Holy Brook

For the first stretch of its route, the channel forms the boundary between the Reading suburbs of Beansheaf Farm, Fords Farm, Calcot, Southcote and Coley Park (all to the north of the brook), and the Kennet flood meadows (to the south). At Calcot, the brook passes Calcot Mill, one of two water mills that were driven by the brook and which originally belonged to the abbey. In this area the channel gives its name to the nearby civil parish of Holybrook. In some stretches, especially behind Coley Park, the brook is noticeably embanked along the hillside above the lower water meadows, demonstrating its artificial origins. Once past Coley Park the Holy Brook flows through the Victorian suburb of Coley, before reaching the town centre. At Coley, an overflow weir diverts excess water back to the Kennet, at a point which was once the site of a lido. ==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 invertebrates, angiosperms and fish, and chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations. Chemical status is rated good or fail. Water quality of the Holy Brook in 2019: ==References==