The river Ver is a chalk stream, one of only about 200 in the world. The water comes from springs and after filtering through the chalk, the water is pure with a constant temperature of about 10°C. This constant temperature provides a good habitat for water plants and insects which in turn provide food for fish and birds. In the 1970s and 1980s the water meadows began to dry up due to over-abstraction of ground water higher up.In the summer of 1997 the Ver was completely dry along this stretch due to drought and overabstraction. Since that time some pumping stations have ceased or reduced the abstraction and water has returned to the valley.
The source is in the grounds of Lynch Lodge, Kensworth Lynch on the west side of the A5 trunk road and stays on the west side for some half mile or so.
The Ver is a 28 km (17 mi) long.