The Kennet Catchment stretches from the upper reaches of the Winterbournes above Avebury west of Marlborough in Wiltshire, to Reading in Berkshire where the Kennet flows into the Thames.
Catchment area of the River Kennet
The Kennet catchment is mainly rural in character, defined by the chalk uplands of the Marlborough and Berkshire Downs to the North and the Hampshire Downs to the south. Much of the area falls within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The three largest tributaries are the Lambourn, Dun and Enbourne.
The principal towns are Reading, Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford and Marlborough.
There are three Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) wholly or partly in the Catchment:
There are two river Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Kennet Catchment:
Upper Kennet and Og
The upper reaches of the River Kennet start with the winterbournes...
Middle Kennet
The Middle Kennet flows from Marlborough to Newbury encompassing a mix of urban and rural landscapes...
Lower Kennet
The Lower Kennet is generally recognised as the section between Newbury and the Thames at Reading...
Enborne
The Enborne is a fast-flowing river, quite different in character to the rest of the catchment...
Aldbourne
The River Aldbourne is a pretty chalk stream, which in its upper reaches around the village of Aldbourne is a winterbourne...
Lambourn
The River Lambourn is a classic chalk stream, rising above the village of Lambourn...
Southern Streams
The Southern Streams are all chalk stream tributaries of the River Kennet that flow in from the south....
The Brooks
The River Kennet flows through the urban centre of Reading and is fed by a number of brooks, each one important in its own right...
Kennet and Avon Canal
The 87 mile-long Kennet and Avon Canal passes spectacular scenery between the River Thames and the Bristol Avon...