River Severn:
| River Severn |
| Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin: Sabrina |
| River |
|
|
| Country |
United Kingdom |
| Parts |
Wales, England |
| Regions |
Mid Wales, West Midlands, South West |
Administrative
areas |
Powys, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire |
|
| Tributaries |
| - left |
Vyrnwy, Tern, Stour, Warwickshire Avon, Bristol Avon |
| - right |
Teme, Wye |
| Cities |
Shrewsbury, Worcester, Gloucester, Bristol |
| Landmarks |
Ironbridge Gorge, Severn Valley, Severn Bore, Severn crossing |
|
|
| Source |
|
| - location |
Plynlimon, Ceredigion, Wales |
| - elevation |
610 m (2,001 ft) |
| - coordinates |
52°29′36″N 3°44′04″W / 52.493465, -3.734578 |
| Mouth |
Severn Estuary |
| - location |
Bristol Channel, United Kingdom |
| - elevation |
0 m (0 ft) |
|
| Length |
354 km (220 mi) |
| Basin |
11,420 km² (4,409 sq mi) |
| Discharge |
for Bewdley, Worcs. SO 7815 7622 |
| - average |
61.17 m³/s (2,160 cu ft/s) [1] |
| - max |
533.48 m³/s (18,840 cu ft/s)
max recorded on 1947-03-21[2] |
|
Tributaries (light blue) and major settlements on and near the Severn (bold blue)
|
- For other rivers named "Severn", see Severn River.
The River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin: Sabrina) is the longest river in Great Britain, at 220 miles (354 km).[3] It rises at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m) on Plynlimon near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales. It then flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, with the county towns of Shrewsbury, Worcester, and Gloucester on its banks. With an average discharge of 107 m³/s at Apperley, Gloucestershire, the Severn is England's greatest river in terms of water flow, and is considered one of the ten major rivers of the United Kingdom.
The river becomes the Severn Estuary after the Second Severn Crossing near Severn Beach, South Gloucestershire. The river then discharges into the Bristol Channel which in turn discharges into the Celtic Sea and the wider Atlantic Ocean. The Severn's drainage basin area is 11,420 square kilometres (4,409 sq mi), excluding the River Wye and Bristol Avon which flow into the Bristol Channel. The major tributaries to the Severn are the Vyrnwy, Teme, Warwickshire Avon and Stour.
[edit] Mythology
According to some sources, the name "Severn" is derived from the name Sabrina (or Hafren), based on the mythical story of a nymph who drowned in the river.[4] Sabrina is also the goddess of the River Severn in Brythonic mythology. The story of Sabrina is featured in Milton's Comus.[5] There is a statue of 'Sabrina' in the Dingle Gardens at the Quarry, Shrewsbury.
As the Severn becomes tidal the associated deity changes to Noadu (Romanized as Nodens), who is represented mounted on a seahorse, riding on the crest of the Severn bore.[6]
[edit] Tributary rivers
The River Stour rises in the north of Worcestershire in 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 the Severn at Stourport-on-Severn.
The River Vyrnwy, which begins at Lake Vyrnwy, flows eastwards through Powys before entering England and joining the Severn at Melverley, Shropshire. The Rea Brook flows north from its source in the Shropshire Hills and joins the Severn at Shrewsbury. The River Tern, after flowing south from Market Drayton and being joined by the River Roden, meets the Severn at Attingham Park.
The River Worfe joins the Severn, just above Bridgnorth. The River Stour rising on the Clent Hills and flowing through Halesowen, Stourbridge, and Kidderminster, joins the Severn at Stourport. On the opposite bank, the tributaries are only brooks, Borle Brook, Dowles Brook draining the Wyre Forest and Dick Brook.
The source of the River Severn in the Winter of 2006.
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 the Severn slightly downstream of Worcester.
One of the several rivers named Avon, in this case the Warwickshire Avon, flows west through Rugby, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. It is then joined by its tributary the River Arrow, before finally joining the Severn at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
The port of Bristol is located on the Severn Estuary, where another River Avon flows into it through the Avon Gorge.
The River Wye, from its source in Plynlimon, Wales, 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 the boundary between England (Forest of Dean) and Wales. It flows into the Severn near the town of Chepstow, slightly upstream of the Bristol Avon on the opposite bank.
The River Usk flows into the Severn Estuary just south of Newport.
[edit] Major settlements
The source of the River Severn on Plynlimon, Wales. The source is marked with this post in both English and Welsh.
Below is a list of major towns and cities that the Severn flows through (from north to south): Through Powys:
Through Shropshire
Through Worcestershire
Through Gloucestershire
[edit] Transport
[edit] Bridges
-
The Severn is bridged at many places, and many of these bridges are notable in their own right, with several designed and built by the engineer Thomas Telford. There also is the famous Iron Bridge at Ironbridge, which was the world's first iron arch bridge.
The two bridges of the Severn crossing carrying roads link Wales with the southern counties of England and are among the most important in Britain.
Previous to the construction of the first bridge in 1966, the channel was crossed by the Aust Ferry.
The Severn Tunnel, situated near the Second Severn Crossing road bridge, carries the Great Western Main Line under the channel.
Cars could also be transported through 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 the grade leading to the tunnel exit. A rail coach was provided for passengers and drivers. Reservations could be made and the fee for the car was about thirty shillings in the early 1950s.
[edit] Disasters
There have been many disasters on the Severn, making it Britain's most dangerous river. It has claimed many lives (figures vary depending on how it is recorded, circa 300 people), especially during the 20th century.[citation needed]
[edit] Navigation
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 pleasure boats, canoes and some tour boats in towns such as Shrewsbury and Worcester. Below Stourport, where the river is more navigable for larger craft, users must obtain permits from British Waterways, who are the navigation authority.
Gloucester Docks mark the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the river. [1]
There are locks on the lower Severn to enable sea going boats to reach as far as Stourport. The most northerly lock is at Lincombe, about a mile downstream from Stourport.
[edit] Associated canals
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal all join the Severn at Stourport, Worcester and Gloucester respectively. The Droitwich Barge Canal used to join the Severn at Hawford, near to the River Salwarpe and it hoped that a new link to the Severn via the Salwarpe will be re-established in the future.
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