River Roding

Roding
(Barking Creek)
River
The Roding, just before reaching the Thames at Barking
Country	England
Counties	Essex, Greater London
Districts / Boroughs	Epping Forest, Uttlesford, London Borough of Redbridge, London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Towns	The Rodings, Chipping Ongar, Loughton, Woodford Green, Ilford, Barking
Source
- location	Dunmow, Essex
Mouth	River Thames
- location	Creekmouth
Discharge	for Redbridge
- average	1.85 m3/s (65 cu ft/s)
- max	62.4 m3/s (2,204 cu ft/s) 22 November 1974
- min	0.08 m3/s (3 cu ft/s) 13 August 1990
Discharge elsewhere (average)
- Loughton	1.41 m3/s (50 cu ft/s)
- High Ongar	0.48 m3/s (17 cu ft/s)

The River Roding is a river in England that rises near Dunmow, flows through Essex and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames in London. Before 1965, the river was entirely in Essex.

The river leaves Dunmow and passes through or near a group of villages in Essex known collectively as the Rodings, as they all end with the suffix 'Roding'. After Chipping Ongar, the river flows under the M25 motorway by Passingford Bridge and Abridge.

Flood meadows by the river near Chigwell, looking towards Loughton, at Roding Valley Meadows Nature Reserve

The river then runs past Loughton and between Chigwell and Woodford Green where the Roding Valley Meadows make up the largest surviving area of traditionally managed river-valley habitat in Essex. This nature reserve consists of unimproved wet and dry hay meadows, rich with flora and fauna and bounded by thick hedgerows, scrubland, secondary woodland and tree plantation. The meadows stretch down to the M11 motorway and Roding Valley tube station is situated close to the area, although Loughton or Buckhurst Hill are better placed for a visit.

Redbridge takes its name from a crossing of the river which then passes through Ilford and Barking. The River Roding through Ilford project is a government backed scheme to improve amenities along this stretch of the river. After Barking the tidal section is known as Barking Creek, which flows into the Thames at Creekmouth.

In Essex the river forms part of the boundary between the district of Epping Forest and borough of Brentwood. The river marks much of the boundary between the London Borough of Newham and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Ilford takes its name from Ilefort, "ford on the River Hyle", which was the mediaeval name for part of the Roding.

See also

• Tributaries of the River Thames
• List of rivers in England

External links

• River Roding at Passingford Bridge

Next confluence upstream	River Thames	Next confluence downstream
River Lea (north)	River Roding	River Beam (north)