The brook appears on the ‘Mapp of Kingswood Chace’ of 1672.
It is also mentioned in the boundary of King’s Chase described in The
Government survey manuscript of 1652, “… … and soe on behind John Lester's
cott and garden unto Cadimore brook and soe windinge alonge by ye enclosed lands unto Hannam lane … …”
The lower course of the brook is known from the rear of the Maypole
Pub. It can be seen as a deep gully from the bottom of Laburnum Rd. carpark.
This gully now carries little more than surface water. There was a
spring on the eastern bank (i.e. the western edge of the Kleen-e-ze site). It
passes under the dip in New Walk (formerly Short’s Lane) and behind
Plowright House crossing Memorial Road in a culvert through the old pit
yard and discharging into the Avon.
The Upper Course
A Brook needs to emerge as a spring from a substantial reservoir of ground
water. Unfortunately this brook was greatly affected by the Miners of
Kingswood who mined their ‘Levels’ for draining the workings. Beneath
Kingswood Hill there were at least 10 miles of such drains by 1750 bringing
the unwanted water out to the brooks that run on the East and West borders
into the river Avon.
The south side of the hill is drained by Potter ’s Level and Cool’s Level into
the Stradbrook valley through Magpie Bottom. However I am aware of a
patch of ground at the entrance to the allotments below Hanham Mount that
is always wet and bad for vehicles in the winter. The water comes from a
rocky place supporting the roadway in front of No. 55 Mounthill Rd. -
(This is the band of hard rock that forms the escarpment ridge continuing
into Cockroad Ridge Public Open Space where there are still some
groundwater sources and ponds.)
I believe that this was the primary source of the brook which then flowed in
a very winding track, first westerly parallel to Mounthill Rd (with the watery
Withy bed to the south of it), then turning sharply south behind the Queen’s
Head Pub. - Next there was a turn to the south-east to the end of Tudor Rd.
where after 200 metres south it went due west again behind Holmwood and
the Methodist Chapel and tending west by south on the eastern boundary of
houses on the east side of Lower Hanham Rd.
It crossed through the Co-op Nos. 35/37 High St. and east of the
gate on the east side of the Maypole Pub. (About No.30/32 High St.)
Another small tributary from near Wilshire Avenue crossed Beechwood Ave.
and Victoria Rd to join it at a point west of the rear boundary of number 18.
The Origin of the Name Cadimore is found on the old tithe map where
Caddy Moor is a large expanse of grassland from Tabernacle Rd. to
Beechwood Ave. bounded on the north by the Withy Bed (Woodyleaze) and
on the south by Tudor Rd. / Alexandra Rd.
The Name Caddy could refer to the presence of swarms of Caddis Fly that
inhabit upland pools and streams. There were many streams and pools along
the flanks of Kingswood Hill before the miners lowered the water-table by
draining their workings.
Origin to be acknowledged.
Caddis Fly example: -One of about six kinds of Caddis Fly that inhabit upland pools and streams in Britain, The Larvae build cases from stones or vegetation. When the adults emerge from the water in spring masses often congregate on waterside vegetation.
Roger Williams. 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment