Whyburn

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Whyburn (Town Brook)

Whyburn, also known as Town Brook and by the government as Baker Lane Brook, is the main watercourse through Hucknall in Nottinghamshire, England. It starts from two springs at the foot of the Misk Hills near Whyburn Farm and flows east through Hucknall, past Whyburn Lane, until it joins the River Leen just upstream of Bestwood Village Mill Lakes. The brook is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) long.

Historically, the Whyburn powered several mills in Hucknall, especially near where Baker Street meets Annesley Road. There may have been a mill pond near the old village green (now the Market Place). The name is thought to come from a Celtic word ‘Wy’ meaning water.

The Whyburn runs through built-up areas, so flood defenses have been built along its length, including retention ponds, flood barriers, a monitoring station and flood warning systems. Despite these measures, it has flooded several times. The highest recorded level was 1.47 meters (4 ft 10 in) during Storm Babet in October 2023.

A school once carried the Whyburn name as well.