River Swift

The River Swift runs downstream from just north of the village of Upton, through Ibthorpe and Hurstbourne Tarrant, before becoming the Bourne Rivulet in Stoke & St Mary Bourne – it joins the River Test near Tufton.  Both rivers are seasonal chalk streams, winterbournes rising at various points along the river course during the winter with the water table and falling during the summer.

The gallery of photographs shows how the Swift looks when dry as well as in flow.  It is interesting to note from the old photographs how the river has been narrowed over the last 60 or 70 years to widen the road for motor vehicles and the addition of pavements (in Church St).

Much historical data and writings exist which tell us that the Swift has behaved (and often misbehaved) in the same way as it does today, for as long as there have been settlements in the Parish, and no doubt for much further back in time from then.  Previous generations have lived with the rise and fall of the water and the resulting issues, particularly in wet winters, and current residents are doing the same, but with advanced technology to hand.

The Swift is an important geographical feature of our Parish, providing a natural habitat for many species of insect and animal life all year round.