Why England’s historic chalk streams matter.
With super clean fluids being the key to quality hydraulics, Sarum Hydraulics knows the benefits of filtration using our own stainless steel filter units. In Salisbury, where we are known for the iconic John Constable painting of the River Avon and its timeless water meadows in front of Salisbury Cathedral, wonderfully filtered and beautifully clear chalk streams are still an important feature in the lives of most local people. Whether you are a fisherman, a walker or simply enjoying a quiet drink down at the pub down by the river, there is no denying that we are spoilt round here, in the city where five rivers meet having run through a series of ancient chalk valleys prior to their arrival.
Our previous blog explored the local ancient water meadows at Harnham and the essential role they played in the blockbuster wool trade of Salisbury’s medieval past. Running through the most wonderful Wiltshire landscape, locations such as Heale House next to the River Avon in the Woodford Valley (just north of Salisbury) is for us the epitome of the local landscape, defined by our clear chalk streams. Drive slightly further up through Woodford valley and you will find Wilsford Cum Lake, again on the River Avon and popular with nature lovers and rock stars a plenty. Sting certainly made a good call when he chose to live in Lake House overlooking the river in this village!
Look slightly further afield and one is greeted by the River Test which runs through chalk down past Whitchurch, through Stockbridge and down to the sea at Southampton. These chalk streams are our heritage.
The beauty of the chalk streams lies in the crystal waters that occur as the water is filtered to perfection through the chalk. Who needs this beautiful clear water? Top of the list are the trout, long time fans of these pure streams and arguably the rivers most beloved residents. Whilst paling in significance compared to the majestic trout, Mankind too have long since appreciated the virtues of the rivers’ clear nectar. Mills have been a fixture on these streams since Roman times. The historic paper mill at Laverstoke between Overton and Whitchurch was once the major source of paper for bank notes throughout the world but has now moved into a new era as the Bombay Sapphire Gin distillery, which we highly recommend for a visit. Whilst the gin is marvellous, the river is the star. We’ll all drink to that.
Bombay Saphire Distillery
The abstraction of water from these chalk streams continues to be an issue that pits conservationists against utilities and governments. The reality is that it is very attractive to draw (or “abstract”) fresh water from chalk as it needs relatively little treatment compared with that from a surface reservoir. If we are to preserve our region’s heritage as the home of more than half of the world’s chalk streams, more must be done to make sure that abstraction of water is sustainable. Conservationists and indeed a lot of country people would say that damage has been done and too much water is being taken. It would be nice to know the answer.
A couple of miles down from the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery on the Test is the Whitchurch Silk Mill. Having previously played a major role in the Silk Trade, the Mill remains a fully functional feature of the chalk stream. Recently, the Mill was the location for innovate tech start up ioLight’s successful Crowdcube crowd-funding video for their smart wireless microscope. ioLight’s recent launch has signalled exciting times for the development of mobile connected microscopic technology using smart phone techniques in this miniature scientific instrument. Could this make a difference in microscopy in education? We think yes! We will be keeping an eye on this local tech company and what looks like a step forward in microscopy with this innovative pocket size instrument that connects to all your wireless devices. What’s not to love?
IoLight Microscope image of a Flea
Life is simpler here at Sarum Hydraulics, where our Micropac ® hydraulic hand pumps do all the work for us. Fit one of our hardy MX series stainless steel high pressure line filters in your system and keep your components clean. Low corrosion stainless steel, filtration excellent value and an industry standard filter element available anywhere in the world, not only in the chalk streams of Wiltshire. Bliss
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