Crabb Mill

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The Woodbridge Brook, a tributary of the Bristol Avon, originates near Lydiard Millicent in Wiltshire and flows in a predominantly westerly direction, eventually joining the Avon below Malmesbury. With an average flow of 20.5 cubic feet per second (0.58 m3/s), the brook was historically utilized to power watermills. Notably, Crabb Mill is situated just west of the village of Lea in Wiltshire. The Charlton Stream forms the western boundary of the parish and converges with the River Avon near Cowbridge in the southwestern part of the parish. Flowing east to west across the parish, the Woodbridge Brook joins the Charlton Stream northwest of Lea village. This camera was installed and is maintained by the Environment Agency and can be viewed here All  content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Approximately following the B4042 Swindon-Malmesbury road, the southern boundary of the parish is established. In 1340, one of the early residents of Lea was Ralph of Combe, and his name is still associated with the southwestern corner of the village known as Combe Green (Ordnance Survey spelling), occasionally misspelled as Coombe Green. A school was constructed in Lea in 1873, replacing an earlier one-room school. Students of all ages attended until 1954 when older pupils transitioned to Malmesbury School. In 1976, the school premises underwent expansion. The population of the parish reached its peak at 494 individuals according to the 1871 census, subsequently declining to 337 in 1931. However, as new housing developments were established, primarily in Lea village, the population experienced growth. It is worth noting that when Sidney Herbert was ennobled as Baron Herbert of Lea in 1861, his title was derived from this very village.