The Freshney is not the river it used to be

WITH reference to the Telegraph article about the planning application to build 3,500 homes in the River Freshney valley area, not many people know or are perhaps not interested in the fact that the River Freshney is a chalkstream.

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There are only around two hundred chalkstreams worldwide and 85 per cent are in England, none further north than Driffield Beck in East Yorkshire I believe. They are recognised as very rare and valuable ecology systems.

The River Freshney source is at Welbeck Springs, which are more often than not dry, situated on the south side of the A18 road near Laceby.

In the early part of the last century it was quoted as being one of the finest chalkstreams in England. It makes its way to Laceby village and flows under the road bridge as you approach Laceby market square.

It then passes through the countryside and the bottom of the field behind Morrisons superstore skirting two ponds (the Freshney Valley) nearing the Wybers Wood area and passes under the bridge on the road to Great Coates.