Mardyke (river)

The Mardyke (sometimes, but less frequently, Mar Dyke, occasionally Mardike) is a small river, mainly in Thurrock, that flows into the River Thames at Purfleet, close to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. In part, it forms the boundary between the Essex hundreds of Barstable and Chafford. The river gives its name to the Mardyke Valley—a project aimed at increasing appreciation and usage of recreational land around the Mardyke.

Location, source and tributaries

The main source of the Mardyke is in Holden's Wood between Great Warley and Little Warley. It flows roughly 11 miles (18 km) from the source to the Tideway of the Thames at Purfleet, close to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. There are two tributaries flowing south from Thorndon Country Park, in the grounds of Thorndon Hall. One of these flows south from Old Hall Pond. The pond has a sluice gate that could be opened to allow the water to flow over artificial waterfall – the sort of water feature popular with landscape gardeners such as Lancelot "Capability" Brown who landscaped the grounds of Thorndon Hall in the 18th century, although the pond itself dates from the 13th century. Another tributary flows west from Dunton Plotlands section of the Langdon Nature Reserve in Langdon Hills and another flows east from Upminster.

Mardyke

Coordinates: 51°53′43″N 8°30′03″W / 51.895139°N 8.500822°W / 51.895139; -8.500822 The Mardyke (Irish: An Mhuirdíog) is an area in Cork city, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the River Lee near the city center. It was historically left as open space, because the land along the north channel of the river is prone to flooding. From east to west these open spaces are: Presentation Brothers College, a boy's secondary school; the Mardyke ground of Cork County Cricket Club; Fitzgerald Park, which includes Cork Public Museum; and the athletic grounds of University College Cork. The Mardyke is also home to Sundays Well Lawn Tennis Club.

History

The original dyke was constructed in 1719 by Edward Webber, the city clerk, who owned what were then marshy islands west of the walled city. He drained and landscaped the area, building a dyke topped by a straight promenade leading to a redbrick teahouse in Dutch style. The area became fashionable and the promenade was dubbed the Red House Walk or Meer Dyke Walk after the Meer Dyke in Amsterdam. Dutch influence was strong among the Protestant Ascendancy in the decades after the Williamite War in Ireland. After Webber's death the land was bought and further developed by future mayor James Morrison. The route of the promenade corresponds to the modern streets Dyke Parade and Mardyke Walk.

Mardyke (disambiguation)

Mardyke may refer to:

See also

Richard Beamish Cricket Grounds

Richard Beamish Cricket Grounds are a cricket ground in the Mardyke, Cork, Ireland. Officially named after Richard Beamish, it is generally called the Mardyke after the area where it is situated, or the Cricket Club as it is the home ground of Cork County Cricket Club. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1866, when Cork County played I Zingari. Some eighty years later, the ground held its inaugural first-class match when Ireland played Scotland. Two further first-class matches between the teams were held there in 1961 and 1973.

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External links

Coordinates: 51°53′47.64″N 8°29′28.73″W / 51.8965667°N 8.4913139°W / 51.8965667; -8.4913139