River Test

Recorded forms are Terstan from 877 and 901, Tarstan stream in 1045, Terstein 1234, and Test in 1425. If Common Brittonic, not Old English, all related dictionaries show three suitable words beginning with Tre- and none with extremely rare Ter-. There is precedent to such metathesis: as for the river Tern in the far west, from tren 'strong'. If so it most likely relates to the Welsh tres (tumult, commotion, contention, uproar) or trais (force, might in older Welsh).{{cite journal |last=Breeze |first=Andrew |date=1998 |title=The name of the River Test |url=http://www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1990s/vol53/Breeze.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society |volume=53|pages=226–227 |access-date=27 January 2017 }} A close set of words (diversely conjugated and pronounced) in Old English is (f)irst(en), the meaning of which is as at present, first.

File:Soton river test docks 01.jpg and is lined with quays]]

The river rises near the village of Ashe, {{convert|7|mi|km|sigfig=2}} to the west of Basingstoke (at {{gbmapping|SU 532,498}}), and flows west through the villages of Overton, Laverstoke, and the town of Whitchurch, before joining with the Bourne Rivulet at Testbourne and turning in a more southerly direction. It then proceeds through the villages of Longparish and Middleton to Wherwell and Chilbolton, where the Rivers Dever and Anton join.Ordnance Survey (2004). OS Explorer Map 144 – Basingstoke, Alton & Whitchurch. {{ISBN|0-319-23606-4}}.

From Chilbolton the river goes through the villages of Leckford, Longstock, Stockbridge and Houghton to Mottisfont and Kimbridge, where the River Dun joins the flow. From here the village of Timsbury is passed, then through the grounds of Roke Manor before reaching the town of Romsey. On the western edge of Romsey, Sadler's Mill, an 18th-century watermill, sits astride the River Test.Ordnance Survey (2004). OS Explorer Map 131 – Romsey, Andover & Test Valley. {{ISBN|0-319-23600-5}}.

South of Romsey, the river passes the country house of Broadlands, and then Nursling, once the site of a Roman bridge. Finally the river is joined by the River Blackwater and soon becomes tidal, widening out into a considerable estuary that is lined on its northern bank by the container terminals and quays of the Port of Southampton. The Test estuary then meets that of the River Itchen and the two continue to the sea as Southampton Water.Ordnance Survey (2004). OS Explorer Map OL22 – New Forest. {{ISBN|0-319-23616-1}}.

Between Chilbolton and Redbridge, the river was once paralleled by the Andover Canal, which was itself converted to a railway in 1865, and then in turn abandoned. Most traces of the canal have disappeared, although the remains of a stretch can still be seen between Timsbury and Romsey.Andover Town Central (2000–2006). [http://www.andover.towncentral.co.uk/Andover/canal.asp The Andover Canal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706132758/http://www.andover.towncentral.co.uk/Andover/canal.asp |date=6 July 2008 }}. Retrieved 9 February 2006.

This chalk stream has one of the richest fauna and flora of any lowland river in England. More than 100 species of flowering plant have been recorded along its banks and 232 invertebrate taxa in the river. It is also important for wetland birds, with breeding species including kingfishers, grey wagtails and little grebes.{{cite web|url = https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/2000170.pdf |title = River Test citation|series = Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher = Natural England|access-date = 18 May 2020}}

The Environment Agency measure water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates, angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail.{{cite web |url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/help/glossary |website=Catchment Data Explorer |title=Glossary (see Biological quality element; Chemical status; and Ecological status) |publisher=Environment Agency |date=17 February 2016}} 30px Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright.

Water quality of the River Test in 2019:

The river features in Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.{{cite news|title=On the Unsettling Allure of 'Watership Down'|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/t-magazine/watership-down-hampshire-england.html|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Rock|first=Peter|date=15 May 2018|access-date=3 April 2021}} When the Watership rabbits are pursued by an enemy force, one rabbit carries out a plan which leads to their successful escape down the Test on a punt. In the text, readers are told that this plan would not have been possible on most rivers, but the Test's smooth-flowing, weed-free nature makes it an exception. The punt becomes lodged on a low bridge, and the surviving rabbits are forced to swim under the bridge to the riverbank.

The following are the named tributaries of the River Test, listed in order upstream from Southampton Water.Ordnance Survey (1995). OS Landranger Map 185 – Winchester and Basingstoke. {{ISBN|0-319-22185-7}}.

• Tanners Brook
• Wimpson stream (historically; due to the extension of the docks it now merges with Tanners Brook just before it reaches the Test){{cite book |last=Burgess |first=Lawrence |date=1982 |title=The Streams and Watercourses of Southampton |publisher=Friends of Old Southampton |page=4}}
• River Blackwater
• River Dun
• Wallop Brook
• River Anton
• Pillhill Brook
• River Dever
• Bourne Rivulet
• River Swift

• Rivers of the United Kingdom

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• https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/7700461

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Test, Hampshire

Test

Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire

Category:Test Valley

Category:Ramsar sites in England

Category:Special Protection Areas in England

Category:Recreational fishing in England