Editing Holy Brook

{{Short description|Stream, probably partly artificial, in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Holy Brook
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = 
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Holy Brook 2020-03-29 18.00.32.jpg
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = The Holy Brook on the water meadows, with the low sun highlighting the artificial banking
| map                = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption= 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2  = County
| subdivision_name2  = [[Berkshire]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = Town
| subdivision_name5  = [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]
}}
The '''Holy Brook''' is a channel of the [[River Kennet]] that flows through the [[England|English]] town of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]. While of considerable historical significance, the origin and nature of the brook is still unclear. It is probable that some parts of the channel are natural, while other parts were created in [[medieval]] times by the [[monk]]s of [[Reading Abbey]] to supply [[water mill]]s and [[fish pond]]s. [[John Speed]]'s map of Reading (c.1610) shows the brook flowing in the open air throughout, but a map from 1835 shows the town centre section to have been largely [[culvert]]ed by then, as is the case now.<ref name=tale>Sowen, etc.(2003)</ref><ref name=digitalnoise>{{cite web|title=The Holy Brook |publisher=Digital Noise Photography |url=http://digitalnoisephotography.co.uk/2013/06/28/the-holy-brook/ |date=28 June 2013 |accessdate=19 December 2016 |archivedate=19 December 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219114922/http://digitalnoisephotography.co.uk/2013/06/28/the-holy-brook/ |df= }}</ref><ref name=parish>{{cite web|url=http://www.holybrookparishcouncil.co.uk/Holybrook-pc/history_of_holybrook-15737.aspx |title=History of Holybrook |publisher=Holybrook Parish Council |accessdate=19 December 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219112017/http://www.holybrookparishcouncil.co.uk/Holybrook-pc/history_of_holybrook-15737.aspx |archivedate=19 December 2016 |url-status=live |df= }}</ref>

The Holy Brook leaves the main channel of the Kennet at a brick structure known as the Arrowhead near the village of [[Theale, Berkshire|Theale]], and flows to the north of the main channel until rejoining it just downstream of the centre of Reading. The channel is some {{convert|6|mi}} in length, of which approximately {{convert|600|m}} are culverted.<ref name=tale /><ref name=digitalnoise /><ref name=parish />

== Course ==
[[File:The Holy Brook to south of Calcot.jpg|thumb|The Holy Brook towards its upstream end, to the south of Calcot.]]
[[File:The Holy Brook at Coley Park Farm.jpg|thumb|The Holy Brook at Coley Park Farm on its approach to Reading.]]
[[File:Holybrook and Abbey Mill Arch.jpg|thumb|The Holy Brook close to its outfall, with the ruins of the Abbey Mill in the distance.]]
For the first stretch of its route, the channel forms the boundary between the Reading suburbs of [[Beansheaf Farm]], [[Fords Farm]], [[Calcot, Berkshire|Calcot]], [[Southcote, Berkshire|Southcote]] and [[Coley Park]] (all to the north of the brook), and the Kennet [[flood meadow]]s (to the south). At Calcot, the brook passes [[Calcot Mill]], one of two water mills that were driven by the brook and which originally belonged to the abbey. In this area the channel gives its name to the nearby [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] of [[Holybrook]]. In some stretches, especially behind Coley Park, the brook is noticeably embanked along the hillside above the lower water meadows, demonstrating its artificial origins. Once past Coley Park the Holy Brook flows through the Victorian suburb of [[Coley, Reading|Coley]], before reaching the town centre. At Coley, an overflow weir diverts excess water back to the Kennet, at a point which was once the site of a [[Lido (swimming pool)|lido]].<ref name=tale  /><ref name=parish />

In the centre of Reading, the Holy Brook is culverted for several stretches, only showing itself intermittently. The channel can clearly be seen where it flows under one of the entrances to the [[The Oracle, Reading|Oracle]] shopping centre, where it has given its name to the 'Holy Brook Mall,' the lower of the two enclosed shopping malls within the centre. It is also visible for about 10 metres in the rear yard of the Purple Turtle bar and for a couple of metres outside the front door of [[Reading Central Library]]. The culverted sections of the Holy Brook involve a number of different construction techniques from various ages. The most notable section, behind the buildings on Castle Street, is [[grade II listed]] and built of ribbed [[limestone]] blocks that may be reclaimed stone from Reading Abbey. Other sections include brick vaults, iron-girder roofing, concrete culverts, and modern corrugated steel construction.<ref name=tale /><ref name=digitalnoise />

At its eastern end, once it has passed under the Central Library, the Holy Brook re-emerges into the open, at a point where it once formed the southern boundary of Reading Abbey. Here the brook provided the driving force for the [[Abbey Mill, Reading|Abbey Mill]], of which only vestiges remain, as well as supplying water to the Abbey's [[necessarium]]. Today the brook passes between the backs of modern office blocks before re-entering the north channel of the River Kennet where the latter makes a right-angle turn immediately to the south of the ruins of the Abbey church.<ref name=tale /><ref>From a plan drawn by Dr Jamieson Hurry in 1896, reproduced in Slade (2001), pp122</ref>

==Water quality==
The Environment Agency measures the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of [[invertebrate]]s, [[angiosperm]]s and fish, and chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations. Chemical status is rated good or fail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/glossary |website=Catchment Data Explorer |title=Glossary (see Biological quality element; Chemical status; and Ecological status) |publisher=Environment Agency |date=17 February 2016 |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=2 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002010119/http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/glossary |url-status=dead }}  [[File:UKOpenGovernmentLicence.svg|30px]] Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright.</ref>

Water quality of the Holy Brook in 2019:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Section !! Ecological<br/>Status !! Chemical<br/>Status !! Overall<br/>Status !! Length !! Catchment !! Channel
|-
| {{waterqual_title |desc= Holy Brook |asset= GB106039023141}} 
| {{waterqual_mod}}
| {{waterqual_fail}}
| {{waterqual_mod}}
| {{convert| 9.118 |km|mi|abbr=on}}
| {{convert| 11.675 |km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| 
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book | title = The Holy Brook or The Granators Tale | first = Adam | last = Sowen |author2=Castle, Sally |author3=Hay, Peter | publisher = [[Two Rivers Press]] | year = 2003 | isbn = 1-901677-34-6}}
*{{cite book | title = The Town of Reading and its Abbey | first = Cecil | last = Slade | publisher = MRM Associates Ltd | year = 2001 | isbn = 0-9517719-4-9 }}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Holy Brook}}
*[http://digitalnoisephotography.co.uk/2013/06/28/the-holy-brook/ Photo-essay] on the Holy Brook, concentrating mostly on the culverted section

<br/>
{{coord |51.4556|-0.9653|type:river_region:GB|display=title}}

{{Rivers and watercourses of Berkshire}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Geography of Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in Reading]]
[[Category:Kennet catchment]]
[[Category:Rivers of Berkshire]]