The Saltbox Christian Centre

Portrait of the River Trent

From a source at Biddulph Moor, the River Trent flows 171 miles until it enters the North Sea beyond Hull. It is the third longest river in England, after the Thames and the Severn. The river has more than 20 tributaries. The name 'Trent' is derived from the Celtic trisantona, which means 'road-crosser, flooding river, trespasser, wanderer.' I focus here on seven features of the river.

1. Division The River Trent is the traditional dividing line between the north and south of England: Meteorologically, the weather 'above' and 'below' the river is often different. Ornithologically, some breeds of bird occur only to the north (e.g. curlew, merlin and grouse) or to the south (e.g. nightingale and reed warbler) of the Trent.
   
   Topographically, England's major hills are to its north and lowlands are to its south. Geologically, the main coal reserves are to the north of the river, while the gypsum is to the south. Industrially, the heart of the Industrial Revolution was to the north of the river, whereas the south retained a more agricultural flavour. Linguistically, there are variations of words and pronunciations 'above' and 'below' the Trent. Militarily, the Royalist forces in the Civil War came predominantly from the north; the Parliamentarians from south of the river. Politically, the traditional Labour Party heartlands lie north of the Trent, and of the Conservative Party to the south. Ecclesiastically, the Methodists and Pentecostals prospered to the north, the Brethren and Baptists to the south. North of the river is the Archdiocese of York, south the Archdiocese of Canterbury.
   
   
2. Battle Several important battles have taken place on the banks of the River Trent: On 18 March 1321, Edward 2nd fought the Earl of Lancaster at Burton Bridge. On 16 June 1487, the battle that ended the Wars of the Roses took place at East Stoke (near Southwell). The House of Lancaster defeated the House of York. 7,000 men died and it was said that the river ran red with blood. On several occasions during the Civil War in the 1640's, the Royalists and Parliamentarians clashed at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. In 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highland Army reached as far south as Swarkestone Bridge, Derby, before retreating north to defeat at Culloden.
3. Invasion A river represents a highway along its course as much as it does a barrier to those trying to traverse it. Since the Trent has been navigable for much of its history, this inevitably led to its use for invasion: The Romans reached as far north as the Trent in 47 AD. Having consolidated their position, they crossed the river and moved further north in 79 AD.
   
   Celts such as Wulfhere, the 7th Century King of Mercia, navigated the river to Stone, from where he ruled his kingdom. The River Trent was the major route into England for the Vikings. Place-names such as Normacot and Knutton show that they made it right to the source of the river.
   
   The Danes established the Danelaw in the five boroughs of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln and Stamford. Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes, died in Gainsborough in 1040.
   
   
4. Trade In peaceful times, the river was used for the purpose of trade: As early as the 14th Century, goods were being moved between Nottingham and York. By the 17th Century, this amounted to 10,000 tons annually. In the 18th Century, this rose to 75,000 tons annually.
   
   With the opening of the Grand Trunk (i.e. Trent and Mersey) Canal in 1766, the world opened up to the pottery industry. Goods could be transported westwards to Liverpool (and the USA) and eastwards to Hull (and Europe).



5. Worship The River Trent has had a long association with Christian worship. This was particularly focused on the 'holy places' that lay at the confluence of two rivers/streams:
   
   At Southwell in 630 AD, Paulinus, the 1st Archbishop of York, baptised the local population in the River Trent. Southwell's original name meant 'the place where much industry was employed in the laying on of hands.' A monastery
6. A monastery was established at Repton (Burton) in 650 AD. Around 700 AD, holy places were built by St Chad at Stoke-upon-Trent and by St Werburgh at Trentham. St Modwen, the Irish princess and missionary, founded a monastery on an island at Burton-on-Trent in 900 AD. Established in 1000 AD, the Benedictine Burton Abbey was the largest abbey in Staffordshire. A Cistercian Abbey was erected at Hulton (Stoke-on-Trent) in 1170 AD.



7. Revival Alongside the ancient places of worship and witness, there are more recent links between the Trent and non-Conformist revivals. Revival leaders born along the river include:
   
   John Wesley (leader of Methodism, born at Epworth in 1703)
   Hugh Bourne (co-leader of Primitive Methodism, born at Bucknall in 1772)
   William Clowes (co-leader of Primitive Methodism, born at Burslem in 1780)
   William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army, born at Nottingham in 1829)
   At least two 19th Century revivals flowed along the River Trent:
   
   Primitive Methodism was born at Mow Cop, within a mile of the source of the river. In the person of William Clowes, it moved through Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Leicestershire and Yorkshire, until it reached the mouth of the river at Hull. As a result of Clowes' labours in Hull and the north, 12,000 members were won in seven years.
   
   Gypsy Smith, a young Salvation Army officer, experienced a great revival in Hull between January and June 1881. He then spent the second six months of 1881 on mission in Derby. He served in Hanley from 1 January 1882, gathering 10,000 people from a standing start in just six months.
   
   
8. Power The River Trent is associated with power. Electricity-producing power stations run along its banks in Meaford (Stone), Rugeley, along the A50 and near Nottingham. 20% of the nation's electricity is generated by power stations along the river, with 75% of those stations situated on its northern banks.
   
   There are only two rivers in England that have a tidal wave. The 'bore' on the River Severn is well-known. The Trent's 'eagre' is less well-known, yet the tidal wave can travel as far as 50 miles upstream from Hull to Gainsborough. On the high Spring tides, the waves can be four to five feet tall.
   
   This reminds us of the Biblical picture in Isaiah 59:19: "He will come like a tidal wave rushing along a narrow channel, its momentum maintained by the effect of the narrowing banks and increased by the divine wind working within it." God's revival work always displays:
   
   Careful preparation - years of silent and unseen, but necessary and thorough, preparation
   Dramatic impact - when the wave breaks, it appears to have come suddenly and from 'nowhere'
   Powerful effect - both 'revival' (riding the wave in victory) and judgement (inundation and loss)
   Lasting result - the restoration of the honour of the name of Jahweh
   
   A prophetic picture has been given of a tidal wave sweeping down-stream from Stoke-on-Trent to Nottingham. The features of this picture have been:
   
   Along the top of the wave is the word 'repentance'
   The river is faceless because it represents all God's people
   The many tributaries flowing together speak of unity
   The power of the wave brings hitherto-hidden debris to the surface
   Summary of the message given by Robert Mountford on 30 April 2002 at the '2C7' leaders' meeting.
   Robert is the Director of City Vision Ministries, whose purpose is 'to inform and inspire God's people towards the fulfilment of the church's mission to disciple all nations.'