Lam Brook | |
Lambroc - Anglo-Saxon | |
stream | |
Mill Farm on the upper reaches of the Lam Brook
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Country | England |
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Region | West of England |
Municipality | Bath |
Source | |
- location | Lansdown, Bath, South Gloucestershire, England |
- elevation | 656 ft (200 m) |
- coordinates | 51°25′03″N 2°23′33″W / 51.4175°N 2.3926°W |
Secondary source | |
- location | Cold Ashton, South Gloucestershire, England |
- elevation | 610 ft (186 m) |
- coordinates | 51°26′45″N 2°22′12″W / 51.4458°N 2.3699°W |
Additional source | St Johns Wood |
- location | Toghill, South Gloucestershire, England |
- elevation | 580 ft (177 m) |
- coordinates | 51°26′48″N 2°23′18″W / 51.4467°N 2.3883°W |
Mouth | Bristol Avon |
- location | Lambridge, Bath, England |
- elevation | 60 ft (18 m) |
- coordinates | 51°23′44″N 2°20′21″W / 51.3955°N 2.3393°WCoordinates: 51°23′44″N 2°20′21″W / 51.3955°N 2.3393°W |
Length | 2.5 mi (4 km), southerly |
River system | Bristol Avon |
The Lam Brook is a stream in the West Country of England, which rises in a number of springs on the southern end of the Cotswold Hills and runs in a generally southerly direction for approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) before joining the river Avon at Lambridge in Bath. The brook is mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter of indeterminate date. There is evidence of watermills in the Swainswick valley but no working examples survive. The waters are relatively clean and support a variety of wildlife including the rare white-clawed crayfish.
Streams from a number of springs issuing from the southern end of the Cotswold Hills at Lansdown, Toghill and Cold Ashton in South Gloucestershire converge at Ashcombe Farm near Langridge and the Lam Brook then runs in a generally southerly direction past Ashcombe House and the villages of Upper Swainswick and Lower Swainswick. At Lambridge the stream is joined by an unnamed tributary on the right bank just before joining the Bristol Avon.
It is believed that the Roman Fosse Way forded the brook near the present Lambridge. Lam Brook is mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter as forming part of the boundaries of the village of Charlcombe. No date has yet been determined for this document. In common with many other local rivers, watermills were constructed, especially in the Swainswick valley and at Lambridge. Mill Farm at Woolley survives but has been converted to other uses. A lease of 1275 refers to "two fulling mills with all appurtenances at Lambrugge ..." and a 1729 map records "Dead Mill" a little further upstream.