Река Крей: История и природа юго-восточного Лондона.

The River Cray is the largest tributary of the River Darent. It is the prime river of outer, south east Greater London, rising in Priory Gardens, Orpington, where rainwater percolates through the chalk bedrock of the Downs to form a pond where the eroded ground elevation gives way to impermeable clay. Initially it flows true to form northwards, past industrial and residential St Mary Cray, through St Paul's Cray (where it once powered a paper mill) and through Foots Cray, where it enters the parkland Foots Cray Meadows, flowing under by Five Arches bridge (built in 1781 as part of their designs by Capability Brown). It then flows by restored Loring Hall (c.1760), home of the Lord Castlereagh who killed himself there in 1822. It continues through North Cray and Bexley. It neighbours a restored Gothic (architecture) cold plunge bath house, built around 1766 as part of Vale Mascal Estate. It is then joined by the River Shuttle (a small brook) and then continues through the parkland of Hall Place, which was built for John Champneys in 1540. The Cray turns eastward through Crayford and Barnes Cray to join the Darent in Dartford Creek. The Creek is a well watered partly tidal inlet (of the Tideway) between Crayford Marshes and Dartford Marshes by a slight projection of land, Crayford Ness. The villages through which the Cray flows are collectively known as "The Crays".

Clean ups on the (non tidal) river and campaigns for responsible angling are organised by the Cray Anglers Conservation Group. The tidal section is effectively monitored and maintained by The Dartford and Crayford Restoration Trust, who also organise Lengthsman duties for the banks. There is a signposted public footpath called the Cray Riverway alongside the river, beginning at Foots Cray Meadows and continuing for 10 miles (about 16 km) northwards to the Thames. It is part of the London LOOP. The river is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

an explanation of the various pieces of machinery mentionedThe River Cray powered fourteen watermills. From source to mouth they were:

In 1718 this mill had two waterwheels driving machinery for dressing leather in oil, and a third for corn milling. The mill was replaced by a paper mill, powered by a turbine. In 1845, Mary Ann Nash inherited the profits and rents of the mill until her sons came of age under the terms of her husband's will. Mary Ann Nash died on 7 June 1852. Thomas Nash enlarged the mill in 1853. After his death at the age of 21, his brother William was manager under the trustees until he came of age in 1857. William Nash was married twice, and had five children. In 1870 they moved from the Mill House to a new house called Crayfield House. It is recorded that the axle of the waterwheel protruded into the kitchen of the Mill House. William Nash died on 11 September 1879 and the mill was in the hands of trustees again. In 1898 a 250 horsepower (about 190 kW) double expansion condensing steam engine by Pollitt & Wigzell was installed, along with a second paper machine. Shortly after this a secondhand dryer was purchased from Joynson's mill to replace one that had proved unsuitable. By 1954 the site was a factory complex. It had been demolished by 1986. The last building on the site dated from 1779, when the low breast shot waterwheel of 14 feet (4 m) by 10 feet (3 m) powered four pairs of millstones. A picture of the mill can be seen here. The mill was burnt down on 12 May 1966 In 2007, the pub/restaurant was converted into residential accommodation in the form of flats. Archaeological work carried out by Wessex Archaeology that took place prior to the redevelopment found that "Aside from the levelling deposits no archaeological deposits or remains were observed" and that "No traces of the medieval / post medieval mill or of the wing shown on the 1873 Ordnance Survey maps of the area were observed" either.

A Domesday site, this mill stood behind the mansion of Hall Place. The mill was run by the Cannon family at one time. It was a corn mill until 1882, and was then converted to a silk printing and flagmaking factory. It was demolished by a traction engine in 1925, with some of the main beams being sold to an American millionaire, Mr Brady. He used them in the construction of a mansion. The low breast shot waterwheel was 14 feet (4 m) by 9 feet (3 m) and powered at least two pairs of millstones. It had a breastshot waterwheel. The saw mill stood alongside Crayford flour Mill; it was standing in 1854.

Crayford Flour Mills were built in 1817. They were powered by a cast iron low breast shot waterwheel 28 feet (9 m) by 4 feet (1 m) and drove five pairs of French Burr millstones. The upright shaft was wooden, with a cast iron wallower. The waterwheel and machinery were scrapped in 1914, when roller milling plant was installed, driven by gas engines.