Frays River

Frays River is a semi-canalised short river in England that branches off the River Colne at Uxbridge Moor and rejoins it at West Drayton. The river is believed to be a mostly man-made anabranch to feed watermills in the Parish of Hillingdon. The name is originates from John Fray who owned Cowley Hall beside the river in the fifteenth century. Other names for the river are the Uxbridge and Cowley Mill Stream, the Cowley Stream or the Colham Mill Stream. In the 17th century the river powered five mills.[1] The most southerly mill, Drayton Mill in West Drayton Parish, was mentioned in Domesday Book and was used for flour milling, paper-making and the manufacture of millboard. It ceased operation in about 1923.[2]

The river in Uxbridge

Frays River
Frays River in Frays Farm Meadows
Location
CountryEngland
CountyBuckinghamshire, London Borough of Hillingdon
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationRiver Colne, Denham Weir, Buckinghamshire
 • coordinates51.5661°N 0.4832°W / 51.5661; -0.4832
 • elevation35 m (115 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
River Colne, West Drayton
 • coordinates
51.4995°N 0.4848°W / 51.4995; -0.4848
 • elevation
24 m (79 ft)
Length5.5 mi (8.9 km)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftRiver Pinn

Course

The Frays River leaves the River Colne east of Denham, Buckinghamshire at Denham Weir. It passes through Frays Farm Meadows, Uxbridge, Cowley, Yiewsley and West Drayton. At Cowley the Grand Union Canal mainline is carried over the river in an aqueduct at Cowley lock. The Frays continues south, flowing past Little Britain Lake on its western side before crossing under the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal which is also carried above it in an aqueduct. In Yiewsley it is joined on its east bank by the River Pinn. It then re-joins the River Colne at West Drayton.

View of the river from the aqueduct on the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal in Yiewsley

Ecology

The river goes through two Sites of Special Scientific Interest managed by the London Wildlife Trust: Frays Farm Meadows [3] and Denham Lock Wood.[4] Frays Island between the Frays and the River Colne in West Drayton is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and is also managed by the trust.[5]

Literary connections

George Orwell once taught at Frays College, Uxbridge, which was on the banks of the river.[6]

See also

References
  1. "A History of the County of Middlesex Volume 4, Hillingdon, including Uxbridge: Economic and social history". www.british-history.ac.uk. London: Victoria County History. 1971. pp. 75–82. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. West Drayton: Mills, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3 (1962), pp. 196. Date accessed: 26 October 2008
  3. "Frays Farm Meadows". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. "Denham Lock Woods". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. "Frays Island and Mabey's meadow". www.wildlondon.org.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  6. Peter Stansky and William Abrahams The Unknown George Orwell

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.