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The River Mease is a lowland clay river in the
Midlands The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefor ...
area of
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. It flows through the counties of
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...
,
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
and
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
and forms the administrative border between these counties for parts of its length. The river and the lower part of one of its tributaries, the Gilwiskaw Brook (pronounced ''jill-a-whiskey'') are both protected as "one of the best examples of an unspoilt meandering lowland river". The river receives protection under
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
law as a
Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
(SAC), and protection under UK law as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI).


Description

The Mease is formed by a
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 ...
of smaller streams near the village of Norton Juxta Twycross in
North West Leicestershire North West Leicestershire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Leicestershire, England. The towns in the district include of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Coalville, Leicestershire , Coalville (where the council is b ...
. It flows westwards for approximately 16 miles (25 km) across a largely rural and agricultural landscape to its confluence with the
River Trent The Trent is the third Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, longest river in the United Kingdom. Its Source (river or stream), source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands ...
at Croxall in Staffordshire, with its waters eventually reaching the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
via the Trent and the
Humber Estuary The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Trent, Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms ...
. The river flows through areas underlain with bands of
Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...
Period sandstone and Mercia Mudstone. After flowing through a wide valley between the villages of
Measham Measham is a large village in the North West Leicestershire district in Leicestershire, England, near the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boundaries. It lies off the A42, south of Ashby de la Zouch, in the National Forest. Histor ...
and
Appleby Magna Appleby Magna is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It includes the small hamlets of Appleby Parva and Little Wigston. Location The parish has a total collective po ...
, the land opens up into flat countryside: the river's path is not of steep topography, meaning the river flows gently and
meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...
s "passively". The path of the river has changed little over time. Historical alterations were made near the villages of Clifton Campville, Harlaston and Croxall, with the addition of weirs and leats to serve mills (now demolished or non-operational). In the 1980s, work was undertaken to deepen the Mease between the village of Measham and its confluence with the River Trent: this was part of a "comprehensive arterial drainage scheme" which was designed to allow land drains to drain into the river. The village of Measham is named after the river, meaning ''the homestead on the River Mease''.


Wildlife

The river is a designated
site of special scientific interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
due to the fish that it supports.Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)
accessed 10 April 2008
Of particular interest are the resident populations of
spined loach The spined loach (''Cobitis taenia'') is a common freshwater fish in Europe. It is sometimes known as spotted weather loach, not to be confused with the "typical" weather loaches of the genus '' Misgurnus''. This is the type species of the spiny ...
(''Cobitis taenia'') and
European bullhead The European bullhead (''Cottus gobio'') is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the family Cottidae, a type of sculpin. It is also known as the miller's thumb, freshwater sculpin, common bu ...
(''Cottus gobio'') (two internationally notable species of native freshwater fish with a restricted distribution in England),
white-clawed crayfish ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish. Distribution It is found from the easter ...
(''Austropotamobius pallipes'') and
European otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...
s (''Lutra lutra''). The most numerous fish in the river are
chub Chub is a common fish name. It pertains to any one of a number of ray-finned fish in several families and general. In the UK, the term ''chub'' usually refers to the species '' Squalius cephalus''. In addition, see sea chub. In family Cyprinid ...
and roach; with
dace A dace is a small fish that can be one of many different species. The unmodified name is usually a reference to the common dace (''Leuciscus leuciscus''). This, like most fish called "daces", belongs to the family Leuciscidae, mostly in subfami ...
, pike,
perch Perch is a common name for freshwater fish from the genus ''Perca'', which belongs to the family Percidae of the large order Perciformes. The name comes from , meaning the type species of this genus, the European perch (''P. fluviatilis'') ...
and
gudgeon A gudgeon is a socket-like, cylindrical (i.e., ''female'') fitting attached to one component to enable a pivoting or hinging connection to a second component. The second component carries a pintle fitting, the male counterpart to the gudgeon, ...
also recorded. The river's wildlife is highly sensitive to pollution and fish numbers have fallen since 2007. Natural England's report in February 2010 reported that the river's two special fish (
spined loach The spined loach (''Cobitis taenia'') is a common freshwater fish in Europe. It is sometimes known as spotted weather loach, not to be confused with the "typical" weather loaches of the genus '' Misgurnus''. This is the type species of the spiny ...
and
European bullhead The European bullhead (''Cottus gobio'') is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the family Cottidae, a type of sculpin. It is also known as the miller's thumb, freshwater sculpin, common bu ...
) were both being adversely affected by pollution, both in terms of having lower than expected population sizes, and the river failing to provide favourable conditions for them to live. Other wildlife, such as the
white-clawed crayfish ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish. Distribution It is found from the easter ...
, have been pushed along the river to its confluence with the River Trent.
White-clawed crayfish ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish. Distribution It is found from the easter ...
numbers have also been negatively affected by infiltrating foreign American
signal crayfish The signal crayfish (''Pacifastacus leniusculus'') is a species of crayfish indigenous to North America. Introduced to Europe in the 1960s to supplement the North European ''Astacus astacus'' fisheries, which were being damaged by crayfish plague ...
, which have entered the river from a pool at Catton Hall.


Pollution

The river receives the outflow of nine Sewerage Treatment plants (located at Smisby, Donisthorpe, Packington, Measham, Netherseal, Edingale, Snarestone, Clifton Campville, Overseal, Norton juxta Twycross, Annwell Place and Chilcote), as well as the outflow from ten private sewerage operations. In addition the river receives the outflow from several opencast coal mines. The river has suffered reduced fish numbers since 2007 when the
Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
stopped artificially restocking the river. The
Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
are instead trying to encourage a natural recovery following several "pollution incidents". The main pollutant is thought to be phosphates and the main cause of the pollution is thought to be the Sewerage Treatment Plant at Packington, which is operating at full capacity, leading to "overflow" being released into the river via the Gilwiskaw Brook.Packington Leicestershire sewage works worry , This is Leicestershire
/ref> The water quality of most of the river is recorded as "moderate"; the section between Harlaston Bridge and the confluence of the River Trent is recorded as "poor". Following pressure from the
Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
, North West Leicestershire District Council refused to grant planning permission for any construction work which would add to the sewage outflow, including housing developments, hotels and business parks. In November 2012, following fears that the situation was damaging the local economy, North West Leicestershire District Council announced a new plan.Developments Within the Catchment Area of the River Mease Special Area of Conservation - North West Leicestershire District Council
/ref> The council's plan would not stop the pollution of the river, nor prevent the additional outflow and pollution from new developments; instead developers would have to make a one-off "significant contribution" of between £225 and £250 per new house built. South Derbyshire District Council and Lichfield District Council have both made similar proposals, with South Derbyshire planning a one-off charge between £86 and £354 per new house.South Derbyshire District Council - River Mease DCS
/ref> The money from these schemes would then be used on projects designed to improve the river's water quality. These schemes have been heavily criticised as they do not prevent or reduce sewage outflow into the river, and, with resumed building, outflow and pollution will increase. A proposed development of houses on Leicester Road,
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch (), also spelled Ashby de la Zouch, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England, near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire borders. Its population at the 2021 census was ...
, is predicted to increase sewage outflow by 110 cubic metres a day; with an added 37 cubic metres a day of surface water runoff also added to the river.Packington village website
/ref> This has added to fears about worsening flooding as large areas of the Gilwiskaw Brook and the River Mease regularly flood after heavy rain.


Places along the River Mease

''In order that the river passes through them'' * Norton Juxta Twycross - Nearest settlement to the source *
Snarestone Snarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England.OS Explorer Map 245: The National Forest :(1:25 000) :
- Passes to the west of the village *
Measham Measham is a large village in the North West Leicestershire district in Leicestershire, England, near the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boundaries. It lies off the A42, south of Ashby de la Zouch, in the National Forest. Histor ...
- Forms the south-west boundary of the village * Stretton en le Field - Passes just over a quarter of a mile north of the village *
Netherseal Netherseal (or 'Netherseale') is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire,OS Explorer Map 245: The National Forest :(1:25 000) :
- Forms southern boundary of the village *
Clifton Campville Clifton Campville is a village, former Manorialism, manor and civil parish in Staffordshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : It lies on the River Mease, about east of the City of Lichfield, west of Measham and ...
- Passes just north of the village * Haunton - Passes just north of the village * Harlaston - Passes just north of the village * Edingale - Passes just south of the village * Croxall - Forms the south-west boundary of the village ::::: - The river joins the Trent north of Croxall.


See also

*
List of rivers of England This is a list of rivers of England, organised geographically and taken anti-clockwise around the English coast where the various rivers discharge into the surrounding seas, from the Solway Firth on the Scottish border to the Welsh Dee on the W ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mease, River Rivers of Derbyshire Rivers of Staffordshire Rivers of Leicestershire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Staffordshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire 1Mease Tributaries of the River Trent