The Tetbury Avon, alternatively known as the Little Avon or the Ingleburn (derived from Anglo-Saxon, meaning "English river"), serves as a tributary to the Bristol Avon. It is also referred to as the River Avon (Tetbury Branch). Originating from Tetbury in Gloucestershire, this watercourse follows a predominantly southeast course and eventually merges with the Sherston Avon at Malmesbury in Wiltshire. However, the flow of water has been significantly reduced due to the extraction of public water from its source aquifer located in the Cotswold Hills. Historically, watermills played a vital role in activities such as wool fulling and corn grinding along the river. The Environment Agency operates a gauging station at Brokenborough, reporting an average flow rate of 24.4 cubic feet per second (0.69 m3/s), with a maximum of 141 cubic feet per second (4.0 m3/s) and a minimum of 1 cubic foot per second (0.028 m3/s). It is believed that the extraction of water from the Great Oolite aquifer in the Cotswolds for public water supplies has contributed to the reduced flow in the Tetbury Avon, leading to challenges in maintaining water quality and negatively impacting the local ecology. This camera was installed and is maintained by the Environment Agency and can be viewed
here All content is available under the
Open Government Licence v3.0. The name Brokenborough may have originated from a geographical descriptor signifying a "broken hill" (with "broken" representing unevenness and "berg" denoting a hill or barrow in Old English). Alternatively, it could refer to a "ruined fort" derived from Old English, where "broken" signifies damage or ruin, and "burg" denotes a fort or stronghold. The early history of Brokenborough is somewhat uncertain, as it relies on unreliable sources. According to the antiquarian John Leland (1503–1552), the area was visited by Máel Dub (d. 675), who arrived as a hermit and established his monastic school near a castle constructed by Dunwallo Mulmutius at Bladon or Bladow, known in Old English as Ingelborne Castle. It is also mentioned that King Æthelstan (r. 924–939) resided in a royal palace in Brokenborough, situated near this location. The Domesday Book of 1086 records that Malmesbury Abbey held a substantial estate of 50 hides in Brokenborough. The abbey claimed to have possessed this estate since AD 956 during the 11th and 12th centuries.
