page_title: River Roach
section_title: Route
hierarchical_section_title: River Roach / Route
caption_attribution_description: English: River Roach at Stambridge Mills looking West. TQ885903
context_page_description: The River Roach is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex. It is one of four main streams that originate in the Rayleigh Hills to the west, and flow east. They then flow towards the centre of the Rochford Basin, a circular feature which may have been caused by an asteroid impact in the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene periods. To the east of Rochford, the river becomes tidal, and is governed by the Crouch Harbour Authority. It joins the River Crouch between Wallasea Island and Foulness Island. To the west of Rochford, there is some doubt as to which of the four streams is officially the Roach.
  At Stambridge, there was a tidal mill from at least the 1500s, although few details are known until it was rebuilt in 1809. A pound was filled by the incoming tide, and was released to drive a water wheel as the tide fell. On spring tides, this gave around 7 hours of operation, which gradually decreased as the tides reduced, and at neap tides, the operation of the mill was entirely dependent on the flow from the upper river.
context_section_description: Noblesgreen Ditch rises in the hill near The Gattens and Nelson Road, which are either side of Hockley Road, Rayleigh. The stream is joined by several others, and then runs south, under Bull Lane, beside then under The Chase where it turns to run east behind Milton Close and Bramfield Road East. It then passes north of the Grove Playing Fields, and past Rayleigh Sewage Works where its flow is augmented by the discharge from the reed-bed purification system. It runs south of Rewreth Hall Wood, north of Grove Woods, and past New England Wood. From there, it flows through the Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park, past The Scrubs (wood), under Cherry Orchard Way (B1013), past Southend Airport and on through Rochford Hundred Golf Course, where it is joined by Eastwood Brook, to reach Rochford. It passes under the Shenfield to Southend Line, and then over a weir, which ensures that water fills Rochford Reservoir, built by the Great Eastern Railway in 1904. Then it is joined by the Roach, and the overflow from the reservoir empties into it soon afterwards.
  The Hawkwell Brook rises on the edge of Hockley Woods, to the north of HM Prison Bullwood Hall. It flows eastwards, through the woods and to the south of Great Bull Wood, and runs across the northern end of Belchamps Scout Centre. It is culverted under Elmwood Avenue, and re-emerges to pass under the B1013 Main Road and Thorpe Close in Hawkwell. From this point it is designated as a main river, and is therefore the responsibility of the Environment Agency. It flows to the south of the Clements Hall Sports Complex, to be joined by the Hockley Brook, which rises near Southbourne Grove, Hockley, flows under the Shenfield to Southend Railway and then alongside it, to the junction on the north side of Rectory Road. Now officially the Roach, it turns to the south east, passing under Rectory Road, and continuing to Rochford, running broadly parallel to Ironwell Lane. It then crosses beneath the railway and Hall Road, running beside Bradley Way to reach its junction with Noblesgreen Ditch by Rochford Reservoir.
  At Salt Bridge it passes under South Street beside the Horse and Groom public house. The River Roach then continues east, running through flood plain marshes before discharging into the northern arm of the River Roach at Stambridge Mills, 0.6 miles (1 km) downstream from the town. Just after this point, Sutton Wharf with jetties, slipways, a boatyard and moorings, is on the south bank. This is where its main tributary, the Prittle Brook from Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea joins as its southern arm.
caption: River Roach at Stambridge Mills looking West
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