The seven springs that give this hamlet its name emerge from the junction of the Great Oolite limestone and the underlying Fuller's Earth clay. Rainwater falling on the Cotswold plateau above percolates down through the porous limestone until it hits the impervious clay layer, where it flows laterally and emerges at the surface as springs. This geological mechanism is the same one that creates springs along the entire Cotswold escarpment — but here the flow is unusually reliable, thanks to the large catchment area of the plateau above. The constant-temperature, lime-rich water creates a microhabitat that supports species rare elsewhere: water-cress, golden saxifrage, and several species of liverwort and moss thrive in the permanently damp conditions around the spring head. Freshwater shrimp and caddisfly larvae inhabit the infant River Churn as it begins its 39-mile journey to the Thames. The A436 road junction here has been an important crossing point since Roman times — the Ermin Way, the Roman road from Gloucester to Cirencester, passes just to the south. The springs would have been a natural watering point for travellers and their horses.
“The constant-temperature, lime-rich water creates a microhabitat that supports species rare elsewhere: water-cress, golden saxifrage, and several species of liverwort and moss thrive in the permanently damp conditions around the spring head.”
