The River Darent

Darent River Preservation Society

The River Darent – ‘a silver thread running through Kent’ and one of nine chalk streams in Great Britain providing excellent water

Thames Water monitor Augmentation flows from bore holes and from the surface along the river, checking the flow of water at various points along the river. They can extract up to 14 mega litres a day and in October, the flow was 122%, which is above average.

Steve Barrow from the Environment Agency spoke somewhat on the River, with much of his presentation being about the River from Sevenoaks as far as perhaps Farningham and Horton Kirby. Darenth and Hawley were mentioned regarding the Hawley Pumping Station. The are no plans for the EA to spend any money for on-going maintenance. It was stated that the River, when flowing through Darenth, needed maintenance and was in a poor state.

Chris Gardner from South East River Trust gave a good speech and explained that they monitor many rivers but the Darent and Cray work very much in tandem. He is currently overseeing the restoration of the River where it flows through Dartford Park, which is now completed. I suggested that the River needs attention in Darenth and I am arranging to meet him where the River splits in two and through the Darenth Mill Estate.

Further updates will follow. 

More information regarding the work of DRiPS can be found at http://www.darent-drips.org.uk/

Councillor Tom Hicks

Darenth Parish Council