River Roach

Coordinates: 51°35′N 0°48′E / 51.583°N 0.800°E / 51.583; 0.800

The River Roach is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex. It flows through the town of Rochford and joins the River Crouch between Wallasea Island and Foulness Island.

Rochford takes its name from Rochefort, Old English for Ford of the Hunting Dogs. The River Roach was originally called the "Walfleet" or "Walflete" (Creek of the foreigners). It is believed that it was renamed the Roach in what is known as a back formation. This is where it is assumed that Rochford means ford over the River Roach, so they could have renamed the river to fit the theory. Until the 1900s, Oysters from the River Roach and sometimes from the River Crouch were called Walfleet (or Walflete) Oysters.

The River Roach has its source near Bull Wood and Hockley Woods in Hockley. It rises in the hill near The Gattens and Nelson Road, which are either side of Hockley Road, Rayleigh. The Roach then runs south, under Bull Lane, beside then under The Chase where it turns to run east behind Milton Close and Bramfield Road East. It the passes north of the Grove Playing Fields, then past Rayleigh Sewage Works where its flow is augmented by the discharge from the reed-bed purification system. It runs south of Rawreth Hall Wood, north of Grove Woods, past New England Wood. From there, through the Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park, past The Scrubs (wood), under Cherry Orchard Way (B1013), past Southend Airport and on through Rochford Hundred Golf Course into Rochford where it joins the Hawkwell Brook beside the Rochford Lake.