Guest 736- Registered: 5 Jan 2012
- Posts: 118
Hi to one and all to start with!
I'm new to this site and I can see from topics that there is a lot to talk about. So no time to waste!!! We were out at Bushy Ruff a few weeks ago and to our horror the water seems to have vanished all the way up to the springs. Now there maybe a thread on here somewhere about this previous so am sorry about that but it was quite disturbing to see. Many a warm evening spent walking out that way in the summer. Just to see what can all be compared to as a speedway track for ducks and swans!!
On a serious note if anyone can shed any light on this I would be most grateful as the puzzle remains as no one seems to know !
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
mark
there is a thread about the wellington dock that will explain things in geat detail, you will have to hunt back a bit.
basically the draining of it has caused shortage of water down its entire stretch, we believe the swans have been relocated somewhere in sussex.
Hi Mark there have been a few threads about this I think the latest was by Ian and is titled how low can you get , Welcome to the forum
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
Hello Mark welcome to the forum.
Try the.....How low can you get..... thread on the next page.
I was going to do a lot of enquiries but thought better of it. I don't need brick walls again.

grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Welcome to Doverforum Mark
There is a search engine on the front page, just scroll down to members club and on the right you will see the search symbol. As Ian and Howard say try 'Wellington Dock' and 'How low can you get'
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
Whoe hold on there Howie, Can you explain the statement in detail that you made above and how that is possible.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
only gping by what i have been told ian, any further information would be welcome.
that is what the forum is for, sharing info so we reach the right conclusion.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
The gates were closed on Wellington Dock this morning and the water quite high so it will be interesting to see if there is an effect....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
Ok mate I'll try just for you
Whoever told you lives on another planet.
The river Dour flows into the sea, the sea does not flow into the Dour,the last section between the subway and the Nelson is far too steep for water to come inland.
There are 5 waterfalls between the Dours exit and it's source of which 3 of them are 8 foot plus drops, so no matter what state Wellington dock is in makes no difference.
The water is disappearing from somewhere up stream and my feeling it's Drelingore pumping station.
Does that help at all matey.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 736- Registered: 5 Jan 2012
- Posts: 118
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
has any body looked at the temple ewele source and watersend nursery bit.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I'm just being awkward (like Vic

), I have an 'ology and can understand physics and that
Low rainfall is likely to be the main reason so there is probably more extraction
Interesting though that yesterday I was reading a newspaper from the summer of 1927 and it was talking about the Wellington Dock overflowing from so much rain, that must have been a sight !!
Also interesting that it was a regular section of the papers to report on the state of the water at Drellingore....
Been nice knowing you :)
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
hi mark
welcome to the forum
you will find it open and interesting
we may not always agree and there are a number of differing viewpoints
but thats what makes the forum
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 722- Registered: 23 Aug 2011
- Posts: 97
The channel tunnel also goes through the water table, and leaks. There are enormous pumping stations in the tunnel which evacuate the water. This must have some effect on the levels.
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
I worked at the Harbour Board for a season in 1989 on what was called the Dockhead. It is probably called the Marina now. The job entailed opening and closing the dock gates, swinging the bridge, tying up the sand boat in the Wellington dock and the cargo ships in the Granville dock, directing the yachts to their berths and collecting the dues from them.
From memory the dock gates were opened one hour before High Water and closed two and a half hours after. The river Dour therefore flowed into the Wellington dock for approx. nine hours between tides. To counteract this inrush of water there are sluices on the Wellington dock gate which can be opened to allow the excess water to flow into the Harbour.
We worked on a tidal basis so had to be on the job one and a half hours before H.W. and finished two and a half hours after H.W. = Four hours. Then away home for approx. eight hours and back for the next tide.
When we closed the Wellington dock gate the Harbourmaster used to estimate, after looking at the rainfall forecast, how much water he thought would flow into the dock and we would open the sluices accordingly. Reading Scotchies post about the dock overflowing in 1927 it looks like the sluices were not opened wide enough and there must have been some unexpected torrential rain.
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
Alec I loved reading your last post. Being mad about anything nautical it's nice hearing about not that many years ago but when the work was more hands on as you did there. As a result of your work you know exactly what is going on re the water and explain it so even I can understand

Thank you.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Thanks Alec, presumably this is the sluice ?
Been nice knowing you :)
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
Thats the one Paul.
Jackie, thanks for your comments. It was an interesting and enjoyable job and as I had just left the M.N. it kept me in touch with the sea. The downside was that with it being tidal work we had to be there all times of the day and night and as I don't drive and live in Whitfield I couldn't rely on public transport.
I did what Mr. Tebbitt suggested and bought myself a bike. It was alright getting down there as it was all down hill, I could do Whitfield to the Dockhead in 15 minutes in the middle of the night with no traffic about but coming back was a different matter. I managed to get as far as those houses on the left on Whitfield hill and had to dismount and walk to the top of the hill. The quickest time I did coming home was about 40 minutes. I was 55 years of age and found it a bit of an effort to say the least as I hadn't ridden a bike since my teens.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
How fast down the Jubilee Way on a bike ?

Been nice knowing you :)
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
at least 40mph.
