River Biss
| River Biss | |
|---|---|
 The River Biss flowing under the town bridge inTrowbridge | |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Region | Wiltshire |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | nearUpton Scudamore,Wiltshire |
| • coordinates | 51°13′42″N2°11′40″W/ 51.22833°N 2.19444°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Staverton, Wiltshire |
• coordinates | 51°20′12″N2°12′56″W/ 51.33667°N 2.21556°W |
| Length | 18.385 km (11.424 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Staverton, Wiltshire |
TheRiver Bissis a small river inWiltshire,England and is a tributary of theBristol Avon.The name is of uncertain origin; it is claimed that the word is from theOld Norsebisa,meaning "to strive".[1]
Progress
[edit]The river rises nearUpton Scudamore[2]on the western side ofSalisbury Plain,at Biss Bottom,[3]as theBiss Brook,[4]and flows northwards passingWestburytowardsTrowbridge.As it reachesYarnbrookthe brook becomes the River Biss.[5]
TheBaptist churchatNorth Bradleylies close to the River Biss and in the 19th century river baptisms took place with over 2000 in attendance; the bridge here is still called 'The Baptising'.[6]
The river enters the centre of Trowbridge from the south-east through theBiss Meadows Country Park.[7]For a semi-urban location, the country park has a very rich variety of wildlife and includes areas of three UKBiodiversity Action Planpriority habitats[8]). Here the country park acts as an important flood plain as well as an amenity space. Passing through Biss Meadows it skirts round a pond (renovated in 2012 by the Friends[9]), passes over a weir, skirts around the Tesco Extra car park (in 1993 the river was diverted here) and then flows under the County Way dual carriageway.
It then flows through theTown Park,where a small constituent lake is haunt to wildfowl, before passing behind shops and industrial buildings in aRiverside Walkwhich was opened in 1993 by theDuke of Edinburgh.[10]The walk is now largely an overgrowntarmacpath for which improvements have been suggested.[11]Before leaving the centre of Trowbridge, the Biss flows under the Town Bridge in roughly the location of the original river crossing which gives the town its name; in this area the river is home to theyellow water lilyknown as "Brandy Bottle"after the shape of its fruit and its characteristic scent.
Although Trowbridge is a former woollen cloth manufacturing town, for which a supply of water was required, the Biss was never substantial enough to satisfy the demands of that industry.[12]However, there was an attempt to supply the town; the Trowbridge Water Company was formed and piped water was turned on in the town on 30 September 1874. Supplies were inadequate, however, and the venture failed.[13]The company had premises inWaterworks Road,now a residential area.
On leaving the town centre, the Biss continues northwards through the Ladydown area. It is crossed by theKennet and Avon Canalat theBiss Aqueductbefore flowing into the River Avon inWidbrook Wood,south ofStaverton.
Notes
[edit]- ^Longstaff, John C. (1911).Notes on Wiltshire Names.Bradford on Avon:Library Press. p. 127.
- ^"Source".Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2006.
- ^Bodman, James (1814).A Concise History of Trowbridge.
- ^"Victoria County History - Wiltshire - Vol 8 pp139-148 - Westbury: Introduction".British History Online.University of London.Retrieved12 December2015.
- ^"Ordnance Survey sheet ST85 (1958)".National Library of Scotland.Retrieved12 December2015.
- ^"Baptist church".Retrieved14 December2007.
- ^"Biss Meadows Country Park".Archived fromthe originalon 4 September 2012.
- ^"Botanical Survey July 2010 - 2 page summary"(PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^"Friends of Biss Meadows Country Park".Archived fromthe originalon 6 May 2015.Retrieved24 November2012.
- ^Trowbridge Town Council & Environment Agency information board at Trowbridge Library
- ^"Project aims for river revamp, Wiltshire Times, 7th November 2007".
- ^"Trowbridge".Wiltshire Community History.Wiltshire Council.Retrieved1 May2023.
- ^"Trowbridge Water Company".Retrieved14 December2007.
References
[edit]- Trowbridge Nature Trail,leaflet published jointly byWest Wiltshire District Counciland theTrowbridge Civic Society.