90-673: The River Avon / ˈ eɪ v ən / ( AY -vən ), also / ˈ eɪ v ɒ n / ( AY -von ) in central England flows generally southwestwards and is a major left-bank and easternmost tributary of the River Severn . It is also known as the Warwickshire Avon or Shakespeare's Avon , to distinguish it from several other rivers of the same name in the United Kingdom. Beginning in Northamptonshire ,
180-529: A tautological place name . The source of the Avon is from a spring near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. For the first few miles of its length from the village of Welford it forms the border between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, on this section, it has been dammed to create Stanford Reservoir . Upon reaching Dow Bridge on Watling Street it enters Warwickshire. It then flows in
270-642: 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
360-513: A further 21 years, but traffic was severely hit by the opening of a railway link from Ashchurch to Evesham in 1864. Receipts had dropped to £139 in 1872, and the canal company did not renew their lease again. Somehow the navigation remained open, and as the commercial traffic declined, there was a gradual increase in pleasure usage. By the end of the Second World War only one barge was plying the stretch between Tewkesbury and Pershore, and
450-431: A generally west-southwesterly direction, passing through the towns and villages of Rugby , Wolston , (bordering Leamington Spa ), Warwick , Stratford-upon-Avon , Welford-on-Avon , Bidford-on-Avon , Evesham and Pershore , before it joins the River Severn at Tewkesbury . The river has a total length of 85 miles (137 km) and a catchment size of 1,032 square miles (2,670 km). The Avon's tributaries include
540-537: A maximum length of 70 ft (21 m), beam of 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m), height of 10 ft (3.0 m) and draught of 4 ft (1.2 m) from Tewkesbury to Evesham. Above Evesham, beam is restricted to 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) and draught to 3 ft (0.9 m). The river is crossed by two manually operated pedestrian chain ferries , these being the Hampton Ferry in Evesham and
630-473: A new lock at Stratford in early 1966, and launched an appeal for £6,000 to fund it. Work began on 19 July 1966, once half the cost had been raised. The concept of building new locks and weirs, with most of the work being undertaken by volunteers, was new. Negotiation with the Severn River Authority led to an agreement that such works could be constructed, which was eventually formalised when
720-479: A private Bill was put before parliament, which became the Upper Avon Navigation Act 1972. Further funding came from an Inland Waterways Association national restoration fund, launched in 1969. Work continued, with phase one, covering the section from Evesham to Bidford Bridge, being declared open on 12 June 1971, during an IWA boat rally at Bidford. The estimated cost for the complete restoration
810-408: A stretch of river that has never previously been navigable, but the proposal has not been universally welcomed. Landowners at Warwick Castle and Charlecote Park have attempted to claim the river as private property, although the 1636 Orders of Council state that the river was free to Coventry. Despite much local support, there is still some opposition to the scheme. Commercial traffic returned to
900-482: A wetland reserve for wildlife, with 32 acres (13 ha) of wet grassland and 5 acres (2 ha) of open water and reed beds . Worcestershire Wildlife Trust worked with the landowner to create the reserve, which is called the John Bennett Reserve. The use of barges to transport the clay was estimated to save 3,000 lorry trips between the two sites. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of
990-522: Is rated good or fail. The water quality of the River Avon was as follows in 2022. Reasons for the water quality being less than good include run off from agricultural land and discharge from sewage treatment plants, both private and public, while the lower river is also affected by physical modification of the channel. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to
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#17327655856961080-705: Is reasonably possible. Before the last Ice Age about 50,000 years ago, the Warwickshire Avon was a small river which drained northwards to the River Trent. During the Wolstonian glacial period, ice advanced into the Midlands from the north, east and west blocking the flow of the Avon to its former confluence with the Trent. The waters were thus trapped: on the north, east and west by the glacier, and by
1170-601: Is still an important feeder to the northern Oxford Canal. The Swift catchment lies between that of the Avon and Welland to the east, the River Sowe to the west, and the River Soar and its tributaries to the north, it covers an area of 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi). In terms of geology of the catchment is underlain primarily by Lias Clay and mudstones, with an overlying layer of glacially deposited till, sands and gravels. This impermeable clay means that
1260-884: 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 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
1350-648: 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
1440-408: 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
1530-744: The Lower Avon Navigation Trust Ltd ( LANT ) was constituted as a charity in 1950, and the BBC broadcast news of the proposals in April 1950. By May 1952, despite being in a period of great austerity, LANT had raised over £4,000 towards the work, and the involvement of the Royal Engineers, who helped with the reconstruction of Chadbury Lock as a training exercise, increased public awareness, and enabled further public appeals for funds to be made. By 1962, LANT had raised over £50,000,
1620-594: 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
1710-696: The Avon Ring , a circular cruising route which is 109 miles (175 km) long, and includes 129 locks. From Tewkesbury it follows the course of the River Severn , the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal to arrive back at the Avon at Stratford-upon-Avon. The navigation works on the Avon were originally authorised by an Order in Council and Letters Patent of Charles I in 1635, which named William Sandys as
1800-636: 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
1890-791: 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
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#17327655856961980-547: 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
2070-831: The National Trust and was opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother exactly a month later, and her involvement caught the public's imagination. Although the Upper Avon was in a much worse condition than the Lower Avon, the Upper Avon Navigation Trust Ltd ( UANT ) was constituted in 1965 to rebuild it. The project was led by David Hutchings, fresh from completing the Stratford Canal restoration, who obtained permission to build
2160-534: 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
2250-647: 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
2340-771: 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
2430-657: The Stratford-upon-Avon Ferry in Stratford-upon-Avon . Traffic is now exclusively leisure-oriented. Overnight moorings are available at Stratford-upon-Avon , Luddington , Welford-on-Avon , Barton , Bidford-on-Avon , Harvington , Offenham , Evesham, Craycombe , Wyre , Pershore , Defford , Comberton , Birlingham , Eckington , Strensham and Tewkesbury. There are boatyards at Stratford-upon-Avon, Welford-on-Avon, Barton, Bidford-on-Avon, Evesham, and Tewkesbury. The river forms part of
2520-728: 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
2610-896: The Vyrnwy , 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
2700-481: The river flows through or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire , Northamptonshire , Warwickshire , Worcestershire and Gloucestershire , near the Cotswold Hills area. Notable towns it flows through include Rugby , Warwick , Stratford-upon-Avon , Evesham , Pershore and Tewkesbury , where it joins the Severn. It has traditionally been divided since 1719 into the Lower Avon, below Evesham , and
2790-435: The 47.1 mile swim. The challenge was completed in 29 hours and 18 minutes. Bob Bain also rowed the entire course as lead kayak, in memory of his late wife Gail Bain. The swim captured the imagination of local communities along the river, with hundreds of spectators turning out to encourage the team. Craig finished the world first swim following an intensive 3 month long training programme and completed all of his training in
River Avon, Warwickshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-458: The 7 locks from Tewkesbury to Evesham were restored to working order, re-opening the Lower Avon, and plans were already being made to rebuild Evesham Town Lock and press on towards Stratford. Mrs Barwell, the wife of Douglas Barwell, formally opened the waterway in June 1962. Mr. Barwell received an OBE for his work on the navigation. An anonymous benefactor was about to give £80,000 in 1963 towards
2970-460: The Avon in May 2010, as part of a scheme to build flood defences at the town of Pershore, following flooding in 2007, which caused damage to a number of properties. Clay banks were constructed, with most of the material coming from Birlingham , further downstream. Some 15,000 tonnes of clay was excavated and transported by barge to the construction works. At Birlingham, the excavation was managed to create
3060-467: The Cotswolds to the south, resulting in the formation of a large glacial lake, which has been called Lake Harrison . At its maximum, it is considered that this glacial lake covered the whole of Warwickshire and was over 200 feet (60 m) deep. After about 10,000 years, when the glacier finally retreated, the water was able to cut through the previous watershed and to escape to the southwest, so forming
3150-515: 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
3240-758: The Queen Mother . The Avon connects with the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal in the centre of Stratford, and is used primarily by leisure craft. Plans to extend the navigable river to provide a link with the Grand Union Canal at either Warwick or Leamington Spa have met with some opposition. "Avon" derives from the British language abona , "river", which also survives as a number of other English and Scottish river names , and as modern Welsh afon [ˈavɔn] and Cornish avon , "river". This makes "River Avon" an example of
3330-465: The Rivers Swift , Leam , Stour , Sowe , Dene , Arrow , Isbourne and Swilgate as well as many minor streams and brooks. A long distance footpath has been created which follows the river from its source to the River Severn at Tewkesbury. The route is marketed as Shakespeare's Avon Way, and is 88 miles (142 km) long. It uses existing footpaths and tracks to stay as close to the river as
3420-550: 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
3510-607: 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
3600-464: 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
3690-538: 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
River Avon, Warwickshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-410: 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
3870-447: 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
3960-437: The Stratford Canal from 1842, but there was little traffic, and the lease was not renewed in 1847. The arrival of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway at Stratford sealed its fate, and when the company failed to sell the navigation to local landowners for £150, they effectively abandoned it in 1857. John Broughton, who was the railway manager at Stratford, was persuaded to buy the navigation for £300 by local traders, but
4050-482: The Swift Valley industrial estate. It is crossed by the Oxford Canal on an aqueduct , and then passes a retail park to join the River Avon, between Brownsover and Rugby. The River Swift connected to the original route of the Oxford Canal near Cosford in order to feed water to the canal. In 1785 there was a proposal to make the river navigable from Cosford to Lutterworth by the construction of flash locks . This proposal however never came to fruition. The River Swift
4140-463: The Swift can become responsive in terms of runoff to heavy rainfall events. The Swift has a minor history of flooding along its course, especially in Lutterworth, flood events being recorded in 1875, 1931 and most recently in 2008. A flood warning and alert service exists for the catchment, in conjunction with that for the Upper Avon and the Clay Coton brook. In February 2012, a mother and her three children had to be rescued from their car when it
4230-400: The Upper Avon, from Evesham to above Stratford-upon-Avon. Improvements to aid navigation began in 1635, and a series of locks and weirs made it possible to reach Stratford, and to within 4 miles (6 km) of Warwick . The Upper Avon was tortuous and prone to flooding, and was abandoned as a means of navigation in 1877. The Lower Avon struggled on, and never really closed, although by 1945 it
4320-455: The Upper and Lower Avon companies, with coal from the Worcester and Birmingham coming up-river to Evesham, and coal coming down-river from Stratford. As the tolls dropped, Perrott leased the Lower river to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal company from 1830 until 1851. Meanwhile, the Upper Avon Navigation between Stratford and Evesham was owned by relatives of Lord Windsor, who had died in 1758, and its condition gradually deteriorated. Because of
4410-421: 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
4500-498: The boats The Pride of the Midlands and The Earl Grosvenor . River Swift The River Swift is a 14-mile (23 km) long tributary of the River Avon that rises in south Leicestershire , and flows through the town of Lutterworth before joining the Avon at its confluence at Rugby in Warwickshire in the English Midlands . The source of the river is a stream that rises at an altitude of 142 metres (466 ft) near to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, on
4590-413: The bridge the river passes the site of the deserted medieval village of Cestersover , and then the modern village of Churchover . At this point a canal feeder takes water from the river to supply the nearby canal. After passing beneath the M6 motorway , and past the hamlet of Cosford , the river then flows directly south through the Swift Valley Nature Reserve , passes Brownsover Hall and then through
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#17327655856964680-409: 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
4770-429: 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
4860-413: The gate. Once Yarranton's work was completed, barges of 30 tonnes could navigate to Stratford. Ownership of the navigation was formally divided into the Upper and Lower Avon in 1717, with Evesham being the dividing point. The Lower Avon Navigation between Evesham and the River Severn was leased by George Perrott in 1758, who spent over £4,000 upgrading the locks and weirs to enable 40-ton barges to navigate
4950-431: The grantee, with powers to improve both this river and the River Teme . He had already bought a number of mills on the river, but there were few objections from millers at those he did not own, for he built pound locks with two sets of gates, to enable vessels to pass by without the large loss of water associated with flash locks. The only objections were from Sir William Russell, who owned Strensham mill, and whose grievance
5040-405: The locks on the upper river, and became bankrupt. The navigation was taken over by seven men, all connected with the Stratford Canal, who turned Lucy's lock at Stratford into a two-rise staircase lock, constructed three new locks, and improved the river by dredging. Most of the subsequent traffic was local, competing with the Lower Avon for the delivery of coal to Evesham. The Upper Avon was leased to
5130-421: 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 ,
5220-533: 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
5310-400: 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
5400-485: 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
5490-399: The presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment. At 01:18 on Sunday 18 July 2021, 41 year old Craig Openshaw from Tewkesbury became the first person in the world to swim the entire length of the 47.1 mile Navigable River Avon; known as the 'Swim The Avon' project. Craig
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#17327655856965580-436: The present day route of the river. From Alveston weir, which is 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream of Stratford-upon-Avon, downstream to Tewkesbury and the River Severn, the river has been rendered navigable by the construction of locks and weirs . The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal links to the Avon through a lock in the park in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The River Avon can be used by boats with
5670-421: The restoration on the Upper Avon, while a donation of £5,000 enabled Evesham lock to be rebuilt and opened on 11 June 1964. Collins Brothers, who owned the lock site, with the main dam, sluice and weir, donated them to the Lower Avon Navigation Trust in 1966, extending the jurisdiction of the Lower Avon above its historical limits. The other waterway to Stratford, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal , had been restored by
5760-433: The river Avon. Permission to complete the swim was granted by the Avon Navigation Trust who verified the swim had never been previously completed. The team raised a total of £17,800 for Cancer Research UK , with the challenge featuring on various news outlets such as BBC News . River Severn The River Severn ( Welsh : Afon Hafren , pronounced [ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn] ), at 220 miles (354 km) long,
5850-424: The river above Pershore became unnavigable. The first moves to return the waterway to a navigable condition occurred in March 1949, when the Evesham Journal published an article on its history and decline. Robert Aickman started a correspondence with the editor of the article, suggesting that the river could be restored. C. Douglas Barwell sought legal advice on how best the proposal could be managed, out of which
5940-478: 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
6030-439: 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
6120-426: The river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations,
6210-432: 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
6300-399: The river. The work was completed by 1768. Perrott then intended to sell the navigation, but when the Stratford Canal was being promoted, he had a clause inserted into the Bill to force the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to make payments to him in view of the expected drop in tolls that the Navigation would experience. Once the Stratford Canal was completed, there was fierce competition between
6390-446: 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
6480-439: The sinuous course of the upper river, it was never really considered as a through navigation, except for a brief period when William James thought it could become a through route. He bought all of the shares in the Upper Avon company in 1813, and persuaded the Stratford Canal shareholders that there should be a junction between their canal and the river at Stratford, which was opened on 24 June 1816. In 1822, he spent £6,000 repairing
6570-501: 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
6660-583: 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
6750-595: 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
6840-637: 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
6930-812: The town of Lutterworth. The river passes to the south of the town, where it is crossed by the Rugby road, near to the site of the ‘lost’ St Johns the Baptist hospital. After passing beneath the Lutterworth bypass, the Swift continues south-west until it reaches the Bransford Bridge crossing under the A5. This road follows the course of Watling Street , the Roman road that linked London to Wroxeter . Downstream of
7020-610: 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
7110-707: The venture was short-lived. Broughton was succeeded, and the railway, now called the West Midland Railway , became part of the Great Western Railway . In 1875, the GWR decided it would no longer maintain the river, and an appeal to the Railway Commissioners in 1877 ruled that they were not obliged to do so. The Lower Avon Navigation never quite fell into total disuse. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal renewed their lease in 1851 for
7200-405: 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
7290-568: 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,
7380-531: The watershed division between the Avon and Soar catchments. The Swift passes the village of Walton and then Kimcote , where it meets a number of small streams that drain the headwaters of the catchment. The river continues in a south-westerly direction, passing to the north of Walcote then through the Misterton Marshes , a Site of Special Scientific Interest , before reaching the M1 motorway bridge and
7470-791: 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
7560-494: Was about land purchase, rather than the navigation works. By 1641 it was reported that the river was navigable to within 4 miles (6 km) of Warwick. After a period of decline, navigation rights along the river were confirmed by a clause in the Rivers Stour and Salwarpe Navigation Act 1662 ( 14 Cha. 2 . c. 14 ). Further improvements were made to the river above Evesham from 1664 by a syndicate led by Andrew Yarranton . He
7650-418: Was only navigable below Pershore . Restoration of the lower river as a navigable waterway began in 1950, and was completed in 1962. The upper river was a more daunting task, as most of the locks and weirs were no longer extant. Work began in 1965 on the construction of nine new locks and 17 miles (27 km) of river, using mainly volunteer labour, and was completed in 1974 when it was opened by Queen Elizabeth
7740-498: Was supported by a four man land and boat crew consisting of Robert Stringer, Bob Bain, Joe Bawdon and Phil Leibrandt. Despite being an ex-competitive pool swimmer, Craig had never taken part in open water swimming previously and the crew had never embarked on any similar challenges. The team set off from Alveston Weir in Stratford-Upon-Avon at 20:00 on Friday 16 July 2021 and swam through the day and night to complete
7830-703: 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
7920-609: Was the largest project of its type to that date, and Hutchings was awarded an MBE for his leadership. There have been proposals to extend the navigation upstream from Alveston to a link with the Grand Union Canal at either Warwick or Leamington Spa. This was first considered by the Severn Trent Water Authority in 1974, who conducted a survey, the cost of which was partly funded by the Inland Waterways Association . This would open up
8010-403: Was working for Lord Windsor and others, and the work included the construction of three navigation weirs, which were a type of flash lock with a single barrier. These were used to enable boats to pass over shoals, and with the exception of the one at Pensham, were not built adjacent to mills. The Pensham watergate did at times hinder the proper operation of the mill, when the water levels rose above
8100-579: Was £250,000, all of which was raised by public subscriptions, with the exception of a grant for £25,000 from the Department of the Environment, which was made at the time of the phase 1 opening. The project, which involved the construction of nine new locks, reopening a 17-mile (27 km) navigation which had been derelict for over 100 years, was completed on 1 June 1974, when Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother returned to Stratford to declare it open. It
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