The River Quaggy starts near Orpington. It flows north and west for about 16km to join the River Ravensbourne in the centre of Lewisham. Near Petts Wood, the river is known as the Kyd Brook. In Grove Park, it was once known as the Chinbrook.
Notes for teachers
The idea of a river catchment can be developed – the fact that rivers join together and flow to the sea. Rivers now have to be managed on a catchment basis, even where this cuts across county or other boundaries – following the geography, rather than the administrative borders. This approach makes much more sense when looking at flood risk. Lots of detail on the Environment Agency website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk (government agency responsible for managing rivers). This display shows the catchment of the Ravensbourne river, which includes the Quaggy. To widen the discussion of rivers, the catchment of the whole river Thames could be looked at.
- Find out if your school is in the Ravensbourne catchment.
- Discover whether your local river is visible or underground.