The River Slea is an 18-mile long tributary of the River Witham, in Lincolnshire, England. It rises at West Willoughby, two miles SW of Ancester, flows rapidly several hundred feet downhill to and through Ancaster, then on past the Site of Special Scientific Interest alongside Rauceby Golf Course, to the major town of Sleaford. A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... The River Witham is a river in the east of England. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England, traditionally the second largest after Yorkshire. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Ethnicity... A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... Location within the British Isles Sleaford is a town in Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. ...

At Sleaford it flows above ground in two seperate courses, and then curves around the foot of The Hub (the largest arts & crafts gallery outside London) where a new riverside sculpture walk follows it. Leaving Sleaford, it passes through the unspoiled ancient woodland at Haverholme, then runs down through the increasingly wildlife-rich South Kyme to join the River Witham at Chapel Hill.

The River Slea was made navagable from the Witham up to Sleaford in 1794, although these navigations were closed in 1878, having been made uneconomic by the arrival of the railway in 1857. There is now an active Sleaford Navigation Trust that aims to reopen to navigations again as far as Sleaford. 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1872 the river was described as "a never-ending source of pure water", and was a trout river renowned throughout the East coast of England. But in the late 1960s, the Anglian Water Authority took control of the river, and therafter it became rapid degraded, due mostly to over-abstraction of water for use in farming. 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Trout is the common name given to a number of species of freshwater fishes belonging to the salmon family, Salmonidae. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ...

External links

• Sleaford Navigation Trust