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60-526: The geographical term Severnside refers to an area adjoining or straddling the River Severn or its estuary in Great Britain . The term is used by different organisations, in different contexts, to refer to quite different areas. The Severn passes through both England and Wales , in some places forming the boundary between the two. Some uses of "Severnside" relate to areas on both sides of

120-599: A Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest in Wales . There have been variations in both land and sea levels in the Severn Estuary since the start of human habitation in the area. The Levels have been reclaimed from the sea at different times during the historic period, preserving evidence of patterns of settlement, enclosure and drainage systems. Mesolithic and later remains have been discovered at Goldcliff , and late Mesolithic human footprints at Uskmouth . One of

180-642: A broad beam canal, joins the Severn at Hawford , near to the River Salwarpe , and connects to the Droitwich Canal (narrow beam) in the name town, which then forms a link to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The two Droitwich canals re-opened in 2010 after major restoration. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal connects the Severn at Gloucester to the Severn at Sharpness , avoiding a stretch of

240-643: A similar area. Abandoned proposals for a "Severnside International Airport" related to an area reclaimed from the estuary close to the Caldicot Levels east of Newport . River Severn The River Severn ( Welsh : Afon Hafren , pronounced [ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn] ), at 220 miles (354 km) long, is the longest river in Great Britain . It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales , with an average flow rate of 107 m /s (3,800 cu ft/s) at Apperley , Gloucestershire. It rises in

300-490: Is also sometimes used more specifically to refer to the partly undeveloped area north west of Bristol, between Chittening and Severn Beach , where Imperial Chemical Industries built a large chemical plant in the 1960s, known as ICI Severnside . Various proposals for the development of industry, business parks, housing, and/or a sports stadium have been made for this area in the past. The Severnside beat of Avon and Somerset Police covers broadly this area, but also extends to

360-648: Is thought to derive from a British word * sabrinā , possibly from an older form * samarosina , meaning "land of summertime fallow". During the Roman occupation the Severn was known by the Romano-British Latin name Sabrina . Milton 's 1634 masque Comus makes Sabrina a nymph who had drowned in the river. In Shrewsbury , there is now a statue of Sabrina in the Dingle Gardens at

420-408: Is tidal. Several more villages sit beside the tidal stretch. Amongst these are Elmore , Epney and Framilode on the east bank and Minsterworth , Broadoak and Newnham on Severn on the west bank. The Severn is bridged at many places, and many of these bridges are notable in their own right. The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge was the world's first iron arch bridge. Several other bridges crossing

480-594: The Arkendale H and Wastdale H died in the accident. There have been frequent floods in Shrewsbury , Bewdley and elsewhere. More recently the river flooded during the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2019–20 United Kingdom floods . There is a public right of navigation between Pool Quay , near Welshpool , and Stourport. However this stretch of the river has little traffic, other than small boats, canoes and some tour boats in Shrewsbury. Below Stourport, where

540-633: The Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales , at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on the Plynlimon massif, which lies close to the Ceredigion / Powys border near Llanidloes . The river then flows through Shropshire , Worcestershire and Gloucestershire . The county towns of Shrewsbury , Worcester and Gloucester lie on its course. The Severn's major tributaries are the Vyrnwy ,

600-636: The Clent Hills , near St Kenelm's Church at Romsley . It flows north into the adjacent West Midlands at Halesowen . It then flows westwards through Cradley Heath and Stourbridge , where it leaves the Black Country . It is joined by the Smestow Brook at Prestwood before it winds around southwards to Kinver , and then flows back into Worcestershire. It then passes through Wolverley , Kidderminster and Wilden to its confluence with

660-779: The County of Monmouth to maintain sea walls and other works to provide for the making and maintaining of roads in the said Levels and for other purposes." This was superseded in 1942 by the Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Drainage Board, now the Internal Drainage Board or IDB. In 2012, the IDB was criticised in a report by the Wales Audit Office for overpaying staff, paying for trips abroad for its members, and acting unlawfully on other occasions. The IDB accepted

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720-658: The Cribbs Causeway retail and business area adjoining the M5 motorway . A number of voluntary groups in the Severn Beach area also use the term to describe their area of coverage. In Gloucester , the Severnside Project is an environmental improvement scheme covering the river within the city and immediately adjoining areas. In Shropshire , Severnside Housing is a social housing company which operates

780-791: The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal provides a navigable channel south. Between the docks and Lower Parting Llanthony Weir marks the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the East Channel of the river. In the tidal section of the river below Gloucester, the Gloucester Harbour Trustees are the competent harbour authority. The Trustees maintain navigation lights at various points along the river (including on Chapel Rock and Lyde Rock, and leading lights at Slime Road, Sheperdine and Berkeley Pill). There are locks on

840-547: The Irish Sea through Cheshire causing a large lake to develop across much of Shropshire. It was supposed that this lake, named as Lake Lapworth , overtopped its southern margin and rapidly cut down to form the Ironbridge Gorge providing the Severn with a southerly exit to the sea as remains the case today. An alternative theory which has gained favour in recent years does away with Lake Lapworth, suggesting that

900-532: The Middle Ages . The Bristol Channel floods of 30 January 1607 ( New style ) , caused by either a storm surge or a tsunami , resulted in the drowning of an estimated 2,000 people, with houses and villages swept away, an estimated 200 square miles (518 km ) of farmland inundated and livestock destroyed. This was one of the worst natural disasters recorded in Britain . Most of the levels has been

960-534: The Quarry , as well as a metal sculpture erected in 2013. There is a different deity associated with the Severn Estuary: Nodens , represented as mounted on a seahorse , riding on the crest of the Severn bore . The Welsh form of the name is Afon Hafren ( pronounced [ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn] ) first recorded in the 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae . The Old Welsh form of

1020-647: The River Tern , after flowing south from Market Drayton and being joined by the River Meese and the River Roden , meets the Severn at Attingham Park . The River Worfe joins the Severn's left bank just above Bridgnorth , before the Mor, Borle and Dowles brooks join on the opposite bank over the next few miles, the last-named draining Wyre Forest . The River Stour rises in the north of Worcestershire in

1080-771: The Second Severn Crossing road bridge, and carries the South Wales Main Line section of the Great Western Main Line under the channel. The original line built before the Severn Tunnel was the South Wales Railway from Gloucester , that followed the estuary alongside present day stations of Lydney , Chepstow , Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction to Newport . Cars could also be transported through

1140-549: The Severn estuary as a whole. The term " Severnside Derby " is sometimes given to football matches between Cardiff City (in Wales) and Bristol City (in England). Because there is no consensus over the term which best describes the economic sub-region centred on Bristol and which extends into the historic counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire , the term "Severnside" is sometimes used for that area. It often refers to

1200-897: The Tern , the Teme , the Warwickshire Avon , and the Worcestershire Stour . By convention, the River Severn is usually considered to end, and the Severn Estuary to begin, after the Second Severn Crossing , between Severn Beach in South Gloucestershire and Sudbrook, Monmouthshire . The total area of the Estuary's drainage basin is 4,409 square miles (11,419 km ). That figure excludes

1260-728: The Usk all flow into the estuarine section of the Severn. The main tributaries are described in sequence below. The first tributary of significance is the Afon Dulas , joining from the south immediately upstream of Llanidloes , with the Afon Clywedog joining in the town. The Afon Cerist , bolstered by the Afon Trannon , and the Afon Carno join as left bank tributaries immediately upstream of Caersws. Mochdre Brook enters on

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1320-669: The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels from Thomas Morris , a surveyor based in Newport. In 1884, the Caldicot and Wentlooge Level Act established a new body, the Monmouthshire Commissioners of Sewers, with responsibility for maintaining sea walls and roads in the Levels. The long title of the Act is "An Act to provide for the commutation of the liability of Landowners in the Levels of the hundreds of Caldicot and Wentlooge in

1380-637: The Environment and the Welsh Office addressed the possibility of substantial development and new infrastructure in the Bristol area, south east Wales and Gloucestershire . The Standing Conference on Severnside Local Authorities (SCOSLA) was formed in 1982 by a number of local councils in England and Wales with a shared interest in proposals for a Severn barrage , and in other matters relating to

1440-515: The Hatherley and Horsbere brooks, before it reaches Gloucester. The River Leadon enters the tidal West Channel of the Severn at Over, immediately west of Gloucester. The River Frome is the second significant tributary to enter the tidal stretch of the Severn, doing so at Framilode. Bideford Brook drains the easternmost part of the Forest of Dean , entering the Severn estuary east of Blakeney . On

1500-550: The SSW-NNE aligned valley either side of Welshpool is there any obvious relationship to geological structure; the valley follows the lines of the Severn Valley Faults. For much of the rest of its course it runs directly across geological structures. It was first proposed in the 1900s that the former northerly course of the upper Severn was disrupted during the course of the ice age by the blocking of its access to

1560-466: The Severn Estuary by humans since Roman times. They have been patterns of settlement, enclosure and drainage systems belonging to successive periods of use, and are extremely rich archaeologically , with finds from the Mesolithic , Bronze Age and Iron Age periods. They are an important wetland resource. Parts have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest . They are registered as

1620-543: The Severn Estuary from the mid 19th century to the late 1970s by P & A Campbell of Bristol . The vessels, Cardiff Queen , Bristol Queen , Glen Usk , Glen Gower and Britannia all operated on this route in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 1986 Waverley Excursions has operated occasional sailings to Sharpness and Lydney by the MV Balmoral . A number of ferries were also operated on the tidal river, for example at New Passage , Purton and Arlingham . The last ferry

1680-464: The Severn Tunnel. In the 1950s three trains a day made round trips between Severn Tunnel Junction and Pilning . The vehicles were loaded onto open flat bed carriages and pulled by a small pannier tank locomotive , although sometimes they were joined to a scheduled passenger train. The prudent owner paid to cover the vehicle with a sheet, as sparks often flew when the steam locomotive tackled

1740-538: The Severn at Stourport-on-Severn . The Dick Brook , Shrawley Brook and Grimley Brook enter on the right bank before the River Salwarpe , which runs through Droitwich enters on the opposite (east) bank. The River Teme flows eastwards from its source in Mid Wales , straddling the border between Shropshire and Herefordshire ; it is joined by the River Onny , River Corve and River Rea before it finally joins

1800-469: The Severn on the southern edge of Worcester . Bushley Brook joins just upstream of the confluence of the Warwickshire Avon with the Severn at Tewkesbury . One of several Avons, this one flows west through Rugby , Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon . It is then joined by its tributary the River Arrow , before joining the Severn. The rivers Swilgate and Chelt also join the Severn's left bank, as do

1860-569: The Shropshire Plain, these lower Palaeozoic rocks are replaced by Permian and Triassic age strata though largely unseen beneath a thick cover of Quaternary deposits. Certain stretches also run across Carboniferous strata as at Shrewsbury and for much of the distance between Ironbridge and Bewdley. Permo-Triassic bedrock then continues until the Severn moves intermittently onto the Jurassic outcrop from Tewkesbury southwards. Only in

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1920-538: The area administered by Avon County Council between 1974 and 1996, which some organisations now refer to as " The West of England " and others as " Greater Bristol ". The Avon Valuation Tribunal was renamed the Severnside Valuation Tribunal in 1996. The Severnside Community Rail Partnership is a not-for-profit company established to help improve rail services in the Bristol area. The term

1980-723: The area of the River Wye and the Bristol Avon , both of which flow into the Severn Estuary. The Estuary discharges into the Bristol Channel , which opens into the Celtic Sea and from there into the Atlantic Ocean. An etymology has been proposed, which signifies that 'Severn' is an anglicized version of a ancient Celtic phrase signifying 'a gap (in the coastline)', referring to the estuary. The name Severn

2040-625: The boats The Pride of the Midlands and The Earl Grosvenor . Caldicot and Wentloog Levels The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn Estuary , either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales . They are also known collectively as the Monmouthshire Levels or Gwent Levels , and

2100-567: The club-rush growing along the banks of the River Severn to make wicker baskets. The name history shows evidence of Scandinavian influence: In the Summer of 893 a coalition of all of the Danish armies in England made a determined attempt to annex western Mercia to Danish Mercia. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (ASC) recorded an account of the Battle of Buttington , and included this description of

2160-537: The county of Powys . The first town it encounters downstream of its source is Llanidloes where it is joined by the Dulas and the Clywedog. It flows past the villages of Llandinam and Caersws before reaching Newtown . It then runs by Abermule and Cilcewydd before flowing beside Welshpool , the last town on its course in Wales. Entering Shropshire and England, a few villages such as Shrawardine sit back from

2220-443: The former council housing stock in the former borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham . (The River Severn runs through both Shrewsbury and Atcham .) Monmouthshire County Council administers four area committees, including one for "Severnside" which covers the area around Caldicot and Magor . The Severnside Forum is a multi-organisation forum for the same area. The Severnside neighbourhood policing team of Gwent Police also covers

2280-421: The lower Severn to enable seagoing boats to reach as far as Stourport. The most northerly lock is at Lincomb, about 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream from Stourport. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal , the Worcester and Birmingham Canal , (both narrow beam) and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal join the Severn at Stourport, Worcester and Gloucester respectively. The Droitwich Barge Canal ,

2340-562: The marshes, such as at Nash and Redwick , before a sea wall was built along the whole coast. Goldcliff Priory was established in 1113 and together with other major landowners took responsibility for further drainage work in the area. Settlements became established, linked by droveways such as the Whitewall at Magor, and land was gradually reclaimed for pasture and arable use. A large number of Anglo-Norman sites including castles , churches, court houses, manor houses , moated sites and watermills show near-continuous occupation throughout

2400-413: The most significant finds was of a 3rd-century Romano-British boat found at Wilcrick near Magor . The Romans occupied the area from the 2nd to the 4th centuries. In 1878, a boundary stone marking the building of 33 paces of embankment by Roman soldiers was discovered at Goldcliff. Research suggests that, initially, reclamation of the natural salt marsh for farmland began at a few "island" sites within

2460-533: The name Habren was recorded c.800. Documented history of the Welsh name: The toponym for Habren might be: The English form of the name (" Severn ") is derived from Old English Sæfern . However the name is also influenced by English dialect seave (" sedge, rush ") hence the origin of the name Seaverne recorded in the 16th–17th century. Common club-rush ( Schoenoplectus lacustris ) prefers to grow in shallow water such as that found in ponds, streams and river margins. The Hwicce people used

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2520-580: The name Wentloog is sometimes spelled Wentlooge in official publications. The Caldicot Level lies to the southeast of Newport between the River Usk and River Wye and consists of 17,500 acres (71 km ). It is home to Newport Wetlands Reserve . The Wentloog Level lies to the southwest between the River Usk and Rhymney River and consists of 8,500 acres (34 km ). They are an agricultural region interspersed with suburban development. The levels are formed from tidal deposits and alluvium , which have been recurrently inundated and reclaimed from

2580-400: The name of the Dalvík – Grímsey ferry in Iceland . The River Severn's current form is the result of a multi-million year history and complex underlying geology but is in part the result of glaciation during the last ice age in the Pleistocene epoch of the Quaternary period. Within Wales, the river runs through a landscape formed in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. As it enters

2640-485: The opposite (southeast) bank the flow of the River Cam is usurped by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal before reaching the estuary. The Lyd enters the west bank of the estuary at Lydney Harbour , opposite the place where Berkeley Pill carries the waters of the Little Avon River into it. The final tributary before the Severn Bridge is the collection of streams which enter via Oldbury Pill. The River Wye, from its source in Plynlimon in Wales (2 miles (3 km) from

2700-424: The report and stated that the organisation's management had changed substantially since the time of the offences. Newport West MP Paul Flynn called for further police investigation into what had happened. The pattern of ditches now found on the Caldicot Level has been complicated by the construction of the Newport Wetlands Reserve . Whereas the raison d'etre of all previous reens and ditches had been to drain

2760-478: The river as it meanders eastwards towards the county town of Shrewsbury . More villages, notably Atcham , Wroxeter and Cressage sit beside the river as it turns southeast and heads for the gorge at Ironbridge before turning south for Bridgnorth . The Shropshire villages of Quatford and Hampton Loade and the Worcestershire village of Upper Arley follow, before the Severn runs through Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn in quick succession. The river then passes

2820-439: The river is more navigable for larger craft, users must obtain permits from the Canal & River Trust , who are the navigation authority . During spring freshet the river can be closed to navigation. At Upper Parting above Gloucester, the river divides into two, and flows either side of Alney Island to Lower Parting. The West Channel is no longer navigable. The East Channel is navigable as far as Gloucester Docks, from where

2880-432: The river were designed and built by the engineer Thomas Telford . The two major road bridges of the Severn crossing link south eastern Wales with the southern counties of England. Prior to the construction of the first bridge in 1966, the channel was crossed by the Aust Ferry . Other notable bridges include: The Severn Tunnel , completed in 1886 by John Hawkshaw on behalf of the Great Western Railway , lies near

2940-401: The river, and others only to one or other side. It generally refers to the cities on either side of the Severn Estuary . These include Cardiff , Newport and Bristol . The term has sometimes been used in attempts to coordinate planning and environmental policy across both English and Welsh sides of the estuary . In 1971, Severnside: A Feasibility Study prepared for the UK Department of

3000-446: The route taken by the Danes : "... Foron þa up be Temese oþþæt hie gedydon æt Sæferne , þa up be Sæferne . The Seafarer (poem) ..."þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe, to hwon hine Dryhten gedon wille." ..."that he never in his seafaring has a worry, as to what his Lord will do to him." — A passage in Old English poem The name Sæfern might be related to: The Old Norse name Sæfari ("Seafarer") lives on as

3060-501: The slope leading to the tunnel exit. A railway coach was provided for passengers and drivers. Reservations could be made and the fee for the car was about thirty shillings (£1.50) in the early 1950s. There have been many disasters on the Severn , which have claimed perhaps 300 lives, depending on sources, especially during the 20th century. The Severn Railway Bridge was badly damaged by the collision of two river barges in 1960, which led to its demolition in 1970. Five crew members of both

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3120-420: The source of the Severn), flows generally south east through the Welsh towns of Rhayader and Builth Wells . It enters Herefordshire , flows through Hereford , and is shortly afterwards joined by the River Lugg , before flowing through Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth , and then southwards where it forms part of the border between England ( Forest of Dean ) and Wales . The Wye flows into the Severn estuary south of

3180-417: The subject of artificial drainage schemes, and the area is criss-crossed by drainage channels, known locally as ' reens '. Many of these are now managed by the Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Internal Drainage Board . In 1531, Henry VIII set up Courts of Sewers to improve drainage, but without any powers to oblige landowners to carry out work. In 1828 the Commissioners for Sewers ordered a series of maps of

3240-536: The tidal river which is dangerous to navigate. The Stroudwater Navigation used to join the tidal Severn at Framilode , but since the 1920s has connected to the Severn only via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. The Lydney Canal is a short canal which connects Lydney to the river. The section of the river between Tewkesbury and Worcester forms part of the Avon Ring , a 109-mile (175 km) circular cruising route which includes 129 locks and covers parts of three other waterways. Paddle steamers were operated in

3300-406: The town of Chepstow . The Mounton Brook and Nedern Brooks enter on the Monmouthshire side between the two motorway crossings. The Port of Bristol is on the Severn Estuary , where another River Avon flows into it through the Avon Gorge . The River Usk and the Ebbw River flow into the Severn Estuary at Uskmouth just south of Newport . The river's course within Wales lies wholly within

3360-420: The upper Severn flowed beneath the icesheet in a bedrock hollow known as the Severn Trench eastwards from Melverley to the Ironbridge Gorge. It is possible that the trench and gorge were cut over successive ice ages. Over its length, there are a large number of tributaries, but the three largest feeding the non-tidal river are the Vyrnwy , the Teme and the Warwickshire Avon . The Wye , the Bristol Avon and

3420-405: The villages of Astley Burf and Holt Fleet before entry into the city of Worcester . Several villages sit back from the river before it runs by Upton-upon-Severn and then enters Gloucestershire as it joins with the Warwickshire Avon outside of Tewkesbury . A few more villages intervene, notable amongst which is Maisemore before the river enters the city of Gloucester from which point it

3480-405: The waters of the Banwy , Cain and Tanat , before forming part of the border between England and Wales, and joining the Severn near Melverley , Shropshire. The River Perry joins on the left bank above Shrewsbury , while both the Rad Brook and the Rea Brook , which flows northeast from its source at Marton Pool near the Welsh border, join the Severn within the town. The left bank tributary,

3540-446: The western edge of Newtown, followed by the Bechan Brook just northeast of the town. The Mule enters at Abermule , and the River Rhiw east of Berriew , followed shortly by the Camlad which rises above Churchstoke and by the Luggy Brook. The left bank Sylfaen Brook enters at Welshpool , and the Bele Brook via the New Cut east of Arddlin . The River Vyrnwy, which begins at Lake Vyrnwy , flows eastwards through Powys , gathering

3600-419: Was the Aust Ferry , which closed in 1966 when the Severn Bridge opened. One of the Aust ferries, Severn Princess , is still in Chepstow although largely derelict. Currently the only passenger boat operating between Shrewsbury & Gloucester is the 'River King' vessel that operates in Stourport. Worcester River Cruises used to run boat trips up and down the river between Tewkesbury and Stourport, operating

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