Winterbourne (stream)

Winterbourne is a British term derived from the Old English winterburna ("winter stream").

A winterbourne is sometimes simply called a bourne, from the Anglo-Saxon word for a stream flowing from a spring, although this term can also be used for all-year water courses.

[1] Winterbournes generally form in areas where there is chalk (or other porous rock) downland bordering clay valleys or vales.

Exploitation of chalk aquifers as a domestic water source in Britain has had the effect of converting many streams and rivers into artificial winterbournes.

The stream runs from the foot of the South Downs through a park, a housing estate and a public garden, ending at the Railway Land Nature Reserve where it meets the River Ouse.