View source for River Pang

{{Short description|River in Berkshire, England}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Pang
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = 
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = uk-pang-in-pangbourne.jpg
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = River Pang in [[Pangbourne]]
| map                = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption= 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| subdivision_type3  = Counties
| subdivision_name3  = [[Berkshire]]
| subdivision_type4  = Districts / Boroughs
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = Villages
| subdivision_name5  = [[Farnborough, Berkshire|Farnborough]], [[East Ilsley]], [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]], [[Hampstead Norreys]], [[Frilsham]], [[Bucklebury]], [[Stanford Dingley]], [[Bradfield, Berkshire|Bradfield]], [[Tidmarsh]], [[Pangbourne]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length_km = 23
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= [[Pangbourne]]
| discharge1_min     = {{convert|0.07|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}24 August 1976
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|0.62|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max     = {{convert|6.50|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}22 November 1974
| discharge2_location= [[Frilsham]]
| discharge2_min     = 
| discharge2_avg     = {{convert|0.21|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge2_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = 
| source1_location   = Varies between [[Farnborough, Berkshire|Farnborough]], [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]] and [[Hampstead Norreys]]
| source1_coordinates= 
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[River Thames]]
| mouth_location     = [[Pangbourne]]
| mouth_coordinates  = 
| mouth_elevation    = 
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = 
| tributaries_left   = Maidenhatch Brook
| tributaries_right  = [[River Bourne, Berkshire|River Bourne]]
| custom_label       = 
| custom_data        = 
| extra              = 
}}
[[File:River Pang in Bradfield, Berkshire.jpg|thumb|right|The River Pang in Bradfield]]
[[File:River Pang near Bradfield College.JPG|thumb|right|The River Pang near Bradfield College, and just upstream of the previous picture]]
[[File:Family of Swans on River Pang.JPG|thumb|right|A family of [[mute swan]]s on the River Pang]]

The '''River Pang''' is a small [[chalk stream]] river in the west of the English county of [[Berkshire]], and a [[tributary]] of the [[River Thames]]. It runs for approximately {{convert|23|km}} from its source near the village of [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]] to its confluence with the Thames in the village of [[Pangbourne]].

The river, and its [[European water vole|water vole]]s, are thought to have inspired author [[Kenneth Grahame]]'s character [[Ratty (water vole)|Ratty]] and his book ''[[The Wind in the Willows]]''.<ref name=dtwtilg>{{cite news | first = Aislinn | last = Simpson | work = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London | page = 11 | date = 27 August 2007 | title = Waterways that inspired literary gems at risk | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561450/Waterways-that-inspired-literary-gems-at-risk.html |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Course==
The river's source is normally near the village of [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]], although the exact location varies depending on rainfall levels. In times of high rainfall it can be traced back to [[Farnborough, Berkshire|Farnborough]], some four miles to the west-north-west, whilst at other times it may be as far downstream as the outfall from [[Hampstead Norreys]] [[sewage works]].

From Compton, the Pang flows south through the villages of [[Hampstead Norreys]] and [[Frilsham]], before turning east to flow through the villages of [[Bucklebury]], [[Stanford Dingley]] and [[Bradfield, Berkshire|Bradfield]].<ref name="osmap1">Ordnance Survey (2004). ''OS Explorer Map 158 – Newbury & Hungerford''. {{ISBN|0-319-23612-9}}.</ref>

To the east of Bradfield the Pang is joined by the [[River Bourne, Berkshire|River Bourne]] and turns north to flow through the villages of [[Tidmarsh]] and [[Pangbourne]], eventually entering the Thames between [[Whitchurch Lock]] and [[Whitchurch Bridge]].<ref name="osmap2">Ordnance Survey (2006). ''OS Explorer Map 159 – Reading''. {{ISBN|0-319-23730-3}}.</ref>

The valley of the River Pang between Compton and Bradfield is rather isolated, penetrated only by narrow country lanes. Because of this isolation, the valley has not become the residential commuter area that is much of Berkshire, and is still largely agricultural.

==Wildlife==
The Pang contains American [[signal crayfish]], which have displaced the native [[white-clawed crayfish]] species.<ref>[http://lfcc.org.uk/downloads/category/16-fisheries-action-plans?download=30:river-kennet-fap Kennet & Pang Fisheries Action Plan]</ref>

The [[Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust]] owns a [[nature reserve]] straddling the Pang at Moor Copse, close to the village of Tidmarsh. A {{convert|29|ha|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} extension to the nature reserve, in the area that is believed to have inspired Kenneth Grahame's work, was purchased in December 2006.<ref>{{cite news | work = Natural World | date = Spring 2007 | page = 10 | title = Ratty's Paradise joins eight new reserves}}</ref>

In August 2007 a coalition of the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]], the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]], the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds|RSPB]] and others<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wcl.org.uk/board-of-trustees.asp |title=Board of Trustees |publisher=Wildlife and Countryside Link |accessdate=21 September 2020}}</ref> called on the British government to adopt their Blueprint for Water. To publicize their campaign they highlighted the dangers to sites well known through literature such as The [[Lake District]] ([[Arthur Ransome]]'s ''[[Swallows and Amazons]]'' and [[Beatrix Potter]]'s ''[[The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle|Mrs Tiggy-Winkle]]''), the [[North Kent Marshes]] ([[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[Great Expectations]]'') and the River Pang.<ref name=dtwtilg/>

==Water quality==
The Environment Agency measures the 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 [[invertebrate]]s, [[angiosperm]]s and fish, and chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations. Chemical status is rated good or fail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/glossary |website=Catchment Data Explorer |title=Glossary (see Biological quality element; Chemical status; and Ecological status) |publisher=Environment Agency |date=17 February 2016}}  [[File:Open Government Licence logo.svg|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.</ref>

Water quality of the River Pang in 2019:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Section !! Ecological<br/>Status !! Chemical<br/>Status !! Overall<br/>Status !! Length !! Catchment !! Channel
|-
| {{waterqual_title |desc= Pang |asset= GB106039023300}} 
| {{waterqual_mod}} 
| {{waterqual_fail}} 
| {{waterqual_mod}} 
| {{convert| 36.57 |km|mi|abbr=on}}
| {{convert| 170.531 |km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| 
|}

==Etymology==
The river is named after a man, thought to be an early Saxon chieftain, or tribe called Pǣga who lived there in the post-Roman era.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=David Nash |title=Pangbourne |url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/pangbourne.html |website=Royal Berkshire History |accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Tributaries of the River Thames]]
* [[List of rivers in England]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{cite book |last=Greenaway |first=Dick |others=Dorcas Ward (illus.) |title=Around the Valley of the Pang |location=Theale, Reading |publisher=Friends of the Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valleys |year=2007 |isbn=978-09543597-2-0}}

==External links==
{{commons category|River Pang}}
* Mapsources: source of the river {{gbmapping|SU 527,792}} and mouth {{gbmappingsmall|SU 634,766}}
* [http://www.greenlink-berkshire.org.uk/WestBerkshire/Pang_valley_countryside.htm Pang Valley Countryside Project]
* [http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/kennet_fap.pdf Kennet & Pang Fisheries Action Plan ]

{{S-start}}
{{River confluence start|River=[[River Thames]]}}
{{River item line|upstream=[[River Thame]] (north)
|downstream=[[River Kennet]] (south)}}
{{S-end}}

{{coord |51.486|-1.088|type:river_region:GB|display=title}}

{{authority control}}
{{Rivers and watercourses of Berkshire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pang, River}}
[[Category:Rivers of Berkshire]]
[[Category:West Berkshire District]]
[[Category:Thames drainage basin|1Pang]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the River Thames|Pang]]