The River Bourne rises in the parish of Ightham, Kent and flows in a generally south easterly direction through the parishes of Borough Green, Platt, Plaxtol, West Peckham, Hadlow, and East Peckham where it joins the River Medway.

[2] Several springs feed into the headwaters of the River Bourne and there are three contenders for its actual main source.

These merge in Ightham where the Bourne has cut a 117 feet (36 m) deep gorge through the limestone.

The river passes through woods to Basted, where a mill pond gives clues to its industrial past.

From Ightham through Hadlow to Golden Green, the river powered numerous watermills.

Although often referred to as being in Borough Green, the mill site actually stands within the parish of Platt.

Millers include James Full, who died 18 March 1871 aged 66, and was buried in Plaxtol churchyard.

The Upright Shaft was of wood and the Great Spur Wheel was of compass arm construction, as shown on a photograph of 1955.

The mills were worked by Messrs, Turner & Co from at least 1862 to post 1882 and produced paper which Messrs. De La Rue used for printing colonial postage stamps.

In 1759 the mill was leased by Isabella and William Dalyson to Mrs Elizabeth Buttonshaw for 21 years at £45 per annum.

In 1835 John Buttanshaw surrendered his lease on the mill to Maximilian Dudley Digges Dalison.

It may be the site of "Toyesmede mill" lying in the Hadlow boundary of the Lowy of Tonbridge in c.1258.

The mill was at one time owned by the Geary family and worked by William Young and his son Edward in the period 1847–75.

The mill still stands, and had a large external high breast shot waterwheel.

The mill was working until 1947, millers in the latter days being John Thirsk (there in 1931) and Thomas Lambert before him.

The crown wheel was used latterly to drive the electricity generator, with one of the stone nuts being adapted as the driven gear.

[11] A tributary of the Bourne rises in the Hildenborough parish and flows through Shipbourne where it powered a watermill, Uridge's Mill, Shipbourne (corn) and a pump at Claygate before flowing into the Bourne downstream of Hamptons Paper Mill.

[23] TQ 605 517 approx 51°14′30″N 0°18′01″E / 51.241789°N 0.300355°E / 51.241789; 0.300355 This was a breast shot wheel driving a pump again the exact location is not known.

The only reference to it being the Wrotham Tithe Award of 1845 noting a hop garden of 2 acres (8,100 m2) and 35 perches "adjoining mill.

[25][26][27] The Bourne was navigable from The Medway, by canoe, summer 2014, in open water, for 200 m until clogged by vegetation under the 1st footpath bridge; 500 m before the 'Man of Kent' pub, East Peckham.

The river was reported navigable to the pub in winter (2012); 'the last 100 yards rocky and difficult'.

A large tannery, using the Bourne's water at Little Mill, is shown in the 1891 OS map.

The river by the tannery, before the road bridge, is shown with a cut-out suited to mooring.

Hadlow Parish Council have plotted a walk along the Bourne, from Ightham to the Medway.

The Roman military route from Maidstone to London crosses the Bourne at Ightham.