A large gathering of the Friends of Juniper Hall in the beautifully ornate Templeton Room learnt all about the Field Centre’s local river – The Mole. Did its name come from the high number of mills along the river or perhaps from its disappearance underground, flowing under the North Downs and re-emerging in a spring line along the north slope where chalk meets clay?
Nigel Bond of the River Mole River Watch took us on a tour through its past: 12,000 year old flint workings found in a pattern indicative of two people having been sitting round a fire; Roman remains due to be investigated in an archaeological dig this summer; the crossing of the Mole by Roman Stane Street at Burford Bridge; and the present day place names that are indicative of Saxon homesteads along the spring line where settlers had access to all-important water, pasture and wood. Who knew that Leatherhead was once famous for its trout, sadly no longer thriving due to poor water quality – one of the many pressures facing the modern day river that Nigel described, including pollution from transport, fertilizers, pesticides and sewage, water extraction to serve a growing population, weather extremes due to climate change causing flood and drought, invasive non-native species and artificial barriers to aquatic life.
This much loved river is still widely used for swimming, canoing, fishing, picnics and walking, and with dedicated organisations like the River Mole River Watch there is much work being done to reduce the pressures the river faces, to survey it and return it to health. Natural Flood Management approaches, river restoration projects, and education and awareness initiatives all give reasons to be hopeful. Encouragingly, surveys in 2024 at seven selected locations found DNA evidence of 61 invertebrate species, 18 fish, 4 amphibians, 22 birds and 17 mammals, but there is still much work that needs to be done before children can safely paddle in clean water surrounded by fish at their feet.
Much to discuss as we headed through to the dining room for our soup and sandwich lunch.