al Lib al Lib n ra n ra io r io r t i t i e e

a a s s

N

N

D

D n F n F t

t O

O a o

a o

n

n

y

y e c e

c s

s i K

n i K

n u u u u

c s c s

o o

O

O

F F

n n

n

l Li n l Lib b a F

a F

n ra n ra O o O

o o o r i c r s i c s National Libraries Day in Kent u National Libraries Day in Kent t i u t i e e

a a I was a part of it s I was a part of it s

N

N D

D

t

Farmingt Tourism

a

a

River n

n

y

y a a n e e n l

l i K

n i K

o L n o L ti ib River Medway ti ib a r a r

N a N a r

r I was I was

i

i

t

t

e

e Bill Thompson manages over 520 ha of The National Trust has a new directive of

n

n

s

s a part a part

Yalding e

e Teise

D

D

K

K

a a arable farmland on 9 farms in the Teise getting outdoors and closer to nature to n y i

n y i of it of it catchment area based from Broadoak encourage people and families into the Our river Farm near Goudhurst. countryside. The Scotney Estate has done Linton many things over the last few years to His crops of wheat, beans and oilseed achieve this. River Teise rape require sprays to reduce pests and increase yields. To reduce the impact River Beult These include self guided walks designed River Teise catchment area of these on the environment, Bill has Tonbridge to take in the different aspects of the invested in a couple of Bio-beds. property, including the stunning Grade 1 listed Parkland, beautiful woodlands A concrete base has been constructed The River Teise is a tributary of the River Medway, and coppice and the only Trust owned and used to mix chemicals and wash flowing from its spring sources near Tunbridge Wells Marden Mill working hop farm. in the High Weald, to join the Medway at Yalding in sprayers and tanks. The base drains the wash into a storage tank from where it is Stream Head Ranger Ross Wingfield says “we cater the Low Weald. pumped out through a porous hose over Lower Teise for all ages now, as this year we have put It flows eastwards through Lamberhurst where it a bed composed of layers of soil, compost in a den building area and a short route and straw. This bed acts as a filter and Marden with natural play, which include balance is joined by the River Bewl before heading north helps reduce the amount of chemicals Paddock posts and rope walks. We have also below Goudhurst before splitting south west of Wood al Lib leaching from the fields and into the n ra installed a number of Geochaches on the io r t i e

a s

N

Marden, creating the Lesser and Greater Teise. The water system. D n F Estate in the last couple of years and these

t O

a o

n

y

e c s i K

n u u Lesser Teise, the larger of the two watercourses, c s are always a fun way of getting out

Teise and o

This cheap and effective solution to O

F

heads north via Collier Street, and joins the River n and about.”

l Lib n

a F

reduce diffuse pollution in the Teise Lesser Teise n ra O o o r i c s National Libraries Day in Kent t i u e a

Beult at Benover, before joining the River Medway. I was a part of it s

catchment area is a good example of N D A lot of our walks take you along or near

Recreationt

a

n

a y n e l i K

o L n The Greater Teise heads north, passing to the east catchment sensitive farming practices. ti ib both the River Bewl and the River Teise, a r Grants are available to help farmers and N a where you will get the chance to see

of Paddock Wood before joining the Medway near r I was

i

t e

n The Teise Anglers’ and Owners’ Association

landowners to reduce pollutants entering s a part some great wildlife. If you are very lucky,

e

Yalding, upstream of the Lesser Teise. D

K

a n y i water courses, whether organic or of it has fishing rights on six miles of the River you may even spot a kingfisher, water vole The underlying impervious Wadhurst clay adds inorganic. Teise between Horsmonden and Marden. or even an otter!” to a high flood risk around the confluence of the Horsmonden The society has existed since 1949 and Teise, Beult and Medway at Yalding and a significant its members enjoy fly fishing for wild and number of properties are also at risk at Paddock stocked trout in idyllic Kentish countryside. River Teise Wood and Lamberhurst. The Society also introduced grayling to the river more than 20 years ago and Successive land drainage improvement schemes there is now a flourishing population. have widened, straightened and deepened the Goudhurst In the winter months, members enjoy Upper Teise course fishing for chub, roach and other Teise, creating a modified and meandering channel Lamberhurst species on selected stretches. Some with a wide flood plain of pasture, orchards and members have also reported catching the wooded land. Tributary occasional sea trout. There is no reason al Lib l Li of the Teise why sea trout shouldn’t run up the river n ra a br io r n a t i io r e

i a

t s e

The Teise total catchment area is over 136km², of a N

s

D n F

given the correct habitat and few barriers t

O

N

a o

D

n F n y t

O e c

s a o i K

n

n

y u e c s i u K

n u which Bewl Water Reservoir occupies 3%, villages u along the route from the sea. c s

c s

o O

o

O F

and urban areas constitute 4% and woodland and F n

n

l Lib n

na r F The members have a keen interest in the n a

L O l i o b

a F o r

i c r s

n a National Libraries Day in Kent i u O t o o r e i c s

National Libraries Day in Kent i u a t I was a part of it s

arable land making up most of the remaining area. e

a N

I was a part of it s

river environment and have begun a series D

t

Local Authority N a

D

History n

y

t a

n e

l

a i K

n

n o L

a y i n e l i K

n i tio Li of small scale improvements includingat b a b r The catchment area includes 11 parishes with an r N a a Bartley Mill Stream

N removal of Himalayan Balsam and r I was

i r

t

I was e

i

t

estimated population of 25,000 living within it. e Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s

The River Teise passes a number of historic n

bankside management. They also monitors a part

n

e s

a part D

e K

D

a

n y i

K of it overriding objective for the Teise Valley is landmarks on its way through a landscape a n y i of it invertebrate populations and the variation al Lib shaped by history since Roman times “to protect and enhance the landscape n ra in flow levels, maintaining discussions io r t i e a

s including ancient iron workings, furnaces character and restore it where it has

N

D n F with Southern water with the aim of

t O

a o

n

y e c s

i

K

n u u and mills. improving the condition of the Teise. been eroded”.

c s Wadhurst

o

O

F

n It flows through the grounds of Bayham Long-term enhancements aim to:

l Lib n

a F

n ra O o o r i c s National Libraries Day in Kent t i u e

a

I was a part of it s Abbey, designed by Humphrey Repton in

N D

Watert

a • Restore a natural river profile

n

a y n e l i K tio Li n the 18th Century and including the ruins b al Lib a r n ra Whilst barn owl populations fluctuate, and improve the aquatic and marginal io r a of the old Abbey, built in the early 13th t i N e

a

s r

I was

N habitats, including removal of invasive

D

i n

t F t

e O kingfishers are widespread and the

Bewl Water is part of a complex water a o

n

century by Premonstratensian monks. y

e c

n s i K

n

s a part u

u e

D non-native species.

c s K characteristic steep banks provide the resource system built in the early 1970’s a n y i

of it o O

From there it winds its way through F

to supply drinking water to some of the n right conditions for their nesting habits.

l Lib n • Encourage regeneration of bankside

a F

n ra O o o r i c s Lamberhurst, a village developed on the National Libraries Day in Kent u t i driest parts of the UK. During the winter, e a

I was a part of it s vegetation and restoration of former

N

D Recently there have been some records of

Wildlifet a

back of the cloth industry in the late 13th n

a y

n e l i K water is pumped out of the Medway at io Li n valley habitats such as wet meadows at b otters returning to the river and water vole Smallbridge and Yalding into Bewl Water. century, and the Scotney Estate where it is r N a and permanent pasture.

r I was sightings – a sure sign the water quality

joined by the River Bewl which flows from i t

It is then released from the reservoir e

n The river holds a surprisingly wide variety

s a part and habitat conditions are improving.

e

Bewl Water reservoir. D • Consider opportunities for re-creation K

during the summer when additional a n y i of it of fish species including bream which Mink have also been spotted near the river water is needed to supply abstraction of species-rich valley grasslands using Scotney Castle dates from 1378 and was are more commonly associated with still and these present a danger to our native at Springfield, Maidstone. seed of local provenance. partially dismantled to create a garden waters, perhaps indicative of sluggish river wildlife, as do signal crayfish and water caused by weirs and the lack of At times this generates artificial and feature when the new residence was invasive plants like Himalayan Balsam and More recently TWBC has identified the natural river features. There are also many unnatural flows, acutely experienced completed in 1843. Giant Hogweed which require controlling. Teise corridor as an opportunity to pike in the river and a 16lb fish was caught on the River Bewl. Current studies by increase access and enhance water quality Beyond Scotney, the river passes close some years ago - a very big fish for such Southern Water and the Environment within its draft Green Infrastructure Plan. to Finchcocks, the early Georgian manor a small river! The river supports a small Agency are looking at options for making The project will help deliver objectives in house dating from 1725, which contains population of wild brown trout which the flow regime on the River Bewl the Plan and so is particularly welcome at a fine collection of historical musical breed independently of the fish stocked more natural. this time. instruments. for angling in the river. They have existed in the river in some form for thousands of years and require clean water and good habitat to survive.