53°09′24″N 2°16′26″W / 53.1567°N 2.2739°W
The River Croco ( /kroʊ.koʊ/) is a small river in Cheshire in England. It starts as lowland field drainage west of Congleton, flows along the south edge of Holmes Chapel, and joins the River Dane at Middlewich. [1] It is about 8 miles (13 km) long.
According to an historical account, dating back to 1585, [2] the course of the River Croco [3] begins west of Bag Mere, Brereton cum Smethwick: [4]
The Place-Names of England and Wales (1915) suggests that the name Croco may be Celtic or even earlier. [5]
Historical maps [6] show the source of the river to be the lowland field drainage system to the northeast of Brookhouse Green. [7] From here, the river heads north past the hamlet of Illidge Green [8] and then northwest via Brereton Hall, where a weir and boathouse were created to the west of Saint Oswald's Church. The river flows northwest towards Parkmill Farm, where again a weir was constructed to form Brereton Pool. It then heads towards Holmes Chapel before turning west and passing under London Road ( A50) at Alum Bridge. The river continues this westward course, passing under the M6 and Poolford Lane near Cinderhill [9] and then Brereton Lane, north of Dockbank Farm at Sproston. The river continues its westward journey via Fender Wood, [10] winding its way north of Kinderton Lodge towards Middlewich, where it is joined by Sanderson's Brook southeast of the town, near Brooks Lane. It then heads northwest on the right-hand side of the Trent and Mersey Canal until it joins the River Dane at the northwest corner of Harbutt's Field.
Back in Fender Wood, [11] a weir feeds a channel of water to supply a historical mill race; this watercourse follows the field boundaries, past what was Brookhouse Farm, [12] then under Pochin Way (historically the start of Lodge Lane), through Midpoint 18 [13] business park and under Holmes Chapel Road, before running through the garden of the bungalow to the east of the Old Station House. [14] Here, it disappears through a culvert towards the railway embankment. Historically, this watercourse would have fed the mill pond [15] that powered the Kinderton Corn Mill, [16] as shown in the 1882 Ordnance Survey map. [17]
Looking at a topographic map, [18] the elevation of the River Croco is about 85 m (280 ft) at source, falling to 27 m (89 ft) at the point where it flows into the River Dane.
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