River Ouse

The River Ouse winds for 56 kilometres across Sussex, rising near Lower Beeding and flowing east then south to reach the sea at Newhaven. It passes close to Haywards Heath and through Lewes, forming the main spine of a network fed by smaller streams such as the River Uck. Near the coast it crosses the Lewes and Laughton Levels, flat low-lying land bordered by another tributary called the Glynde Reach. In the 11th century the river mouth was a wide tidal inlet, but centuries of shingle build-up and failed drainage attempts left much of the valley under marsh. Engineers including John Smeaton and William Jessop proposed improvements in the 18th century, leading to the creation of the River Ouse Navigation in 1790. Nineteen locks were built to allow boats to reach Upper Ryelands Bridge at Balcombe, while work on the lower river enabled 120-ton vessels to reach Lewes by 1829. Commercial traffic on the upper river ended by 1868, yet Newhaven remained an important port and barge traffic continued until the 1950s. Today cross-Channel ferries still sail from the port, and the river supports large sea trout that swim upstream to spawn. Walkers can follow the Sussex Ouse Valley Way long-distance footpath along the river’s course. The Lewes Brooks area of the levels is a Site of Special Scientific Interest noted for its variety of invertebrates. The Sussex Ouse Conservation Society publishes details of shorter walks, while the Sussex Ouse Restoration Trust hopes to restore navigation to the upper river. The river also provides habitat for pike, carp, barbel, roach and rarer species such as grayling and bullhead, with tidal stretches holding flounder, bass and sea lampreys.