A river runs through it

I can't remember the forest this wet. I thought the woods were waterlogged the other day, but this, every conceivable channel, every ditch, gulley or shallow depression is channelling water, at speed, into the bigger brooks and streams. The banks on these streams have been over run, breached throughout; valley floors have become submerged, transient lakes. A river runs through the Red Rise shade, but where, so many flows through the mass of moving water. At Markway bridge the course of Red Rise Shade brook is obscured, with the water running so high that it threatens to overwhelm the bridge; the two footbridges up stream now look a forlorn sight sat redundant amongst the furiously flowing waters.

Turning we made for higher ground and the old enclosure; through here there is less standing water although the ground is saturated, giving generously underfoot, and the drainage ditches run at maximum. Through onto Dames Slough enclosure and the restored bog woodland valley accommodating Black water, which like other water ways is engorged. Dames Slough, created in 1859, is one of the younger enclosures and in recent years the areas of wood adjacent to the stream have been cleared and the meanders, removed to improve drainage, have been restored to ensure flooding. Black water, having its source on the edge of the high Stoney Cross plateau, has had time to collect masses of water and is barrelling through the land as it enters Vinney Ridge; causing swirling vortexes behind the trees it passes. Usually a gentle stream, Black water has swelled to, maybe, 50m wide and there is a foreboding about it, a wildness too.