wharves at Ford, and improved the river channel below there, so that the town became a port. Over the 30 years from 1544, he also improved the river as far upstream as Pallingham Quay. Although the work involved a number of flash locks, which were not very successful, no tolls were charged for its use, and vessels of around 15 tons were used to carry timber. Attempts to make the river navigable up to Newbridge in the early sixteenth century were not successful.[10]

An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1732, the main emphasis of which was the improvement of "the harbour of Littlehampton, called Arundel Port", but improvements to the first 5.75 miles (9.25 km) of the river, from the sea to Arundel, were also authorised. Commissioners were appointed, with powers to erect piers and to cut a new channel to the sea through a sand bar. The Act allowed them to charge tolls for use of the facilities, and once the initial costs had been repaid, one half of the tolls were to be used to maintain the harbour and the river channel up to Arundel.[11] Although most ships were of 30 or 40 tons, ships of up to 100 tons could reach Arundel as a result of the work, and trade improved.[12]

The next Act to affect the river was obtained by a group of local men in 1785. Under the Act, the proprietors were empowered to make the river navigable for 30-ton barges up to Newbridge. They had no jurisdiction over the river from Arundel to Houghton bridge, and could not charge tolls for use of the river up to Pallingham.[13] There were 31 members of the proprietors, who could raise £10,000 by issuing 100 shares worth £100 each. Day-to-day oversight of the affairs of the navigation were managed by three proprietors, with a half-yearly meeting of the larger group.[14] The purpose of the navigation was to carry coal, chalk and lime upstream, and agricultural produce in the other direction. Rather than improve the river channel, the navigation upstream of Pallingham consisted of a separate channel, containing three locks, and an aqueduct which carried the navigation over the river at Orfold. The journey below Pallingham was made 3 miles (4.8 km) shorter by cutting a new channel between Coldwaltham and Hardham. This involved the construction of three more locks and a 375-yard (343 m) tunnel. The Pallingham to Newbridge section opened on 1 August 1787, while the Hardham cut was completed in mid-1790. The cost of the work was around £16,000.[15]

There were two proposals to extend the navigation at this time. The first was for a canal to North Chapel, to the north of Petworth, in 1791, and the second was for a canal to Horsham in the following year. The route was surveyed by John Rennie, who estimated that it would cost £18,133 to build, but negotiations with the existing proprietors failed, and the scheme was dropped in 1794.[13] Meanwhile, a second Act of Parliament was obtained by the harbour commissioners in 1793, as there was serious silting of the estuary. Groynes were constructed and the existing piers were made longer. In addition, a towpath was built from the mouth of the river up to Arundel.[12] The Act stated that the capital borrowed to finance the harbour under the previous act had been repaid, and that tolls would all be used for maintenance of the harbour and river up to Arundel, once further borrowings had been repaid. Because the inhabitants of Arundel had spent £28,300 on the harbour, boats which belonged to the port of Arundel did not have to pay any tolls.[16] As a result of the works, the port of Arundel enjoyed its most prosperous period for the next thirty years, with ships of 200 and 300 tons able to reach the town on spring tides. Facilities improved, and there were four docks by 1840.[12]

Operation edit

 
Greatham Bridge, with the navigable span on the extreme right

Payment of dividends to shareholders began in 1792, and over the next five years, tolls raised an average of £893 per year and the dividend was 3.1 per cent. At this time, George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont was buying shares and having obtained one third of them, he became chairman of the company. He then stopped the payment of dividends so that the borrowed capital could be paid off more quickly. Apart from an interim payment in 1821, dividends were not reinstated until 1830.[13] In the 1790s Wyndham was responsible for the canalisation of the River Rother which joins the Arun at Stopham,[17] and he also promoted the Wey and Arun Canal, which was seen as part of a larger scheme to link London to Portsmouth, an idea which had been contemplated several times since 1641. He chaired a meeting held at Guildford on 1 June 1811, at which it was decided to press ahead with the canal, and put up £20,000 of the initial £90,500 estimated cost. The canal opened in September 1816, but the estimated 100,000 tons of traffic passing between London and the dockyards at Portsmouth, and the 30,000 tons of local traffic, were far too optimistic, with actual traffic averaging around 15,000 tons per year throughout its life.[18]

The London to Portsmouth route was to be completed by the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal, in which Wyndham and the Cutfields, who also held many shares in the Arun Navigation, were both significant subscribers. This was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1817, and an agreement was reached that the Arun would be improved to aid through traffic. Nevertheless, no work commenced on the Arun until the proprietors were sure that the Ford section of the new canal would actually be built. Once they were convinced, they obtained an Act of Parliament in May 1821, and the engineer James Hollingworth oversaw the improvements, which were completed in mid-1823. The work involved improving the depth and width of the channel, and some alterations to bridges and locks to make their size more uniform. The company borrowed £3000 to finance the work, which cost around £5000 in total. The loans had been repaid by 1831, and the work allowed barge sizes to be increased from 30 tons to 40 tons, with the result that business improved.[19]

Traffic increased, as shown by the number of boats belonging to residents of Arundel. There were 13 in 1801, which had increased to 15 by 1803, with a total tonnage of 266. A timber merchant called John Boxold owned barges in 1815 and 1832, while in 1820, a company began running regular freight services to London, using three barges based near the town quay. By 1823 they had ten barges, which had reduced to seven by 1830, and barges ran twice-weekly to Chichester, London, Midhurst, and Petworth. The company was variously called Seward and Co., The Arundel Barge Co., and several other names.[12]

Decline edit

From the 1840s, use of the river declined, as a result of competition from the railways, and changes in coastal shipping. Littlehampton grew in importance as a port and after years of resistance by the people of Arundel, the customs house was moved there in 1864.[12] The Mid-Sussex Railway opened their line from Horsham to Pulborough and Petworth in 1859, which was extended to Ford and Littlehampton in 1863. Receipts from tolls had peaked at £2044 for the five years from 1835 to 1840, when a dividend of 11.8 percent was paid, but dropped quickly, raising just £389 for years between 1870 and 1875, when the dividend was 1 percent.[20]

By 1852, the barge service to London only ran once a week, and it had ceased altogether three years later. Most vessels reaching Arundel were coasters rather than barges by 1886, and just 20 ships used the facilities that year.[12] The Wey and Arun Canal closed in 1871. The proprietors of the upper river ceased to maintain the navigation from 1 January 1888, and the last barge passed through Hardham Tunnel on 29 January 1889.[21] The river was abandoned as a navigation by a warrant issued as part of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act of 1888. The River Lark in Suffolk was the only other river navigation abandoned at that time.[22] The Board of Trade issued a closing order in 1896, and after that, there was no navigation authority responsible for the upper river. However, traffic did not cease entirely.[21]

Fifteen or twenty barges were still using the river in the 1880s, although the upper reaches were no longer accessible. Arundel docks silted up between 1875 and 1896.[12] In 1898, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, who by this time were the owners of the railway from Horsham to Littlehampton, drilled down into the tunnel where the main line and the branch to Midhurst crossed its course, and poured tons of chalk into the tunnel to stabilise it.[23] A trade in chalk and lime extracted from Amberley chalk pits continued into the early twentieth century. Some ships were towed to Arundel by paddle tugs, and imports of salt, timber and coal for the gasworks continued. Arundel was visited by its last steamer in 1914, and the last sailing vessel to reach the port did so three years later. Passage of larger craft upstream was hindered by the construction of a swing bridge at Littlehampton in 1908, and prevented by a fixed railway bridge at Ford built in 1938. As freight traffic disappeared from the river, Edward Slaughter, who later became part of the company of Buller and Slaughter, was hiring pleasure craft by 1903, and the company was still doing so in the 1990s.[12]

Present edit

Authority for the river remains much as it was after 1896, with the Littlehampton Harbour Board responsible for the section from the mouth up to Arundel Bridge, and no navigation authority for the river above that, although the Environment Agency have responsibility for its drainage functions. There are nine bridges with a minimum navigable headroom of between 8 feet (2.4 m) and 5 feet (1.5 m) at high water. The river is tidal to Pallingham Quay, 25.5 miles (41.0 km) upstream from the sea at Littlehampton, and flows at 4 to 6 knots (7.4 to 11.1 km/h), making it one of the fastest flowing rivers in the country. The tidal range at Littlehampton is 17 feet (5.2 m) at spring tides and 8.8 feet (2.7 m) at neap tides. High tide occurs 15 minutes later than high water at Dover, and high water at Pulborough is four hours later than at Littlehampton.[24]

Charitable organisations edit

The Arun & Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT) is a charity set up in 2011 with objectives around education, fisheries, biodiversity, access and pollution amongst other issues.[25]

The Wey and Arun Canal is being restored by the Wey and Arun Canal Trust, which was set up in the 1970s. The Wey and Arun Canal technically ended at Newbridge, but the restoration will include the Arun Navigation section down to Pallingham to reach the River Arun.[26] For many years, the Solent and Arun Branch of the Inland Waterways Association organised an annual cruise on the river to ensure that the navigation rights were maintained. Responsibility for its organisation has now been passed to the Wey and Arun Canal Trust.[27]

Route edit

At 37 miles (60 km) from its source to the sea, the Arun is the longest of the rivers flowing entirely within Sussex.[2] It rises as a series of streams, known locally as ghylls or gills, to the east of Horsham, in St Leonard's Forest. It flows westwards, along the southern boundary of Horsham and turns briefly to the north to skirt Broadbridge Heath. Continuing westwards, it is joined at Nowhurst by the North River, [28] with its headstreams in the heights of Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill in Surrey.[29] and whose feeder streams include the River Oke, Holden Brook and Standon Brook.[28] After the junction, the Arun passes under the A29 road, which follows the route of the Roman Stane Street at this point, and timber piles of a Roman bridge have been found in the riverbed.[30] The earthworks from a Roman station are close by. To the south of Rudgwick it is crossed by a disused railway line, and at this point it crosses the 66-foot (20 m) contour. Its course is marked by winding meanders as it turns towards the south, and the county boundary briefly follows its course, the River Lox / Loxwood Stream joins the Arun at Drungewick just before it is joined by the partially restored Wey and Arun Canal. Its former course to the west of the canal can be clearly seen, and is followed by the boundary, but the main flow of the river follows a new straight cut just to the east of the canal. Once the boundary crosses back over the canal, the river resumes its meandering course on the eastern side of the canal.[31]

A little further to the south is another straight cut, with the old course still visible on the other side of the canal. Soon it reaches Newbridge on the A272 road near Wisborough Green. The location of the wharf which was the northern terminus of the Arun Navigation was just to the south of the bridge. Wharf Farm was nearby, and the modern 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map shows buildings named "The Old Wharf". Brockhurst Brook joins from the east before the river turns briefly westwards. Soon it is crossed by Orfold Aqueduct, which carried the Arun Navigation over the river channel. The River Kird joins it, flowing from the north, and it turns southwards again. At Pallingham the remains of Pallingham Manor are on the north bank, next to Pallingham Manor Farm,[31] a 17th-century timber-framed farmhouse, which is Grade II listed.[32] Pallingham Quay Farmhouse, another Grade II listed building dating from the 18th century,[33] is on the west bank of the river just before its junction with the Arun Navigation cut. Below the junction, the river is tidal.[31]

Continuing southwards, the river passes the gallops which are part of Coombelands Racing Stables, situated on the eastern bank,[31] and Park Mount, a motte and bailey dating from the time of the Norman conquest. It is one of the best-preserved monuments of this type in south east England.[34] The river is crossed by Stopham Bridge, a fine medieval stone bridge built in 1422–23. The centre arch was raised as part of the improvements made to the navigation in 1822. It is a Grade I listed structure, and also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It was damaged by army lorries in the Second World War, but has been repaired,[35] and the heavy traffic on the A283 road was diverted onto a new bridge just upstream of it in the 1980s.

Below the bridge is a small island, after which an artificial cut built to avoid the circuitous route of the River Rother Navigation heads westwards. The river now discharges over a weir at the site of the former Hardham corn mill to join the Arun a little further downstream, and the junction is followed by another small island.[31] Hardham lock was necessary because of the drop in levels caused by the mill, and the branch through Hardham tunnel headed due south a little further up the Rother.[36] Exploration of the tunnel was described by an article in Sussex County Magazine in 1953, when both ends were accessible, and again in 2012, when only the southern end was explored. A waterworks has been built over the bed of the canal at the northern end, and the tunnel mouth is within the site.[37] The river continues in a large loop to the east. The Arun Valley railway line crosses it to reach Pulborough railway station. There is another island, with the A29 road crossing both channels. Pulborough Brooks nature reserve is to the east of the loop, and the course then meanders westwards to Greatham Bridge.[31] The bridge consists of eight low elliptical arches, two taller arches, a cast iron span over the navigable channel, and a solid ramp to the east. Although its construction suggests that it is medieval, most of the arches were erected in 1827.[38]

On the west bank of the river below the bridge is Waltham Brooks nature reserve. Coldwaltham lock, on the branch through the Hardham Tunnel, is still marked on modern maps, and the section from the lock to the river still holds water. Just to the north of Amberley, the river is crossed by the Arun Valley line again at Timberley Bridge. At the village of Bury, the West Sussex Literary Trail joins the western bank and another footpath joins the eastern bank. The next bridge is Houghton Bridge, close to Amberley railway station. The river splits into two channels here, and the bridge spans both.[31] Similar to Greatham Bridge, it looks medieval, but was built in 1875. There is a solid section on the island between the channels, with a single arch over the eastern channel and four arches over the main river.[39] The chalk pits which provided trade to the navigation are now the location of Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, a 36-acre (15 ha) site with many items of industrial heritage on display.[40]

The river follows an S-shaped course, the northern loop encircling the village of North Stoke and the south one encircling South Stoke. Immediately to the south, the old course passes under the railway line, but a new channel was cut to the west of the railway. On the west bank is the hamlet of Offham and Arundel Wetland Centre, a 65-acre (26 ha) haven for birds which is run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.[41] The market town of Arundel is to the west of the river. It has a castle build on a motte, the construction of which was started in 1068. It is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.[42] The present building consists of many different components, dating from the late eleventh century through to the nineteenth, and is Grade I listed.[43] Two bridges span the river here, the first on the original road through the town, while the second carries the A284 Arundel Bypass. The final section is crossed by a railway bridge, built in 1908, and the A259 road bridge, which carries the road into Littlehampton on the east bank. It discharges into the English Channel between the East and West Piers.[31]

Littlehampton and its harbour were guarded from naval attack by Littlehampton Redoubt on the western bank at the mouth of the river, completed in 1854, which is now screened from the open sea by Climping sand dunes. This fort replaced a seven-gun battery on the east bank, which was built in 1764.[44]

Water quality edit

The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates, angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail.[45]

The water quality of the River Arun system was as follows in 2019.

Section Ecological Status Chemical Status Length Catchment Channel
Arun Source[46] Poor Fail 9.8 miles (15.8 km) 16.72 square miles (43.3 km2)
Boldings Brook[47] Poor Fail 6.9 miles (11.1 km) 12.59 square miles (32.6 km2)
Arun Horsham[48] Poor Fail 4.5 miles (7.2 km) 7.01 square miles (18.2 km2)
North River[49] Moderate Fail 15.5 miles (24.9 km) 21.49 square miles (55.7 km2)
Loxwood Stream[50] Poor Fail 12.1 miles (19.5 km) 18.66 square miles (48.3 km2)
Kird[51] Poor Fail 16.5 miles (26.6 km) 26.91 square miles (69.7 km2)
Arun (U/S Pallingham)[52] Moderate Fail 21.1 miles (34.0 km) 33.75 square miles (87.4 km2)
Arun downstream Pallingham Weir[53] Moderate Fail 2.6 miles (4.2 km) 4.64 square miles (12.0 km2)
Chilt[54] Moderate Fail 3.3 miles (5.3 km) 4.19 square miles (10.9 km2)
Stor[55] Moderate Fail 3.1 miles (5.0 km) 7.75 square miles (20.1 km2)
Black Ditch (W Sussex)[56] Poor Fail 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 17.94 square miles (46.5 km2)
Ryebank Rife[57] Moderate Fail 4.6 miles (7.4 km) 5.09 square miles (13.2 km2)
Arun[58] Moderate Fail heavily modified

The reasons for the quality being less than good include sewage discharge affecting most of the river, physical modification of the channel, and run-off of nutrients from agriculture and land management. Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment.

Points of interest edit

See also edit

Bibliography edit

  • Boyes, John; Russell, Ronald (1977). The Canals of Eastern England. David and Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-7415-3.
  • Cumberlidge, Jane (2009). Inland Waterways of Great Britain (8th Ed.). Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson. ISBN 978-1-84623-010-3.
  • Ekwall, Eilert (1968). English River-Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198691198.
  • Goodsall, Robert H (1962). The Arun and Western Rother. London: Constable. ISBN 978-9999000208.
  • Hadfield, Charles (1969). The Canals of South and South-East England. David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4693-8.
  • Hillier, J (1951). Old Surrey Watermills. London: Skeffington and Son [ISBN unspecified].
  • Hudson, T P, ed. (1977). A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 5 Part 1: Arundel Rape: south-western part, including Arundel. Victoria County History. ISBN 978-0-19-722781-7.
  • Ikins, Thomas G. (2007). . Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  • Marshall, A G; Norris, W (1953). . Sussex County Magazine. 128. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014.
  • Priestley, Joseph (1831). . Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  • Vine, P.A.L. (1986). London's Lost Route to the Sea. David and Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8778-8.
  • Vine, P.A.L. (1995). London's Lost Route to Midhurst, The Earl of Egremont's Navigation. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7509-0968-6.
  • Vine, P.A.L. (2007). The Arun Navigation. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-4323-2.
  • Whittington, Jim (January 2012). Going Underground - Hardham Tunnel. Waterways World. ISSN 0309-1422.

References edit

  1. ^ "Arun Valley". Ramsar Sites Information Service. from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Vine 2007, p. 7.
  3. ^ a b Ikins 2007
  4. ^ Ekwall 1968, p. 418.
  5. ^ Hudson 1977, pp.10-101, "Arundel".
  6. ^ "Open Domesday - Arundel".
  7. ^ "hærn". Bosworth Toller Anglo Saxon Dictionary online.
  8. ^ "dell". Bosworth Toller Anglo Saxon Dictionary online.
  9. ^ Vine 1986, p. 20.
  10. ^ Hadfield 1969, pp. 124–125.
  11. ^ Priestley 1831, p. 28.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Hudson 1977, pp. 10-101, "Port and River Traffic"
  13. ^ a b c Hadfield 1969, p. 125
  14. ^ Priestley 1831, pp. 26–27.
  15. ^ Hadfield 1969, p. 125.
  16. ^ Priestley 1831, pp. 28–29.
  17. ^ Hadfield 1969, p. 127.
  18. ^ Hadfield 1969, pp. 132–134.
  19. ^ Hadfield 1969, pp. 136–138.
  20. ^ Hadfield 1969, pp. 125–126.
  21. ^ a b Hadfield 1969, p. 126
  22. ^ Boyes & Russell 1977, p. 182.
  23. ^ Marshall & Norris 1953, pp. 128, 257.
  24. ^ Cumberlidge 2009, pp. 58–59.
  25. ^ "Home Page". Arun and Rother Rivers Trust. from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  26. ^ Cumberlidge 2009, pp. 328–330.
  27. ^ . Wey and Arun Canal Trust. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  28. ^ a b Goodsall 1962.
  29. ^ Hillier 1951.
  30. ^ . Romans in Sussex. Sussex Archaeological Society. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h Ordnance Survey, 1:25,000 map
  32. ^ Historic England. "Pallingham Manor Farm (1227260)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  33. ^ Historic England. "Pallingham Quay Farm (1227360)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  34. ^ Historic England. "Motte and bailey castle in Pulborough Park (1017547)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  35. ^ Historic England. "Stopham Bridge Pulborough (1226929)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  36. ^ Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 map, 1876, available here
  37. ^ Whittington 2012, pp. 78–79.
  38. ^ Historic England. "Greatham Bridge, Parham (1354015)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  39. ^ Historic England. "Houghton Bridge, Amberley (1027476)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  40. ^ . Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  41. ^ . Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  42. ^ . Arundel Castle Trustees. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  43. ^ Historic England. "Arundel Castle (1027926)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  44. ^ Historic England. "Littlehampton Fort (1005809)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  45. ^ "Glossary (see Biological quality element; Chemical status; and Ecological status)". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  46. ^ "Arun Source". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  47. ^ "Boldings Brook". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  48. ^ "Arun Horsham". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  49. ^ "North River". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  50. ^ "Loxwood Stream". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  51. ^ "Kird". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  52. ^ "Arun (U/S Pallingham)". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  53. ^ "Arun downstream Pallingham Weir". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  54. ^ "Chilt". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  55. ^ "Stor". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  56. ^ "Black Ditch (W Sussex)". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  57. ^ "Ryebank Rife". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  58. ^ "Arun". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

External links edit

    • Gupta, Sanjeev; et al. (2008). "Submerged Palaeo-Arun River: Reconstruction of Prehistoric Landscapes". Archaeology Data Service for Imperial College London and English Heritage. doi:10.5284/1000025. from the original on 6 March 2016. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

50°48′05″N 0°32′31″W / 50.80139°N 0.54194°W / 50.80139; -0.54194

river, arun, confused, with, arun, river, china, nepal, river, english, county, west, sussex, miles, long, longest, river, entirely, sussex, longest, starting, sussex, after, river, medway, river, river, mole, from, series, small, streams, that, form, source, . Not to be confused with Arun River China Nepal The River Arun ˈ aer en is a river in the English county of West Sussex At 37 miles 60 km long it is the longest river entirely in Sussex 2 and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway River Wey and River Mole From the series of small streams that form its source in the area of St Leonard s Forest in the Weald the Arun flows westwards through Horsham to Nowhurst where it is joined by the North River Turning to the south it is joined by its main tributary the western River Rother and continues through a gap in the South Downs to Arundel to join the English Channel at Littlehampton It is one of the faster flowing rivers in England and is tidal as far inland as Pallingham Quay 25 5 miles 41 0 km upstream from the sea at Littlehampton The Arun gives its name to the Arun local government district of West Sussex ArunTarrantStopham Bridge near Pulborough The centre arch was raised in 1822 Course of the ArunLocationCountryEnglandCountyWest SussexTownsHorsham Arundel LittlehamptonPhysical characteristicsSource locationSt Leonard s Forest West Sussex elevation125 m 410 ft Mouth locationLittlehampton West Sussex elevation0 m 0 ft Length60 km 37 mi Basin size376 sq mi 970 km2 Discharge locationPallingham Quay average4 78 m3 s 169 cu ft s minimum0 31 m3 s 11 cu ft s maximum78 5 m3 s 2 770 cu ft s Discharge locationAlfoldean average1 84 m3 s 65 cu ft s Basin featuresTributaries leftRiver Stor River Kird North River River Lox Loxwood Stream rightRiver RotherProtection statusRamsar WetlandOfficial nameArun ValleyDesignated16 December 1999Reference no 1011 1 vteRiver Arun Legend River Arun source Boldings Brook North River Wey and Arun Canal River Lox Loxwood Stream 3 Drungewick Lock 2 Malham Lock 1 Rowner Lock A272 Newbridge Road River Kird Lording s aqueduct Arun Navigation Lordings lock Orfold Flood Lock Lee Farm Middle lock Pallingham Double lock Staircase A283 Stopham Road Rother Navigation Pulborough A29 London Road River Chilt River Stor Site of Hardham lock River Rother Tunnel lock Hardham Tunnel Coldwaltham and Greatham Bridges Coldwaltham lock Arun Valley line South Downs Way National Trail B2139 Houghton Bridge Amberley WWT Arundel Arundel A27 Arundel bypass Arundel railway station Black Ditch Ford railway station and bridge Portsmouth and Arundel Canal A259 bridge Littlehampton Ryebank Rife English Channel The first major improvements to the river were made between the 1540s and the 1570s when Arundel became a port and navigation up to Pallingham was improved but barges had difficulty negotiating the flash locks that were installed The work was carried out by Henry FitzAlan 19th Earl of Arundel who made the upper section toll free Harbour commissioners managed the lower river from Arundel to the sea from 1732 and major improvements to keep the estuary free from silt were sanctioned by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1793 With the coming of the railways and changes in coastal shipping Littlehampton superseded Arundel as the port of the Arun and the Littlehampton harbour commissioners are still responsible for the river up to Arundel collecting tolls for its use The river above Arundel was improved after 1785 As the main channel was toll free the proprietors of the scheme built two major cuts One which included three locks and passed through Hardham Tunnel was built to avoid a large bend near Pulborough The other was near the upper terminus where a cut with three locks and a flood Lock crossed the original channel by an aqueduct to reach wharves at Newbridge Further improvements were made when the Wey and Arun Canal opened in 1816 joining the Arun Navigation at Newbridge and after the completion of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal which opened soon afterwards These two canals were an attempt to provide an inland route between London and Portsmouth but were not as successful as the proprietors hoped Traffic declined rapidly when the railways offered competition and the navigation ceased to be maintained from 1888 though some traffic continued on the lower sections The Wey and Arun Canal is currently being restored and restoration will eventually include the cut and locks below Newbridge Contents 1 History 1 1 Improvements 1 2 Operation 1 3 Decline 1 4 Present 1 5 Charitable organisations 2 Route 3 Water quality 4 Points of interest 5 See also 6 Bibliography 6 1 References 7 External linksHistory editWhen Ptolemy wrote his Geography around 150 AD the Arun was called the Trisantonis with later accounts using the same name 3 Trisantonis is thought to be a Brythonic word for the trespasser indicating the river s tendency to flood land near to the river Trisanto translates directly as one who goes across There is also a theory that the Arun may have been known as the Trisantonis in its lower reaches close to the sea but known as the Arnus from the Brythonic Arno meaning run go or flow 4 in its upper reaches It is possible that the town of Arundel may mean Arno dell or dell of the flowing river 3 By the Middle Ages the river was known as the river of Arundel the Arundel river or the high stream of Arundel An alternative name the Tarrant derived from Trisantona is however attested in 725 and 1270 and is reflected in the road name Tarrant Street one of the main roads running through the town roughly parallel to the river The first use of the modern name was recorded in 1577 but the alternative names of Arundel river or great river continued to be used for many years 5 A further possible etymology derived from the Domesday spelling Harundel 6 for Arundel comes from the Anglo Saxon haern 7 dell 8 meaning tidal valley which this would mean that the name of the river probably also derives from tidal Other local rivers such as the Rother deriving from the Anglo Saxon roder which means rower as in a long river clarification needed citation needed are also descriptive of the river and its surrounds The mouth of the river has not always been at Littlehampton Until the later fifteenth century it joined the River Adur at Lancing some ten miles to the east before entering the sea This estuary became blocked with shingle by the eastward drift of the tides pushing the Adur towards Shoreham by Sea while the Arun broke out at Worthing Goring and Ferring at various times until it formed its present estuary at Littlehampton between 1500 and 1530 9 Improvements edit The lower portion of the river from the sea to Ford was navigable in the eleventh century at the time of the Norman conquest In the sixteenth century Henry FitzAlan 19th Earl of Arundel built wharves at Ford and improved the river channel below there so that the town became a port Over the 30 years from 1544 he also improved the river as far upstream as Pallingham Quay Although the work involved a number of flash locks which were not very successful no tolls were charged for its use and vessels of around 15 tons were used to carry timber Attempts to make the river navigable up to Newbridge in the early sixteenth century were not successful 10 An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1732 the main emphasis of which was the improvement of the harbour of Littlehampton called Arundel Port but improvements to the first 5 75 miles 9 25 km of the river from the sea to Arundel were also authorised Commissioners were appointed with powers to erect piers and to cut a new channel to the sea through a sand bar The Act allowed them to charge tolls for use of the facilities and once the initial costs had been repaid one half of the tolls were to be used to maintain the harbour and the river channel up to Arundel 11 Although most ships were of 30 or 40 tons ships of up to 100 tons could reach Arundel as a result of the work and trade improved 12 The next Act to affect the river was obtained by a group of local men in 1785 Under the Act the proprietors were empowered to make the river navigable for 30 ton barges up to Newbridge They had no jurisdiction over the river from Arundel to Houghton bridge and could not charge tolls for use of the river up to Pallingham 13 There were 31 members of the proprietors who could raise 10 000 by issuing 100 shares worth 100 each Day to day oversight of the affairs of the navigation were managed by three proprietors with a half yearly meeting of the larger group 14 The purpose of the navigation was to carry coal chalk and lime upstream and agricultural produce in the other direction Rather than improve the river channel the navigation upstream of Pallingham consisted of a separate channel containing three locks and an aqueduct which carried the navigation over the river at Orfold The journey below Pallingham was made 3 miles 4 8 km shorter by cutting a new channel between Coldwaltham and Hardham This involved the construction of three more locks and a 375 yard 343 m tunnel The Pallingham to Newbridge section opened on 1 August 1787 while the Hardham cut was completed in mid 1790 The cost of the work was around 16 000 15 There were two proposals to extend the navigation at this time The first was for a canal to North Chapel to the north of Petworth in 1791 and the second was for a canal to Horsham in the following year The route was surveyed by John Rennie who estimated that it would cost 18 133 to build but negotiations with the existing proprietors failed and the scheme was dropped in 1794 13 Meanwhile a second Act of Parliament was obtained by the harbour commissioners in 1793 as there was serious silting of the estuary Groynes were constructed and the existing piers were made longer In addition a towpath was built from the mouth of the river up to Arundel 12 The Act stated that the capital borrowed to finance the harbour under the previous act had been repaid and that tolls would all be used for maintenance of the harbour and river up to Arundel once further borrowings had been repaid Because the inhabitants of Arundel had spent 28 300 on the harbour boats which belonged to the port of Arundel did not have to pay any tolls 16 As a result of the works the port of Arundel enjoyed its most prosperous period for the next thirty years with ships of 200 and 300 tons able to reach the town on spring tides Facilities improved and there were four docks by 1840 12 Operation edit nbsp Greatham Bridge with the navigable span on the extreme right Payment of dividends to shareholders began in 1792 and over the next five years tolls raised an average of 893 per year and the dividend was 3 1 per cent At this time George Wyndham 3rd Earl of Egremont was buying shares and having obtained one third of them he became chairman of the company He then stopped the payment of dividends so that the borrowed capital could be paid off more quickly Apart from an interim payment in 1821 dividends were not reinstated until 1830 13 In the 1790s Wyndham was responsible for the canalisation of the River Rother which joins the Arun at Stopham 17 and he also promoted the Wey and Arun Canal which was seen as part of a larger scheme to link London to Portsmouth an idea which had been contemplated several times since 1641 He chaired a meeting held at Guildford on 1 June 1811 at which it was decided to press ahead with the canal and put up 20 000 of the initial 90 500 estimated cost The canal opened in September 1816 but the estimated 100 000 tons of traffic passing between London and the dockyards at Portsmouth and the 30 000 tons of local traffic were far too optimistic with actual traffic averaging around 15 000 tons per year throughout its life 18 The London to Portsmouth route was to be completed by the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal in which Wyndham and the Cutfields who also held many shares in the Arun Navigation were both significant subscribers This was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1817 and an agreement was reached that the Arun would be improved to aid through traffic Nevertheless no work commenced on the Arun until the proprietors were sure that the Ford section of the new canal would actually be built Once they were convinced they obtained an Act of Parliament in May 1821 and the engineer James Hollingworth oversaw the improvements which were completed in mid 1823 The work involved improving the depth and width of the channel and some alterations to bridges and locks to make their size more uniform The company borrowed 3000 to finance the work which cost around 5000 in total The loans had been repaid by 1831 and the work allowed barge sizes to be increased from 30 tons to 40 tons with the result that business improved 19 Traffic increased as shown by the number of boats belonging to residents of Arundel There were 13 in 1801 which had increased to 15 by 1803 with a total tonnage of 266 A timber merchant called John Boxold owned barges in 1815 and 1832 while in 1820 a company began running regular freight services to London using three barges based near the town quay By 1823 they had ten barges which had reduced to seven by 1830 and barges ran twice weekly to Chichester London Midhurst and Petworth The company was variously called Seward and Co The Arundel Barge Co and several other names 12 Decline edit From the 1840s use of the river declined as a result of competition from the railways and changes in coastal shipping Littlehampton grew in importance as a port and after years of resistance by the people of Arundel the customs house was moved there in 1864 12 The Mid Sussex Railway opened their line from Horsham to Pulborough and Petworth in 1859 which was extended to Ford and Littlehampton in 1863 Receipts from tolls had peaked at 2044 for the five years from 1835 to 1840 when a dividend of 11 8 percent was paid but dropped quickly raising just 389 for years between 1870 and 1875 when the dividend was 1 percent 20 By 1852 the barge service to London only ran once a week and it had ceased altogether three years later Most vessels reaching Arundel were coasters rather than barges by 1886 and just 20 ships used the facilities that year 12 The Wey and Arun Canal closed in 1871 The proprietors of the upper river ceased to maintain the navigation from 1 January 1888 and the last barge passed through Hardham Tunnel on 29 January 1889 21 The river was abandoned as a navigation by a warrant issued as part of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act of 1888 The River Lark in Suffolk was the only other river navigation abandoned at that time 22 The Board of Trade issued a closing order in 1896 and after that there was no navigation authority responsible for the upper river However traffic did not cease entirely 21 Fifteen or twenty barges were still using the river in the 1880s although the upper reaches were no longer accessible Arundel docks silted up between 1875 and 1896 12 In 1898 the London Brighton and South Coast Railway who by this time were the owners of the railway from Horsham to Littlehampton drilled down into the tunnel where the main line and the branch to Midhurst crossed its course and poured tons of chalk into the tunnel to stabilise it 23 A trade in chalk and lime extracted from Amberley chalk pits continued into the early twentieth century Some ships were towed to Arundel by paddle tugs and imports of salt timber and coal for the gasworks continued Arundel was visited by its last steamer in 1914 and the last sailing vessel to reach the port did so three years later Passage of larger craft upstream was hindered by the construction of a swing bridge at Littlehampton in 1908 and prevented by a fixed railway bridge at Ford built in 1938 As freight traffic disappeared from the river Edward Slaughter who later became part of the company of Buller and Slaughter was hiring pleasure craft by 1903 and the company was still doing so in the 1990s 12 Present edit Authority for the river remains much as it was after 1896 with the Littlehampton Harbour Board responsible for the section from the mouth up to Arundel Bridge and no navigation authority for the river above that although the Environment Agency have responsibility for its drainage functions There are nine bridges with a minimum navigable headroom of between 8 feet 2 4 m and 5 feet 1 5 m at high water The river is tidal to Pallingham Quay 25 5 miles 41 0 km upstream from the sea at Littlehampton and flows at 4 to 6 knots 7 4 to 11 1 km h making it one of the fastest flowing rivers in the country The tidal range at Littlehampton is 17 feet 5 2 m at spring tides and 8 8 feet 2 7 m at neap tides High tide occurs 15 minutes later than high water at Dover and high water at Pulborough is four hours later than at Littlehampton 24 Charitable organisations edit The Arun amp Rother Rivers Trust ARRT is a charity set up in 2011 with objectives around education fisheries biodiversity access and pollution amongst other issues 25 The Wey and Arun Canal is being restored by the Wey and Arun Canal Trust which was set up in the 1970s The Wey and Arun Canal technically ended at Newbridge but the restoration will include the Arun Navigation section down to Pallingham to reach the River Arun 26 For many years the Solent and Arun Branch of the Inland Waterways Association organised an annual cruise on the river to ensure that the navigation rights were maintained Responsibility for its organisation has now been passed to the Wey and Arun Canal Trust 27 Route editAt 37 miles 60 km from its source to the sea the Arun is the longest of the rivers flowing entirely within Sussex 2 It rises as a series of streams known locally as ghylls or gills to the east of Horsham in St Leonard s Forest It flows westwards along the southern boundary of Horsham and turns briefly to the north to skirt Broadbridge Heath Continuing westwards it is joined at Nowhurst by the North River 28 with its headstreams in the heights of Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill in Surrey 29 and whose feeder streams include the River Oke Holden Brook and Standon Brook 28 After the junction the Arun passes under the A29 road which follows the route of the Roman Stane Street at this point and timber piles of a Roman bridge have been found in the riverbed 30 The earthworks from a Roman station are close by To the south of Rudgwick it is crossed by a disused railway line and at this point it crosses the 66 foot 20 m contour Its course is marked by winding meanders as it turns towards the south and the county boundary briefly follows its course the River Lox Loxwood Stream joins the Arun at Drungewick just before it is joined by the partially restored Wey and Arun Canal Its former course to the west of the canal can be clearly seen and is followed by the boundary but the main flow of the river follows a new straight cut just to the east of the canal Once the boundary crosses back over the canal the river resumes its meandering course on the eastern side of the canal 31 A little further to the south is another straight cut with the old course still visible on the other side of the canal Soon it reaches Newbridge on the A272 road near Wisborough Green The location of the wharf which was the northern terminus of the Arun Navigation was just to the south of the bridge Wharf Farm was nearby and the modern 1 2500 Ordnance Survey map shows buildings named The Old Wharf Brockhurst Brook joins from the east before the river turns briefly westwards Soon it is crossed by Orfold Aqueduct which carried the Arun Navigation over the river channel The River Kird joins it flowing from the north and it turns southwards again At Pallingham the remains of Pallingham Manor are on the north bank next to Pallingham Manor Farm 31 a 17th century timber framed farmhouse which is Grade II listed 32 Pallingham Quay Farmhouse another Grade II listed building dating from the 18th century 33 is on the west bank of the river just before its junction with the Arun Navigation cut Below the junction the river is tidal 31 Continuing southwards the river passes the gallops which are part of Coombelands Racing Stables situated on the eastern bank 31 and Park Mount a motte and bailey dating from the time of the Norman conquest It is one of the best preserved monuments of this type in south east England 34 The river is crossed by Stopham Bridge a fine medieval stone bridge built in 1422 23 The centre arch was raised as part of the improvements made to the navigation in 1822 It is a Grade I listed structure and also a Scheduled Ancient Monument It was damaged by army lorries in the Second World War but has been repaired 35 and the heavy traffic on the A283 road was diverted onto a new bridge just upstream of it in the 1980s Below the bridge is a small island after which an artificial cut built to avoid the circuitous route of the River Rother Navigation heads westwards The river now discharges over a weir at the site of the former Hardham corn mill to join the Arun a little further downstream and the junction is followed by another small island 31 Hardham lock was necessary because of the drop in levels caused by the mill and the branch through Hardham tunnel headed due south a little further up the Rother 36 Exploration of the tunnel was described by an article in Sussex County Magazine in 1953 when both ends were accessible and again in 2012 when only the southern end was explored A waterworks has been built over the bed of the canal at the northern end and the tunnel mouth is within the site 37 The river continues in a large loop to the east The Arun Valley railway line crosses it to reach Pulborough railway station There is another island with the A29 road crossing both channels Pulborough Brooks nature reserve is to the east of the loop and the course then meanders westwards to Greatham Bridge 31 The bridge consists of eight low elliptical arches two taller arches a cast iron span over the navigable channel and a solid ramp to the east Although its construction suggests that it is medieval most of the arches were erected in 1827 38 On the west bank of the river below the bridge is Waltham Brooks nature reserve Coldwaltham lock on the branch through the Hardham Tunnel is still marked on modern maps and the section from the lock to the river still holds water Just to the north of Amberley the river is crossed by the Arun Valley line again at Timberley Bridge At the village of Bury the West Sussex Literary Trail joins the western bank and another footpath joins the eastern bank The next bridge is Houghton Bridge close to Amberley railway station The river splits into two channels here and the bridge spans both 31 Similar to Greatham Bridge it looks medieval but was built in 1875 There is a solid section on the island between the channels with a single arch over the eastern channel and four arches over the main river 39 The chalk pits which provided trade to the navigation are now the location of Amberley Museum amp Heritage Centre a 36 acre 15 ha site with many items of industrial heritage on display 40 The river follows an S shaped course the northern loop encircling the village of North Stoke and the south one encircling South Stoke Immediately to the south the old course passes under the railway line but a new channel was cut to the west of the railway On the west bank is the hamlet of Offham and Arundel Wetland Centre a 65 acre 26 ha haven for birds which is run by the Wildfowl amp Wetlands Trust 41 The market town of Arundel is to the west of the river It has a castle build on a motte the construction of which was started in 1068 It is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk 42 The present building consists of many different components dating from the late eleventh century through to the nineteenth and is Grade I listed 43 Two bridges span the river here the first on the original road through the town while the second carries the A284 Arundel Bypass The final section is crossed by a railway bridge built in 1908 and the A259 road bridge which carries the road into Littlehampton on the east bank It discharges into the English Channel between the East and West Piers 31 Littlehampton and its harbour were guarded from naval attack by Littlehampton Redoubt on the western bank at the mouth of the river completed in 1854 which is now screened from the open sea by Climping sand dunes This fort replaced a seven gun battery on the east bank which was built in 1764 44 Water quality editThe Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England Each is given an overall ecological status which may be one of five levels high good moderate poor and bad There are several components that are used to determine this including biological status which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates angiosperms and fish Chemical status which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations is rated good or fail 45 The water quality of the River Arun system was as follows in 2019 Section Ecological Status Chemical Status Length Catchment Channel Arun Source 46 Poor Fail 9 8 miles 15 8 km 16 72 square miles 43 3 km2 Boldings Brook 47 Poor Fail 6 9 miles 11 1 km 12 59 square miles 32 6 km2 Arun Horsham 48 Poor Fail 4 5 miles 7 2 km 7 01 square miles 18 2 km2 North River 49 Moderate Fail 15 5 miles 24 9 km 21 49 square miles 55 7 km2 Loxwood Stream 50 Poor Fail 12 1 miles 19 5 km 18 66 square miles 48 3 km2 Kird 51 Poor Fail 16 5 miles 26 6 km 26 91 square miles 69 7 km2 Arun U S Pallingham 52 Moderate Fail 21 1 miles 34 0 km 33 75 square miles 87 4 km2 Arun downstream Pallingham Weir 53 Moderate Fail 2 6 miles 4 2 km 4 64 square miles 12 0 km2 Chilt 54 Moderate Fail 3 3 miles 5 3 km 4 19 square miles 10 9 km2 Stor 55 Moderate Fail 3 1 miles 5 0 km 7 75 square miles 20 1 km2 Black Ditch W Sussex 56 Poor Fail 5 4 miles 8 7 km 17 94 square miles 46 5 km2 Ryebank Rife 57 Moderate Fail 4 6 miles 7 4 km 5 09 square miles 13 2 km2 Arun 58 Moderate Fail heavily modified The reasons for the quality being less than good include sewage discharge affecting most of the river physical modification of the channel and run off of nutrients from agriculture and land management Like many rivers in the UK the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019 due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDE perfluorooctane sulphonate PFOS and mercury compounds none of which had previously been included in the assessment Points of interest editMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates Point Coordinates Links to map resources OS Grid Ref Notes Source of Pyefall Gill 51 04 32 N 0 14 21 W 51 0755 N 0 2391 W 51 0755 0 2391 Source of Pyefall Gill TQ234321 one of several tributary streams Railway bridge in Horsham 51 03 27 N 0 19 46 W 51 0576 N 0 3294 W 51 0576 0 3294 Railway bridge in Horsham TQ171300 Junction with North River 51 04 46 N 0 24 17 W 51 0794 N 0 4048 W 51 0794 0 4048 Junction with North River TQ118323 Course diverted when canal built 51 03 49 N 0 28 52 W 51 0636 N 0 4812 W 51 0636 0 4812 Course diverted when canal built TQ065304 Newbridge Wharf 51 01 20 N 0 28 38 W 51 0221 N 0 4772 W 51 0221 0 4772 Newbridge Wharf TQ069258 Terminus of Arun Navigation Lording s Aqueduct 51 00 40 N 0 29 34 W 51 0110 N 0 4927 W 51 0110 0 4927 Lording s Aqueduct TQ058245 carried navigation over river Start of Arun Navigation 50 58 57 N 0 31 25 W 50 9824 N 0 5235 W 50 9824 0 5235 Start of Arun Navigation TQ037213 Junction with River Rother Navigation 50 57 13 N 0 31 57 W 50 9535 N 0 5326 W 50 9535 0 5326 Junction with River Rother Navigation TQ031181 North end of Hardham Tunnel branch 50 57 01 N 0 31 53 W 50 9504 N 0 5314 W 50 9504 0 5314 North end of Hardham Tunnel branch TQ032177 Pulborough loop 50 57 12 N 0 30 12 W 50 9533 N 0 5033 W 50 9533 0 5033 Pulborough loop TQ052181 South end of Hardham Tunnel branch 50 55 49 N 0 32 43 W 50 9302 N 0 5452 W 50 9302 0 5452 South end of Hardham Tunnel branch TQ023155 Amberley Quarry wharf 50 53 47 N 0 32 39 W 50 8965 N 0 5441 W 50 8965 0 5441 Amberley Quarry wharf TQ024117 Arundel wharfs 50 51 11 N 0 33 18 W 50 8531 N 0 5551 W 50 8531 0 5551 Arundel wharfs TQ018069 Littlehampton Harbour piers 50 48 00 N 0 32 30 W 50 8001 N 0 5418 W 50 8001 0 5418 Littlehampton Harbour piers TQ028010 Jn with English ChannelSee also edit nbsp United Kingdom portal nbsp Transport portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to River Arun Rivers of the United Kingdom Geography of SussexBibliography editBoyes John Russell Ronald 1977 The Canals of Eastern England David and Charles ISBN 978 0 7153 7415 3 Cumberlidge Jane 2009 Inland Waterways of Great Britain 8th Ed Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson ISBN 978 1 84623 010 3 Ekwall Eilert 1968 English River Names Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0198691198 Goodsall Robert H 1962 The Arun and Western Rother London Constable ISBN 978 9999000208 Hadfield Charles 1969 The Canals of South and South East England David and Charles ISBN 0 7153 4693 8 Hillier J 1951 Old Surrey Watermills London Skeffington and Son ISBN unspecified Hudson T P ed 1977 A History of the County of Sussex Volume 5 Part 1 Arundel Rape south western part including Arundel Victoria County History ISBN 978 0 19 722781 7 Ikins Thomas G 2007 The Roman Map of Britain Archived from the original on 8 September 2013 Retrieved 22 January 2013 Marshall A G Norris W 1953 Canoeing under Sussex Sussex County Magazine 128 Archived from the original on 4 January 2014 Priestley Joseph 1831 Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers Canals and Railways of Great Britain Archived from the original on 13 March 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Vine P A L 1986 London s Lost Route to the Sea David and Charles ISBN 978 0 7153 8778 8 Vine P A L 1995 London s Lost Route to Midhurst The Earl of Egremont s Navigation Sutton Publishing ISBN 978 0 7509 0968 6 Vine P A L 2007 The Arun Navigation Tempus Publishing ISBN 978 0 7524 4323 2 Whittington Jim January 2012 Going Underground Hardham Tunnel Waterways World ISSN 0309 1422 References edit Arun Valley Ramsar Sites Information Service Archived from the original on 14 June 2020 Retrieved 25 April 2018 a b Vine 2007 p 7 a b Ikins 2007 Ekwall 1968 p 418 Hudson 1977 pp 10 101 Arundel Open Domesday Arundel haern Bosworth Toller Anglo Saxon Dictionary online dell Bosworth Toller Anglo Saxon Dictionary online Vine 1986 p 20 Hadfield 1969 pp 124 125 Priestley 1831 p 28 a b c d e f g h Hudson 1977 pp 10 101 Port and River Traffic a b c Hadfield 1969 p 125 Priestley 1831 pp 26 27 Hadfield 1969 p 125 Priestley 1831 pp 28 29 Hadfield 1969 p 127 Hadfield 1969 pp 132 134 Hadfield 1969 pp 136 138 Hadfield 1969 pp 125 126 a b Hadfield 1969 p 126 Boyes amp Russell 1977 p 182 Marshall amp Norris 1953 pp 128 257 Cumberlidge 2009 pp 58 59 Home Page Arun and Rother Rivers Trust Archived from the original on 7 March 2018 Retrieved 28 March 2014 Cumberlidge 2009 pp 328 330 Maintaining the right to navigate on the River Arun Wey and Arun Canal Trust Archived from the original on 12 February 2017 Retrieved 11 December 2012 a b Goodsall 1962 Hillier 1951 Bridge Piles Romans in Sussex Sussex Archaeological Society Archived from the original on 21 February 2012 Retrieved 26 December 2012 a b c d e f g h Ordnance Survey 1 25 000 map Historic England Pallingham Manor Farm 1227260 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 11 December 2012 Historic England Pallingham Quay Farm 1227360 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 11 December 2012 Historic England Motte and bailey castle in Pulborough Park 1017547 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 22 January 2013 Historic England Stopham Bridge Pulborough 1226929 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 23 January 2012 Ordnance Survey 1 2500 map 1876 available here Whittington 2012 pp 78 79 Historic England Greatham Bridge Parham 1354015 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 11 December 2012 Historic England Houghton Bridge Amberley 1027476 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 12 December 2012 Welcome to Amberley Museum Amberley Museum amp Heritage Centre Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 Retrieved 13 December 2012 WWT Arundel Wetland Centre Wildfowl amp Wetlands Trust Archived from the original on 5 November 2012 Retrieved 13 December 2012 The Castle Arundel Castle Trustees Archived from the original on 27 December 2012 Retrieved 13 December 2012 Historic England Arundel Castle 1027926 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 12 December 2012 Historic England Littlehampton Fort 1005809 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 22 January 2013 Glossary see Biological quality element Chemical status and Ecological status Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 15 May 2017 Arun Source Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Boldings Brook Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Arun Horsham Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 North River Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Loxwood Stream Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Kird Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Arun U S Pallingham Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Arun downstream Pallingham Weir Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Chilt Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Stor Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Black Ditch W Sussex Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Ryebank Rife Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 Arun Catchment Data Explorer Environment Agency Retrieved 27 November 2021 External links editGupta Sanjeev et al 2008 Submerged Palaeo Arun River Reconstruction of Prehistoric Landscapes Archaeology Data Service for Imperial College London and English Heritage doi 10 5284 1000025 Archived from the original on 6 March 2016 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help 50 48 05 N 0 32 31 W 50 80139 N 0 54194 W 50 80139 0 54194 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title River Arun amp oldid 1193965787, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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