On
a bright, early autumn day the River Medway slips serenely through
the Kentish countryside. It's tree lined banks cut through the flat
fertile plain between Tonbridge and Maidstone which was once one of
the main hop growing areas of West Kent.
The
River Medway was a major trade route
Centuries
ago the river was also a major trade route between these towns.
Being a low-lying area which doesn't readily shed its water, the roads
would have been almost impassable in winter. Thus it had not only
created the fields by depositing silt brought from upstream but it
also provided the means whereby the produce from them could be transported.
The
River Medway: the spot where the accident happened
For
most of its life the river remains almost silent as it winds its
slow way from one side of the county to the other. As you watch
the water pass gently by it is easy to be deceived into thinking
that this broad and deep stretch of water exists only as a benign
friend and has no other personality.
But when the weather breaks and the rain begins to fall, the river
quickens its pace as thousands of tiny streams and tributaries add
to its burden. No longer does the surface lie flat and smooth reflecting
the skies above but becomes contorted and furrowed by the impatient
waters below.
Eventually the river can flow no faster, the water rises and its
banks give up the fight to contain it.
For centuries the Medway has flooded and in spite of man's attempts
to contain it with sluices, barriers and weirs, nature will always
have her way.
Hartlake
memorial: the river
