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River Rother, in relation to the other Physical characteristics Rye Bay: The River Rother flows for 35 miles (56 km) through the English counties of and. Its source is near in East Sussex, and its mouth is on Rye Bay, part of the. Prior to 1287, its mouth was further to the east at, but it changed its course after a great storm blocked its exit to the sea.

It was known as the Limen until the sixteenth century. For the final 14 miles (23 km), the river bed is below the high tide level, and Scots Float sluice is used to control levels. It prevents salt water entering the river system at high tides, and retains water in the river during the summer months to ensure the health of the surrounding marsh habitat. Below the sluice, the river is tidal for 3.7 miles (6.0 km). The river has been used for since Roman times, and is still navigable by small boats as far as. It flowed in a loop around the northern edge of the until 1635, when it was diverted along the southern edge.

Scots Float Sluice was built before 1723, when the engineer John Reynolds made repairs to it, and later extended it, to try to keep the channel clear of silting, but it was criticised by in 1804, as it was inconvenient to shipping. The river became part of a defensive line to protect England from the threat of invasion by the French in the early 1800s, when its lower section and part of the formed a link between the two halves of the. Scots Float Sluice was again rebuilt in 1844.

Some 31 square miles (80 km 2) of the valley were inundated by floodwater in 1960, which resulted in the Rother Area Drainage Improvement Scheme being implemented between 1966 and 1980. The river banks were raised, and 20 pumping stations were installed. The river has been managed by a number of bodies, including the Rother Levels Commissioners of Sewers, the Rye Harbour Commissioners, and the Board of Conservators for the River Rother. After the passing of the, it was managed by the Rother and Jury's Gut Catchment Board, the Kent River Board, the Kent and Sussex River Authorities, the and finally the. It is unusual, in that while it is under the jurisdiction of the Environment Agency, it has been a free river since 1826, and so no licence is required to use it. Alyssa Branch In. Management of the levels adjacent to the river is undertaken by the Romney Marshes Area. The Rother passes by or near the villages of,,,, and.

Gateway Esx 500x Drivers. Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • Etymology [ ] The modern name of the river is comparatively recent, probably dating from around the sixteenth century. It is derived from the village and of Rotherfield, located where the river rises. Rotherfield means 'open land of the cattle', based on the Hrydera-feld. Prior to being called the Rother, it was known as the Limen throughout its length.

This is a Celtic word meaning 'river'. In several Anglo-Saxon charters, it is suffixed with -ea, appearing as Limenea, where the suffix also means 'river', but in Old English. During the thirteenth century, it was known as the River of Newenden. Hydrology [ ] The Rother rises in the of Sussex, at around 490 feet (150 m) above ordnance datum (AOD), and descends rapidly.

It is joined by the River Dudwell at and the River Darwell at, and by the time it reaches Udiam, it is only 7 feet (2 m) AOD. Average annual rainfall in the High Weald is 35 inches (900 mm), and most of the underlying geology is impermeable, resulting in rain rapidly reaching the river and flowing down to the sea. The river valley is thus prone to winter floods, while during the summer months, the flow can be quite low in dry periods, as there are few groundwater aquifers. Between Udiam and, the bed of the river drops below sea level, and the lower river flows slowly. The surrounding land is crossed by networks of canals and ditches, which are pumped into the river during the winter to drain the land. During the summer, water is transferred in the other direction, to manage the habitat of the marshland. Scots Float sluice, some 3.7 miles (6 km) from the mouth of the river, is used to control levels.