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Skating on the River Trent, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
in the early 20th century. |
Subject overview
Rivers are fundamental landscape features in any location. As a source
of water for consumption and irrigation they are often the focus of human
settlements. Also the point at which they can be crossed with ease is
another important factor in the location of towns, villages and roads.
Rivers have also been a source of power for centuries, mainly for mills
to process corn, cloth and metal. Rivers are very dynamic features of
the landscape and are subject to both long-term and short term change
in size and direction. Despite this, they have long been used as markets
for administrative boundaries from estate to county level.
The nature and location of resources
Sources to research the history of rivers are rather disparate and are
not standard for every watercourse in the county. Often the evolution
of the course of a river has to be determined by incidental references
in other sources where the river in question has been used as a boundary
indicator or other structural landscape features are orientated around
it. As with many other subjects, legal disputes featuring rivers often
yield the most detailed information, although only for specific parts
of the watercourse.
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