The River Rib is a tributary of the River Lea, which runs from Buckland in Hertfordshire, England. It flows into the River Lea to the east of Hertford.
Course
The River Rib originates near the
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is one of ten Non-metropolitan district, local government districts in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and th ...
village of
Buckland and runs parallel with the
A10 through
Chipping,
Wyddial,
Buntingford
Buntingford is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies next to the River Rib and is located on the historic Roman road, Ermine Street. As a ...
,
Westmill, and
Braughing, where it is joined by its major tributary, the
River Quin.
From Braughing, it flows through
Puckeridge and
Standon, before dividing the villages of
Thundridge and
Wadesmill
Wadesmill is a Hamlet (place), hamlet in Hertfordshire, England, located on the north side of the River Rib, with an estimated population of 264. At the 2011 Census the population of the hamlet was included in the civil parish of Thundridge. Run ...
and continuing until it reaches its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
with the
River Lea
The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...
near
Hertford
Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census.
The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...
.
History

The River Rib was used to power an
overshot watermill at Ware Park between Hertford and Ware.
The River Rib used to have frequent floods due to heavy rain in the autumn, but this propensity was resolved by dredging and engineering work in the 1970s.
It was used as the main water supply in
Buntingford
Buntingford is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies next to the River Rib and is located on the historic Roman road, Ermine Street. As a ...
and the surrounding areas before a pump was installed
References
External links
Rivers Rib and Quin - River Lea Catchment Partnership
Rib, River
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...
1Rib
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