I am currently working on a new project called Where Two Rivers Collide. I grew up in a village called Overton in Hampshire. The River Test runs through the village and its source is only a few miles outside. As a kid I would cross the river on my way to school and would stop to try and spot trout, I would often wonder where I would end up if I floated down it. The Test actually ends up in Southampton where it collides with the river Itchen to create Southampton Water.
Both the Test and Itchen are chalk Rivers. They are typically wide, shallow and crystal clear. Their alkaline waters are pure thanks to the constant purifying and filtering in the chalk. They are an irreplaceable relic of our past, created as the ice sheets retreated from England 10,000 years ago. Geographers say there are only 210 true chalk streams anywhere in the world, and 160 of them are in England. They are England’s unique contribution to global ecology. The rivers pass through picturesque villages and countryside and are famous for their trout fishing.
As the rivers collide to create Southampton Water, suddenly these gentle pure waters become a hive of activity. Housing and leisure areas become mixed with the industry of Southampton Port and Fawley Oil Refinery and Power Station. My initial thoughts for the project were to follow the River Test from its source to the sea, however at this stage I have become more interested in the last stretch in Southampton Water where they collide.
At the moment I am just collecting images to see what I end up with, at times moving slightly away from the river to capture things I find interesting. I will head back to these locations during the different seasons over the next year to see where this project takes me.