There are several water courses that flow through the Pan area of Newport and on the ground it is very difficult to There are several water courses that flow through the Pan area of Newport and on the ground it is very difficult to work out which are which and where they are going! South of Staplers Rd / Long Lane from east to west is Upper Staplers Stream which merges into Lower Staplers Stream just to the east of the biomass plant in Pan Country Park and runs along the south of the recreation field before it merges into Pan Stream by Garden Way. Pan Stream flows all the way from Downend.
Staplers Stream
The map above shows Staplers Stream as two separate watercourses (Upper Staplers Stream and Lower Staplers Stream) emerging west of Buckbury Lane. They merge at Pan Country Park and flow alongside the recreation field. It is here that the stream is most visible. Staplers Stream then disappears underground in a culvert before flowing into Pan Stream behind Garden Way.
Pan Stream
Pan Stream starts life east of DownenPan Stream starts life east of Downend. The map above shows several tributaries flowing into it. It is still only a small stream when it enters Pan Country Park (left below) but it gathers volume as it runs through the new Pan Meadows estate, is crossed by Godric Road (centre below) and then flows behind Garden Way to Pan Lane (right below).
Pan Stream then flows east and crosses under St Georges Way close to the pedestrian crossing. When it enters Pan Mill Pan Stream then continues flowing west and crosses under St Georges Way close to the pedestrian crossing. When it enters Pan Mill Meadows there is a considerable difference in height between Pan Stream and the Medina which is handled by a deep weir (left below). The stream then pools (centre below); this is a result of previous engineering when it would have flowed as a mill leet to Lee Thomas Mill by Matalan. This ditch is now dry most of the year, with the main volume of water entering the Medina by the footbridge (right below).
Pan Stream and its tributaries were surveyed Pan Stream and its tributaries were surveyed on four occasions by Dr Roger Herbert and Rebecca Cooksley prior to work starting on the new Pan Meadows estate. Their work and findings were later reported in the Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeology Society. A copy of this report can be read here.