River Maun

River Maun
The urban nature of the River Maun in Mansfield can be clearly seen here in the Rock Valley area with the deep-culverting, part of the town centre flood-alleviation scheme
Location
Country	England
County	Nottinghamshire
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Kirkby in Ashfield
Mouth	River Idle
• location	Markham Moor
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	River Meden
• right	Cauldwell Water, Vicar Water, Rainworth Water

v t e River Maun
Legend
River Idle River Poulter River Meden and River Maun Rockley mill (dis) A1 bridges, West Drayton Bevercotes Beck disused Bevercotes Colliery railway B6387 bridges Bothamsall Haughton mill (dis) River Meden weir River Meden Ollerton water mill A614 bridge Rainworth Water (from Rufford) B6034 Rufford Road bridge Clipstone Junction Vicar Water A6117 bridge B6033 Bath Lane bridge A6009 bridge Town Mill (public house) A6009 bridge A60 bridge Dam Cauldwell Water Sheepbridge Lane Hermitage Lane bridge Hermitage Mill (warehouse) viaduct Dam viaduct Kings Mill Reservoir A617 bridge B6139 Coxmoor Road bridge B6022 Station Road bridge B6021 Penny Emma Way bridge Sutton Parkway station source

The River Maun is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source lies in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and from there it flows north east through Mansfield (which takes its name from the river), Edwinstowe and Ollerton, these being the heart of the Sherwood Forest area. It becomes known as Whitewater near the village of Walesby and connects to the River Meden temporarily where the Robin Hood Way crosses them. They diverge, and near Markham Moor it merges again with the River Meden this time becoming the River Idle. Its main tributaries are Rainworth Water, Vicar Water and Cauldwell Water.

The river has been an important source of power, from at least 1086, when there was a watermill in Mansfield. A big increase in the number of mills began in the 1780s, when the frame knitting industry was decimated by the advent of Richard Arkwright's water-powered spinning frame. William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, encouraged the building of textile mills to relieve unemployment and poverty. Most were converted to do "cotton doubling", and several later became hosiery mills. The conversion of watermills which had formerly ground corn to textile mills led to the building of windmills to carry on milling corn. Although water power has largely ceased, there is still an operational water-mill at Ollerton.