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The Millennium Ribble Link is a Linear Water Park and new navigation which links the once-isolated Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, England to the River Ribble. It was opened in July 2002. ''"The Recipient shall ensure that the participation of the (Millennium) Commission is publicised in all public statements or announcements, and in all promotional activity concerning the Project in accordance with guidelines prescribed by the Commission"''.〔Third Supplemental Agreement he Millennium Commission 22 December 2003〕 ==History== The marshland of the River Ribble and the Savick Brook were natural obstacles preventing easy access north west of Preston. Before the private toll road and modern roads A583/A584 were built crossing the marsh and the brook would have been much further inland, north east of the present crossing and supportive evidence is this may have been at what is now the footbridge at Lea Golf Course. On the first 1840 Ordnance map this is called Wads Bridge but more importantly also shows a ford. This route also leads south to St Catherines Well on Lea Marsh, suggesting a route of pilgrimage and antiquity. The route north avoiding the marsh and toll road leads to the now much quieter lanes leading to the village of Clifton, which was at one time the main thoroughfare to Kirkham and the west. Before canalisation the Savick Brook was a shallow meandering watercourse and transversing the brook was much easier in several places, formal by bridges and informal where it could simply be waded across. The Savick Brook with its fresh water and considerable fish population was an important local resource, in history and more recently into the 20th Century. The Savick Brook, perhaps originally spelt Savock separated the local parish of Lea which after Domesday (1086) was separated as Norman or French Lea to the south while English Lea was to the north. The Savick Brook has drained the hinterland for some considerable distance, being one of many brooks and streams that drains down from the foothills of the Pennines. Indeed a new private toll road across the marsh was built with the toll being paid at Lea Gate, hence its name.〔http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/historichighways/turnpike.asp〕 This is now the Ribble Link bridge under the A583 Blackpool Road. No charge is now levied. The Savick Brook by its very nature has altered course over every year and over millennia due to the structure of the land and flooded into the adjoining field systems, as a floodplain. As part of the construction of the Ribble Link, an archeological evaluation took place to establish whether any important archeological sites would be disturbed by the new waterway. The evaluation found signs that there could have been an old mill at Lock 8 and evidence of a ridge and furrow field system and likely to be disturbed in part by the construction. Once gain local people refer to this field as 'the Mill Field'. This is what the evaluation said about the area: ''The preliminary assessment of the archaeological potential along the line of the Ribble Link Navigation identified Mill Field as an area in which significant features, essentially a water mill, may have been located. The evaluation established that the field contained the abraded remains of a ridge and furrow field system. This feature partially survived as indistinct, but identifiable, earthworks covering the centre of the field. The remains of furrows found within the excavation trenches indicated that the field system originally covered a greater area. The evaluation indicated that the construction of the navigation should not conflict with the area in which the ridge and furrow survived as earthworks. However, the area where the field system was known to survive only as subsurface features would be affected by the excavations for the navigations. It may be possible to locate the eastern and western boundary ditches to the field system, if they exist, during the construction work.''〔() Archaeological periods represented: MO, UD. Archaeological Evaluation at Mill Field, Lee Gate Coxah, M Rugby: Environment Services, British Waterways, 2001, 5pp, figs, refs Work undertaken by: Environment Services, British Waterways〕〔http://csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/aip/gaz2001/c/nwest/c302001.pdf〕 Severe flooding of the Millennium Ribble Link took place in 2003/2004 causing severe sedimentation to the channel and scour to by-wash weirs resulting in the Ribble Link becoming un-navigable. There was limited water supply due to major works on the Lancaster Canal. Ironically the site was subjected to severe flooding during remedial works. Remedial costs were £124,576.00.〔http://www.land-water.co.uk/UserFiles/images/Case%20studies/03321MillenniumRibbleLink.pdf〕 The Ribble Link was closed again in 2006 after £600,000 was spent on dredging and 'repairs'.〔http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/news/889/ribble-link-dredging-on-target〕 The Savick Brook was known to be tidal as far as Haslam Park, what is now the bottom of the 3 lock staircase. As with all brooks entering the salt water sea, it was a breeding ground for flatfish. Other migratory fish are known to have used the Savick Brook to reach their spawning grounds. The Millennium Ribble Link was built with locks and straightened leaving the original meanders of the Savick Brook, but only by constructing over-flow weirs at each lock allowing water to continue to flow through the Savick Brook. Fish passes were built into these weirs to allow fish passage. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ribble Link」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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