River Avon, Bristol
Encyclopedia
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon. The name "Avon" is a cognate
of the Welsh
word afon, "river".
The Avon rises just north of the village of Acton Turville
in South Gloucestershire
, dividing into two before merging again and flowing through Wiltshire
. In its lower reaches from Bath to the Severn Estuary
at Avonmouth
near Bristol
the river is navigable and known as the Avon Navigation.
The Avon is the 19th longest river in the UK at 75 miles (120.7 km) although there are just 19 miles (30.6 km) as the crow flies
between the source and its mouth in the Severn Estuary.
of the Welsh
word afon ˈavɔn "river", both being derived from the British language , "river". "River Avon", therefore, literally means "River River"; several other English and Scottish rivers share the name.
The County of Avon that existed from 1974 to 1996 covering the Avon valley, including Bristol
and Bath, was named after the river.
in South Gloucestershire
, just north of the village of Acton Turville
. Running a somewhat circular path, the river drains east and then south through Wiltshire
. Its first main settlement is the village of Luckington
, two miles (3 km) inside the Wiltshire
border, and then on to Sherston
. At Malmesbury it joins up with its first major tributary, the Tetbury Avon
, which rises just north of Tetbury
in Gloucestershire. This tributary is known locally as the Ingleburn, which in Old English means 'English river'. Here, the two rivers almost meet but their path is blocked by a rocky outcrop of the Cotswolds
, almost creating an island for the ancient hilltop town of Malmesbury to sit on. Upstream of this confluence the river is sometimes referred to as the 'River Avon (Sherston Branch)' to distinguish it from the Tetbury Branch.
After the two rivers merge, the Avon then turns south east away from the Cotswolds and then quickly south into the clay Dauntsey Vale
, where it is joined by the River Marden
, until it reaches the biggest town so far, Chippenham
. The wide vale is now known as the Avon Vale, and the river flows on via Lacock
to Melksham
, then turns north-west through Bradford on Avon
, where the centre of the town grew up around the ford
across the river Avon, hence the origin of the town's name ("Broad-Ford"). This was supplemented in Norman
times by the stone bridge that still stands today. The Norman side is upstream, and has pointed arches; the newer side has curved arches. The Town Bridge and Chapel is a grade I listed building. It was originally a Packhorse bridge
, but widened in 17th century by rebuilding the western side. On the bridge stands a small building which was originally a chapel but later used as a town lock-up.
The Avon Valley between Bradford on Avon and Bath is a classic geographical example of a valley where four forms of ground transport are found: road, rail, river, canal. The river passes under the Avoncliff
and Dundas Aqueduct
s and at Freshford
is joined by the Somerset River Frome
. Avoncliff Aqueduct was built by John Rennie
and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801. The aqueduct
consists of three arches and is 110 yards (100.6 m) long with a central elliptical arch of 60 ft (18.3 m) span with two side arches each semicircular and 34 ft (10.4 m) across, all with V-jointed arch stones. The spandrel and wing walls are built in alternate courses of ashlar masonry, and rock-faced blocks. The central span sagged soon after it was built and has been repaired many times. The Dundas Aqueduct was built by the same team between 1797 and 1801 and completed in 1805. James McIlquham was appointed contractor. The aqueduct is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone
, with Doric
pilasters, and balustrades at each end. The central semicircular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); the two oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m). It is a grade I listed building, and was the first canal structure to be designated as an Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1951. The stretch of river below and above the aqueduct, where it is joined by Midford Brook
, is used by the Bluefriars of the Monkton Combe School
Boat Club up to six days a week since at least the 1960s.
It then flows past Claverton Pumping Station
, which pumped water from the River Avon into the canal, using power from the flow of the river. The pumping station is located in a pump house built of Bath Stone, located at river level. Water is diverted from the river by Warleigh Weir, about 200 yd (182.9 m) upstream. The water flows down a leat
to the pumping station, where it powers a water wheel
, 24 ft (7.3 m) wide and 17 ft (5.2 m) in diameter, with 48 wooden slats. At full power the wheel uses 2 ton
s (2 tonne
s) of water per second and rotates five times a minute. The water wheel drives gearing which increases the speed to 16 rpm. From here, cranks drive vertical connecting rods which transfer the energy to two 18 ft (5.5 m) long cast iron
rocking beams. Each rocking beam in turn drives an 18 in (0.5 m) diameter lift pump, which also take their supply from the mill leat. Each pump stroke raises 50 gallons (227.3 l) of water to the canal. In 1981, British Waterways
installed two 75 hp electric pumps just upstream from the station and presented the diesel pump to the Kennet and Avon Canal trust for preservation.
The Avon then flows through Bathford
, where it is joined by the Bybrook River
, and Bathampton
, joined by the Lam Brook
at Lambridge in Bath and then it passes under Cleveland
and Pulteney Bridge
s and over the weir. Cleveland Bridge was built in 1826 by William Hazledine
, owner of the Coalbrookdale
Ironworks, with Henry Goodridge
as the architect, on the site of a Roman
ferry crossing. Named after the 3rd Duke of Cleveland
, it spans the River Avon at Bathwick
, and enabled further development of Georgian
Bath to take place on the south side of the river. It was designed by architect Henry Goodridge
to take the traffic of his day, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians, and was constructed using Bath Stone
and a cast iron
arch
ed span. Pulteney Bridge was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam
, whose working drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum, and is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. It is named after Frances Pulteney, heiress in 1767 of the Bathwick estate across the river from Bath. Pulteney approached the brothers Robert and James Adam with his new town in mind, but Robert Adam then became involved in the design of the bridge. In his hands the simple construction envisaged by Pulteney became an elegant structure lined with shops. Adam had visited both Florence
and Venice
, where he would have seen the Ponte Vecchio
and the Ponte di Rialto. But Adam's design more closely followed Andrea Palladio
's rejected design for the Rialto. Pulteney Bridge stood for less than 20 years in the form that Adam created. In 1792 alterations to enlarge the shops marred the elegance of the façades. Floods in 1799 and 1800 wrecked the north side of the bridge, which had been constructed with inadequate support. It was rebuilt by John Pinch the elder, surveyor to the Pulteney estate, in a less ambitious version of Adam's design. 19th-century shopkeepers altered windows, or cantilevered out over the river as the fancy took them. The western end pavilion on the south side was demolished in 1903 for road widening and its replacement was not an exact match. In 1936 the bridge became scheduled as a national monument, with plans being made for the restoration of the original façade. The restoration was completed in time for the Festival of Britain
in 1951, with further work being carried out in 1975. In 2009 Bath and North East Somerset
council put forward plans to ban vehicles from the bridge and turn it into a pedestrianised zone.
The river is then joined by the Kennet and Avon Canal
which connects with the Avon just below the weir at Bath Locks
. Together with the Kennet Navigation and the River Thames
it provides a through route for canal boats from Bristol to London. From this point downstream it is known as the Avon Navigation.
Beyond its junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal, the Avon flows through Keynsham
towards Bristol
. For much of its course after leaving Wiltshire
, it marks the traditional boundary between Somerset
and Gloucestershire
. For most of this distance the navigation makes use of the natural river bed, with six locks overcoming a rise of 30 feet (9 m). From Bath to Netham Lock
where it divides into the New Cut and the Floating Harbour is 12 miles (19.3 km). The stretch is made navigable by the use of locks and weirs.
In the city centre of Bath it passes under various bridges including the Midland Bridge
which was originally built by the Midland Railway Company to allow the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
access to and from its Green Park Terminus Station
. In November 2011 the navigation between Bath and Bristol was closed because of safety concerns about Victoria Bridge
. Weston Lock
on the outskirts of Bath is in what now forms the Newbridge
. Weston Cut is a man made channel, opened in 1727, for boats to approach and pass through Weston Lock, which created an island between the cut and the river weir, which became known as Dutch Island after the owner of the brass mill established on the riverside in the early 18th century.
Kelston Lock
and weir
have permanent moorings above and below them. The Riverside Inn and Saltford Marina are also close by. Saltford Lock
and weir are overlooked by the remains of the Kelston
Brass Mill, which was working until 1925. It is a grade II listed building. Alongside the lock is a pub
, whose garden extends over the lock to the small island between the lock and weir. The lock was opened in 1727 and destroyed in 1738 by rival coal dealers to stop the use of the river for transportation. In its heyday, between 1709 and 1859 Swineford
had an active brass
and copper industry around the Swineford Lock
which were served by the river which also provided water power for the cloth industry, as did the River Boyd
, a tributary which flows into the Avon near Bitton
. Keynsham Lock
opened in 1727. Just above the lock are some visitor moorings and a pub, on an island between the lock and the weir. The weir side of the island is also the mouth of the River Chew
. Hanham
is the last tidal lock, after which the river is joined by Brislington Brook
.
Netham Lock
is the point at Netham in Bristol at which boats from the River Avon, gain access to Bristol's Floating Harbour. Construction started in 1804 to build the tidal New Cut
, where it is joined by the River Malago
, and divert the Avon along the Feeder Canal to the harbour; a system designed and built by William Jessop
and later improved by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
. A weir carries the river into the New Cut and boats use the adjacent lock
. Access to the harbour is only possible during the day when the lock keeper will open the gates unless the water level in the river between Netham and Hanham is above or below the level of the harbour. Netham Lock and the weir form part of Bristol's flood defence mechanisms and it was announced in December 2008 that they would be upgraded as part of the £11 million City Docks Capital Project.
In central Bristol, where the river is tidal
, it is diverted from its original course into the New Cut, a channel dug between 1804 and 1809 at a cost of £600,000. The original course is held at a constant level by lock gates (designed by Jessop) and is known as the Floating Harbour
. The Floating Harbour is protected by a 1870s replacement for Jessop's locks
. This unusual dock has a tentacled plan resulting from its origins as the natural river course of the Avon and its tributaries
, the River Frome
and Siston Brook
, and is intimately entwined with Bristol's city centre as few docks are. As a result of this, the Floating Harbour is one of the more successful pieces of dockland regeneration, with much of the dockside now occupied by residential, office and cultural premises, and the water area heavily used by leisure craft. The Floating Harbour gave the port an advantage by enabling shipping to stay afloat rather than grounding when the tide went down. Downstream of central Bristol the river passes through the deep Avon Gorge
, spanned by Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge
, the river is tidal and is navigable by sea going vessels at high tide
but drying to a steep sided muddy channel at low tide. It was largely the challenge of navigating this section that sealed the fate of the Floating Harbour as commercial docks, and saw them replaced by docks at Avonmouth
where the Avon joins the Severn Estuary
.
Before reaching its mouth it is joined by the River Trym
at Sea Mills
which was the site of Portus Abonae a Roman
port. It then passes under the Avonmouth Bridge
which carries the M5 motorway
. The main span is 538 ft (164 m) long, and the bridge is 4554 ft (1,388 m) long, with an air draught above mean high water level of 98.4 ft (30 m). The river then serves two major dock areas. The Royal Portbury Dock
is located on the southern side of the mouth of the river. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles. The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length and 14.5 m (48 ft) draft. The Avonmouth Docks
are on the north side of the river and are one of the UK's major ports for chilled foods, especially fruit and vegetables. The first dock at Avonmouth, Avonmouth Old Dock, was opened in 1877 and acquired by Bristol Corporation in 1884. In 1908, a much larger dock, the Royal Edward Dock, was opened. The docks form part of the Port of Bristol
and were operated by the Port of Bristol Authority, part of Bristol City Council, until 1991 when the council granted a 150 year lease to the Bristol Port Company.
(found in only six other areas in England), together with a strong population of White-legged Damselfly
. Red-eyed Damselfly
is also found. The river is also important for aquatic plants, including Loddon Pondweed
.
The Kellaways – West Tytherton Site of Special Scientific Interest
, 3 miles (4.8 km) north east of Chippenham
, is of geological interest as the river bank exposes Callovian
highly-fossiliferous sandstone which contains well-preserved bivalves, gastropods, brachiopod
s, belemnites and ammonite
s. Further downstream at Newton St Loe the Newton St Loe SSSI is another Geological Conservation Review
SSSI. It represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene
gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, it has aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England
. The bodies of mammoth
s (Mammuthus) and horses (Equus) have been found at the site.
The Avon Gorge
has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it supports some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to the gorge. There are a total of 24 rare plant species and two unique trees: the Bristol
and Wilmotts's whitebeams
. Other notable plants include Bristol Rock-cress, Bristol onion
, Spiked Speedwell
, Autumn Squill
and Honewort. Other areas along the river which have this designation include Bickley Wood
, Cleeve Wood, Hanham
for its large population of Bath Asparagus (Ornithogalum pyrenaicum
). Stidham Farm
near Keynsham
contains at least At least 2 metres (7 ft) of Pleistocene
terrace-gravels, consisting of limestone
clasts mainly, but also with Millstone Grit
, Pennant Sandstone
, flint and chert clasts. The site is of considerable importance for studies relating to the possible glaciation of the area, and of the terrace stratigraphy
, particularly as it is one of only two accessible terrace deposits in this part of the Avon valley. Newton Saint Loe
is also listed for geological reasons as it represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, they have aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England
.
At Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton
the wooded cliff and a narrow salt marsh
are supported by rocks of Devonian sandstone
and Carboniferous limestone
, overlain by with Triassic
Dolomitic conglomerate
. The site's principal interest and the reason for its designation as an SSSI is the presence of a population of the True Service-tree (Sorbus domestica) growing on the cliffs. This tree is nationally rare in Britain, and this site hosts the largest known population in England. Other notable species of Sorbus
here are the whitebeams Sorbus eminens
and Sorbus anglica
, both of which are also nationally rare in Britain. The nationally scarce Large-leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos) also occurs, and herbs include Field Garlic
(Allium oleraceum) and Pale St. John's-wort (Hypericum montanum). The saltmarsh vegetation, which lies at the base of the cliff, is predominantly made up of Sea Aster (Aster tripolium) and English Scurvygrass (Cochlearia anglica). There are however two nationally scarce vascular plant species here as well – Slender Hare's-ear (Bupleurum tenuissimum) and Long-stalked Orache (Atriplex longipes).
The tidal reaches of the River Avon provide habitat for waterbirds, with 64 species having been recorded up to 2004, including 21 species of shorebird, and 13 species of gull
.
The Bristol Avon Navigation, which runs the 15 miles (24.1 km) from the Kennet and Avon Canal at Hanham Lock to the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth, with two locks, was constructed between 1724 and 1727, following legislation passed by Queen Anne
, by a company of proprietors and the engineer John Hore
of Newbury
. The first cargo of 'Deal boards, Pig-Lead and Meal' arrived in Bath in December 1727. It is now administered by British Waterways
.
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word afon, "river".
The Avon rises just north of the village of Acton Turville
Acton Turville
Acton Turville is a village in South Gloucestershire, England. It is known as Achetone in the Domesday Book.-External links:...
in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, dividing into two before merging again and flowing through Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. In its lower reaches from Bath to the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
at Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
the river is navigable and known as the Avon Navigation.
The Avon is the 19th longest river in the UK at 75 miles (120.7 km) although there are just 19 miles (30.6 km) as the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
between the source and its mouth in the Severn Estuary.
Etymology
The name "Avon" is a cognateCognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word afon ˈavɔn "river", both being derived from the British language , "river". "River Avon", therefore, literally means "River River"; several other English and Scottish rivers share the name.
The County of Avon that existed from 1974 to 1996 covering the Avon valley, including Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bath, was named after the river.
Course
The Avon rises east of the town of Chipping SodburyChipping Sodbury
Chipping Sodbury is a market town in the county of South Gloucestershire, south-west England, founded in the 12th century by William Crassus . The villages of Old Sodbury and Little Sodbury are nearby...
in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, just north of the village of Acton Turville
Acton Turville
Acton Turville is a village in South Gloucestershire, England. It is known as Achetone in the Domesday Book.-External links:...
. Running a somewhat circular path, the river drains east and then south through Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. Its first main settlement is the village of Luckington
Luckington
Luckington is a village in north-west Wiltshire, England, on the road linking Old Sodbury and Malmesbury — the B4040. Its name means a settlement connected with Luca.- People :...
, two miles (3 km) inside the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
border, and then on to Sherston
Sherston, Wiltshire
Sherston is a village approximately 5 miles to the west of Malmesbury in the English county of Wiltshire. The population in 2001 was 1418 .- History :...
. At Malmesbury it joins up with its first major tributary, the Tetbury Avon
Tetbury Avon
The Tetbury Avon, also known as the Little Avon or the Ingleburn , is a tributary of the Bristol Avon. It is also referred to as the River Avon . It rises at Tetbury in Gloucestershire in the West Country of England, and flows in a generally south easterly direction, joining the Sherston Avon at...
, which rises just north of Tetbury
Tetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
in Gloucestershire. This tributary is known locally as the Ingleburn, which in Old English means 'English river'. Here, the two rivers almost meet but their path is blocked by a rocky outcrop of the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, almost creating an island for the ancient hilltop town of Malmesbury to sit on. Upstream of this confluence the river is sometimes referred to as the 'River Avon (Sherston Branch)' to distinguish it from the Tetbury Branch.
After the two rivers merge, the Avon then turns south east away from the Cotswolds and then quickly south into the clay Dauntsey Vale
Dauntsey Vale
The Dauntsey Vale is a geographical feature in the north of the English county of Wiltshire.It is characterised by a wide flat clay flood plain of the upper reaches of the Bristol Avon river, which divides the Cotswolds to the west with the chalk downland of east and south Wiltshire to the east.It...
, where it is joined by the River Marden
River Marden
The River Marden is a small tributary of the River Avon in England. It flows from the hills surrounding Calne and meets the River Avon about a mile upstream of Chippenham. The river has a mean flow of .-Course:...
, until it reaches the biggest town so far, Chippenham
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
. The wide vale is now known as the Avon Vale, and the river flows on via Lacock
Lacock
Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust, and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.-History:...
to Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
, then turns north-west through Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
, where the centre of the town grew up around the ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
across the river Avon, hence the origin of the town's name ("Broad-Ford"). This was supplemented in Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
times by the stone bridge that still stands today. The Norman side is upstream, and has pointed arches; the newer side has curved arches. The Town Bridge and Chapel is a grade I listed building. It was originally a Packhorse bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
, but widened in 17th century by rebuilding the western side. On the bridge stands a small building which was originally a chapel but later used as a town lock-up.
The Avon Valley between Bradford on Avon and Bath is a classic geographical example of a valley where four forms of ground transport are found: road, rail, river, canal. The river passes under the Avoncliff
Avoncliff Aqueduct
Avoncliff Aqueduct carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon and the Bath to Westbury railway line, at Avoncliff in Wiltshire, England.It was built by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801....
and Dundas Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct
Dundas Aqueduct carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon and the Wessex Main Line railway from Bath to Westbury, near Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, England....
s and at Freshford
Freshford
Freshford is a village and civil parish in the Avon valley south-east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 530...
is joined by the Somerset River Frome
River Frome, Somerset
The River Frome is a river in Somerset. It rises near Witham Friary, flows north through the town of Frome and joins the River Avon at Freshford, south of Bath....
. Avoncliff Aqueduct was built by John Rennie
John Rennie (father)
John Rennie was a Scottish civil engineer who designed many bridges, canals, and docks.-Early years:Rennie, a farmer's younger son, was born at Phantassie, near East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland, and showed a taste for mechanics at a very early age, and was allowed to spend much time in the...
and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801. The aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
consists of three arches and is 110 yards (100.6 m) long with a central elliptical arch of 60 ft (18.3 m) span with two side arches each semicircular and 34 ft (10.4 m) across, all with V-jointed arch stones. The spandrel and wing walls are built in alternate courses of ashlar masonry, and rock-faced blocks. The central span sagged soon after it was built and has been repaired many times. The Dundas Aqueduct was built by the same team between 1797 and 1801 and completed in 1805. James McIlquham was appointed contractor. The aqueduct is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
, with Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
pilasters, and balustrades at each end. The central semicircular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); the two oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m). It is a grade I listed building, and was the first canal structure to be designated as an Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1951. The stretch of river below and above the aqueduct, where it is joined by Midford Brook
Midford Brook
Midford Brook is a small river in Somerset, England.It is formed by convergence of the Wellow Brook and Cam Brook at Midford before passing Tucking Mill and joining the River Avon close to the Dundas Aqueduct and the remains of the Somerset Coal Canal....
, is used by the Bluefriars of the Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School
Monkton Combe School is an independent boarding and day school of the British public school tradition, near Bath, England. The Senior School is located in the village of Monkton Combe, while the Prep School, Pre-Prep and Nursery are in Combe Down on the southern outskirts of Bath...
Boat Club up to six days a week since at least the 1960s.
It then flows past Claverton Pumping Station
Claverton Pumping Station
Claverton Pumping Station in the village of Claverton, in the English county of Somerset, pumps water from the River Avon to the Kennet and Avon Canal using power from the flow of the River Avon. It is a grade II listed building....
, which pumped water from the River Avon into the canal, using power from the flow of the river. The pumping station is located in a pump house built of Bath Stone, located at river level. Water is diverted from the river by Warleigh Weir, about 200 yd (182.9 m) upstream. The water flows down a leat
Leat
A leat is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond...
to the pumping station, where it powers a water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
, 24 ft (7.3 m) wide and 17 ft (5.2 m) in diameter, with 48 wooden slats. At full power the wheel uses 2 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s (2 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s) of water per second and rotates five times a minute. The water wheel drives gearing which increases the speed to 16 rpm. From here, cranks drive vertical connecting rods which transfer the energy to two 18 ft (5.5 m) long cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
rocking beams. Each rocking beam in turn drives an 18 in (0.5 m) diameter lift pump, which also take their supply from the mill leat. Each pump stroke raises 50 gallons (227.3 l) of water to the canal. In 1981, British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
installed two 75 hp electric pumps just upstream from the station and presented the diesel pump to the Kennet and Avon Canal trust for preservation.
Bathford
Bathford is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England. The parish, which includes Warleigh has a population of 1,753, and extends over .-History:...
, where it is joined by the Bybrook River
Bybrook River
The Bybrook, also known as the By Brook is a tributary of the Bristol Avon, some long. The sources are the Burton Brook and the Broadmead Brook, which rise in South Gloucestershire at Tormarton and Cold Ashton respectively. They join just north of Castle Combe in Wiltshire. The river has a mean...
, and Bathampton
Bathampton
Bathampton is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England on the south bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 1,504.The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the village and a toll bridge links Bathampton to Batheaston on the north bank of the canal.-History:Bathampton Camp is...
, joined by the Lam Brook
Lam Brook
The Lam Brook is a stream in the West Country of England, which rises in a number of springs on the southern end of the Cotswold Hills and runs in a generally southerly direction for approximately before joining the river Avon at Lambridge in Bath. The brook is mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter...
at Lambridge in Bath and then it passes under Cleveland
Cleveland Bridge
Cleveland Bridge is a grade II* listed building located in the World Heritage Site of Bath, England. It is notable for the unusual lodges that adorn each corner in a style that could be likened to miniature Greek temples.-Location:...
and Pulteney Bridge
Pulteney Bridge
Pulteney Bridge is a bridge that crosses the River Avon, in Bath, England. It was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building....
s and over the weir. Cleveland Bridge was built in 1826 by William Hazledine
William Hazledine
William Hazledine was a pioneering English Ironmaster whose talent for casting structural ironwork helped to realise the designs of engineers such as Thomas Telford and architects including Henry Goodridge and Charles Bage...
, owner of the Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides...
Ironworks, with Henry Goodridge
Henry Goodridge
Henry Edmund Goodridge was an architect whose work started in the 1820s.-Works:Goodridge's neoclassical buildings in Bath include:* Cleveland Bridge;* one of the earliest shopping arcades...
as the architect, on the site of a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
ferry crossing. Named after the 3rd Duke of Cleveland
Duke of Cleveland
Duke of Cleveland is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The dukedoms were named after Cleveland in northern England....
, it spans the River Avon at Bathwick
Bathwick
Bathwick is an electoral ward in the City of Bath, England, on the opposite bank of the River Avon to the historic city centre.Bathwick was part of the hundred of Bath Forum....
, and enabled further development of Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
Bath to take place on the south side of the river. It was designed by architect Henry Goodridge
Henry Goodridge
Henry Edmund Goodridge was an architect whose work started in the 1820s.-Works:Goodridge's neoclassical buildings in Bath include:* Cleveland Bridge;* one of the earliest shopping arcades...
to take the traffic of his day, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians, and was constructed using Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
and a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed span. Pulteney Bridge was completed in 1773 and is designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, whose working drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum, and is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. It is named after Frances Pulteney, heiress in 1767 of the Bathwick estate across the river from Bath. Pulteney approached the brothers Robert and James Adam with his new town in mind, but Robert Adam then became involved in the design of the bridge. In his hands the simple construction envisaged by Pulteney became an elegant structure lined with shops. Adam had visited both Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, where he would have seen the Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers...
and the Ponte di Rialto. But Adam's design more closely followed Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio was an architect active in the Republic of Venice. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily by Vitruvius, is widely considered the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture...
's rejected design for the Rialto. Pulteney Bridge stood for less than 20 years in the form that Adam created. In 1792 alterations to enlarge the shops marred the elegance of the façades. Floods in 1799 and 1800 wrecked the north side of the bridge, which had been constructed with inadequate support. It was rebuilt by John Pinch the elder, surveyor to the Pulteney estate, in a less ambitious version of Adam's design. 19th-century shopkeepers altered windows, or cantilevered out over the river as the fancy took them. The western end pavilion on the south side was demolished in 1903 for road widening and its replacement was not an exact match. In 1936 the bridge became scheduled as a national monument, with plans being made for the restoration of the original façade. The restoration was completed in time for the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
in 1951, with further work being carried out in 1975. In 2009 Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
council put forward plans to ban vehicles from the bridge and turn it into a pedestrianised zone.
The river is then joined by the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
which connects with the Avon just below the weir at Bath Locks
Bath Locks
Bath Locks are a series of locks situated on the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Bath, England.Bath Bottom Lock, which is numbered as No 7 on the canal is the meeting with the River Avon just south of Pulteney Bridge...
. Together with the Kennet Navigation and the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
it provides a through route for canal boats from Bristol to London. From this point downstream it is known as the Avon Navigation.
Navigation
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
towards Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. For much of its course after leaving Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, it marks the traditional boundary between Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. For most of this distance the navigation makes use of the natural river bed, with six locks overcoming a rise of 30 feet (9 m). From Bath to Netham Lock
Netham Lock
Netham lock is the point at Netham in Bristol at which boats from the River Avon, acting as part of the Kennet and Avon Canal, gain access to Bristol's Floating Harbour....
where it divides into the New Cut and the Floating Harbour is 12 miles (19.3 km). The stretch is made navigable by the use of locks and weirs.
In the city centre of Bath it passes under various bridges including the Midland Bridge
Midland Bridge
The Midland Bridge was originally built by the Midland Railway Company to allow the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway access to and from their Green Park Terminus Station, in Bath, Somerset, England....
which was originally built by the Midland Railway Company to allow the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
access to and from its Green Park Terminus Station
Bath Green Park railway station
Green Park railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset, England. For some of its life, it was known as Bath Queen Square.-Architecture and opening:...
. In November 2011 the navigation between Bath and Bristol was closed because of safety concerns about Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Bath
Victoria Bridge in Bath, England was built in 1836 across the River Avon. The bridge has been recognised as a Grade II* listed building.The bridge is an important example of a cable-stayed bridge which initially carried horses and carts but later carried cyclists and pedestrians until its closure...
. Weston Lock
Weston Lock
Weston Lock is situated on the River Avon, on the western outskirts of Bath, England, in what now forms the Newbridge suburb of Bath.Weston cut is a man made channel, opened in 1727, for boats to approach and pass through Weston lock, which created an island between the cut and the river weir,...
on the outskirts of Bath is in what now forms the Newbridge
Newbridge, Bath
Newbridge is a largely residential electoral ward within Bath, England. Informally, Newbridge refers to the area of Bath that roughly corresponds to the ward boundaries....
. Weston Cut is a man made channel, opened in 1727, for boats to approach and pass through Weston Lock, which created an island between the cut and the river weir, which became known as Dutch Island after the owner of the brass mill established on the riverside in the early 18th century.
Kelston Lock
Kelston Lock is situated on the River Avon, between the villages of Kelston and Saltford, between Bristol and Bath, England.Above and below the lock and weir are permanent moorings. The Riverside Inn and Saltford Marina are also close by.-See also:...
and weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
have permanent moorings above and below them. The Riverside Inn and Saltford Marina are also close by. Saltford Lock
Saltford Lock
Saltford Lock is situated on the River Avon, at the village of Saltford, between Bristol and Bath, England.The lock and weir are overlooked by the remains of the Kelston Brass Mill, which was working until 1925. It is a grade II listed building. Alongside the lock is a pub, whose garden extends...
and weir are overlooked by the remains of the Kelston
Kelston
Kelston is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, north west of Bath, and east of Bristol, on the A431 road. It is situated just north of the River Avon, close to the Kelston and Saltford locks...
Brass Mill, which was working until 1925. It is a grade II listed building. Alongside the lock is a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, whose garden extends over the lock to the small island between the lock and weir. The lock was opened in 1727 and destroyed in 1738 by rival coal dealers to stop the use of the river for transportation. In its heyday, between 1709 and 1859 Swineford
Swineford
Swineford is a small village in the South Gloucestershire council area, very close to the boundary with Bath and North East Somerset. It is located around 1 km south-east of Bitton, and lies on the River Avon, on which the Swineford Lock is sited. The A431 road runs through the village.The name is...
had an active brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
and copper industry around the Swineford Lock
Swineford Lock
Swineford Lock is situated on the River Avon, at the village of Swineford, England.In its heyday, between 1709 and 1859 Swineford had an active brass and copper industry which were served by the river which also provided water power for the cloth industry....
which were served by the river which also provided water power for the cloth industry, as did the River Boyd
River Boyd
The River Boyd is a river of some in length which rises near Dodington in South Gloucestershire, England. It is a tributary of the Bristol Avon, running in a southerly direction and joining near Bitton. The flow rate at Bitton is an average...
, a tributary which flows into the Avon near Bitton
Bitton
Bitton is a village and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England, in the Greater Bristol area on the River Boyd.It is in the far south of the South Gloucestershire district, near the border with Bath and North East Somerset...
. Keynsham Lock
Keynsham Lock
Keynsham Lock is situated on the River Avon at Keynsham, England.The lock opened in 1727.Just above the lock are some visitor moorings and a pub, on an island between the lock and the weir. The weir side of the island is also the mouth of the River Chew....
opened in 1727. Just above the lock are some visitor moorings and a pub, on an island between the lock and the weir. The weir side of the island is also the mouth of the River Chew
River Chew
The River Chew is a small river in England. It merges with the River Avon after forming the Chew Valley.The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from Chewton Mendip. The river flows North West from Chewton Mendip through Litton, Chew Valley Lake, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna and Stanton Drew...
. Hanham
Hanham Lock
Hanham Lock is situated on the River Avon, at the village of Hanham near Bristol, England.Hanham Lock is the first lock east of Netham where boats leave the Bristol Floating Harbour. A weir carries the river and boats use the adjacent lock. It is numbered as 1 and is officially the first on the...
is the last tidal lock, after which the river is joined by Brislington Brook
Brislington Brook
Brislington Brook is a short long tributary of the Bristol Avon, rising on the northern slopes of Maes Knoll on the southern boundary of the city of Bristol, England. The stream has been badly affected by pollution but improvements have been made in the latter part of the twentieth century, and...
.
Netham Lock
Netham Lock
Netham lock is the point at Netham in Bristol at which boats from the River Avon, acting as part of the Kennet and Avon Canal, gain access to Bristol's Floating Harbour....
is the point at Netham in Bristol at which boats from the River Avon, gain access to Bristol's Floating Harbour. Construction started in 1804 to build the tidal New Cut
New Cut (Bristol)
The New Cut is an artificial waterway which was constructed between 1804 and 1809 to divert the tidal river Avon through south and east Bristol, England. This was part of the process of constructing Bristol's Floating Harbour, under the supervision of engineer William Jessop...
, where it is joined by the River Malago
River Malago
The Malago is a tributary of the Bristol Avon in southwestern England, some long. The river rises in springs on the north side of Dundry Hill on the borders of Somerset and Bristol. The main tributary is the Pigeonhouse stream which also rises on Dundry...
, and divert the Avon along the Feeder Canal to the harbour; a system designed and built by William Jessop
William Jessop
William Jessop was an English civil engineer, best known for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.-Early life:...
and later improved by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
. A weir carries the river into the New Cut and boats use the adjacent lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
. Access to the harbour is only possible during the day when the lock keeper will open the gates unless the water level in the river between Netham and Hanham is above or below the level of the harbour. Netham Lock and the weir form part of Bristol's flood defence mechanisms and it was announced in December 2008 that they would be upgraded as part of the £11 million City Docks Capital Project.
In central Bristol, where the river is tidal
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
, it is diverted from its original course into the New Cut, a channel dug between 1804 and 1809 at a cost of £600,000. The original course is held at a constant level by lock gates (designed by Jessop) and is known as the Floating Harbour
Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
. The Floating Harbour is protected by a 1870s replacement for Jessop's locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
. This unusual dock has a tentacled plan resulting from its origins as the natural river course of the Avon and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the River Frome
River Frome, Bristol
The River Frome is a river, approximately long, which rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows in a south westerly direction through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. The mean flow at Frenchay is The name Frome is shared with...
and Siston Brook
Siston Brook
Siston Brook rises in two separate streams which issue from a ridge just north of the village of Siston, South Gloucestershire, England. The brook is approximately long and is a tributary of the Bristol Avon. Much of its course is through the eastern suburbs of Bristol, although it remains...
, and is intimately entwined with Bristol's city centre as few docks are. As a result of this, the Floating Harbour is one of the more successful pieces of dockland regeneration, with much of the dockside now occupied by residential, office and cultural premises, and the water area heavily used by leisure craft. The Floating Harbour gave the port an advantage by enabling shipping to stay afloat rather than grounding when the tide went down. Downstream of central Bristol the river passes through the deep Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
, spanned by Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
, the river is tidal and is navigable by sea going vessels at high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
but drying to a steep sided muddy channel at low tide. It was largely the challenge of navigating this section that sealed the fate of the Floating Harbour as commercial docks, and saw them replaced by docks at Avonmouth
Avonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
where the Avon joins the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
.
Before reaching its mouth it is joined by the River Trym
River Trym
The River Trym is a short river, some in length, which rises in Filton, South Gloucestershire, England. The upper reaches are culverted, some underground, through mostly urban landscapes, but once it emerges into the open it flows through a nature reserve and city parks before joining the tidal...
at Sea Mills
Sea Mills, Bristol
Sea Mills is a suburb of the English port city of Bristol. It is situated some 3.5 miles north-west of the city centre, towards the seaward end of the Avon Gorge. Nearby suburbs are Shirehampton, Sneyd Park, Combe Dingle and Stoke Bishop...
which was the site of Portus Abonae a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port. It then passes under the Avonmouth Bridge
Avonmouth Bridge
The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is long, and the bridge is long, with an air draught above mean high water level of . It also contains a separate footpath and cycleway.The bridge was built...
which carries the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
. The main span is 538 ft (164 m) long, and the bridge is 4554 ft (1,388 m) long, with an air draught above mean high water level of 98.4 ft (30 m). The river then serves two major dock areas. The Royal Portbury Dock
Royal Portbury Dock
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
is located on the southern side of the mouth of the river. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles. The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length and 14.5 m (48 ft) draft. The Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
are on the north side of the river and are one of the UK's major ports for chilled foods, especially fruit and vegetables. The first dock at Avonmouth, Avonmouth Old Dock, was opened in 1877 and acquired by Bristol Corporation in 1884. In 1908, a much larger dock, the Royal Edward Dock, was opened. The docks form part of the Port of Bristol
Port of Bristol
The Port of Bristol comprises the commercial, and former commercial, docks situated in and near the city of Bristol in England. The Port of Bristol Authority was the commercial title of the Bristol City, Avonmouth, Portishead and Royal Portbury Docks when they were operated by Bristol City Council,...
and were operated by the Port of Bristol Authority, part of Bristol City Council, until 1991 when the council granted a 150 year lease to the Bristol Port Company.
Conservation areas
The river is important for its dragonfly communities, with a strong population of Scarce ChaserScarce Chaser
The Scarce Chaser, Libellula fulva, is a species of dragonfly. The adult male has a bright blue abdomen with patches of black, while the adult female and juvenile male each have a bright orange abdomen. It is about 45 mm in length with an average wingspan of 74 mm. It is distributed throughout Europe...
(found in only six other areas in England), together with a strong population of White-legged Damselfly
White-legged Damselfly
The White-legged Damselfly or Blue Featherleg, Platycnemis pennipes, is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.-Morphology:P. pennipes is about long...
. Red-eyed Damselfly
Red-eyed Damselfly
Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.-Appearance:The species is a small damselfly, long, predominantly black with iridescent blue markings. The male resembles blue-tailed damselflies but is distinguished by its large, spaced eyes that are a deep red...
is also found. The river is also important for aquatic plants, including Loddon Pondweed
Potamogeton nodosus
Potamogeton nodosus is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name longleaf pondweed. It is native to Eurasia and the Americas, where it is widespread and can be found in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and streams. This is a perennial herb producing a thin, branching stem...
.
The Kellaways – West Tytherton Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) north east of Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
, is of geological interest as the river bank exposes Callovian
Callovian
In the geologic timescale, the Callovian is an age or stage in the Middle Jurassic, lasting between 164.7 ± 4.0 Ma and 161.2 ± 4.0 Ma. It is the last stage of the Middle Jurassic, following the Bathonian and preceding the Oxfordian....
highly-fossiliferous sandstone which contains well-preserved bivalves, gastropods, brachiopod
Brachiopod
Brachiopods are a phylum of marine animals that have hard "valves" on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the front can be opened for feeding or closed for protection...
s, belemnites and ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
s. Further downstream at Newton St Loe the Newton St Loe SSSI is another Geological Conservation Review
Geological Conservation Review
The Geological Conservation Review is produced by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee and is designed to identify those sites of national and international importance needed to show all the key scientific elements of the geological and geomorphological features of Britain...
SSSI. It represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, it has aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
. The bodies of mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
s (Mammuthus) and horses (Equus) have been found at the site.
The Avon Gorge
Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge is a 1.5-mile long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, England. The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of...
has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it supports some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to the gorge. There are a total of 24 rare plant species and two unique trees: the Bristol
Sorbus bristoliensis
Sorbus bristoliensis is a species of Whitebeam tree in the Rosaceae family. It is endemic to the United Kingdom, growing wild only in the Avon Gorge and in Leigh Woods area of Bristol-References:...
and Wilmotts's whitebeams
Sorbus wilmottiana
Sorbus wilmottiana is a species of plant in the Rosaceae family. It is endemic to the United Kingdom. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Wigginton, M.J. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
. Other notable plants include Bristol Rock-cress, Bristol onion
Allium sphaerocephalon
Allium sphaerocephalon is known as round-headed leek and also round-headed garlic, ball-head onion, and other variations on these names. Other names include Drumsticks, and in Germany, Kugellauch. The orthographic variant A. sphaerocephalum is also found. It is a hardy perennial plant. It is grown...
, Spiked Speedwell
Spiked Speedwell
Veronica spicata is a species of the genus Veronica.It is the county flower of Montgomeryshire in the United Kingdom. Cultivated varieties include blue , red and white ....
, Autumn Squill
Scilla
Scilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
and Honewort. Other areas along the river which have this designation include Bickley Wood
Bickley Wood
Bickley Wood is a 9.5 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest just north of River Avon, near the village of Longwell Green, Bristol, notified in 1988.-Source:*...
, Cleeve Wood, Hanham
Cleeve Wood, Hanham
Cleeve Wood, Hanham is a is an 8.9 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in South Gloucestershire, notified in 1966.Cleeve Wood is situated on the steep south facing slopes of the River Avon valleynear to the City of Bristol....
for its large population of Bath Asparagus (Ornithogalum pyrenaicum
Ornithogalum pyrenaicum
Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, also called Prussian asparagus, wild asparagus, Bath Asparagus, Pyrenees star of Bethlehem or spiked star of Bethlehem, is a plant whose young flower shoots may be eaten as a vegetable, similar to asparagus.The common name "Bath Asparagus" comes from the fact it was once...
). Stidham Farm
Stidham Farm
Stidham Farm is a 17.3 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the town of Keynsham, Bath and North East Somerset, notified in 1991....
near Keynsham
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
contains at least At least 2 metres (7 ft) of Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
terrace-gravels, consisting of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
clasts mainly, but also with Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the Northern England. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills...
, Pennant Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, flint and chert clasts. The site is of considerable importance for studies relating to the possible glaciation of the area, and of the terrace stratigraphy
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering . It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks....
, particularly as it is one of only two accessible terrace deposits in this part of the Avon valley. Newton Saint Loe
Newton Saint Loe SSSI
Newton St Loe SSSI is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest close to the River Avon, near the village of Newton St Loe in Bath and North East Somerset...
is also listed for geological reasons as it represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, they have aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
.
At Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton
Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton
Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton is a 4.45 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Bristol, England, on the north bank of a lower, tidal stretch of the River Avon, 3 kilometres downstream from the Avon Gorge, and just east of the village of Shirehampton...
the wooded cliff and a narrow salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
are supported by rocks of Devonian sandstone
Old Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
and Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian epoch of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
, overlain by with Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
Dolomitic conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
. The site's principal interest and the reason for its designation as an SSSI is the presence of a population of the True Service-tree (Sorbus domestica) growing on the cliffs. This tree is nationally rare in Britain, and this site hosts the largest known population in England. Other notable species of Sorbus
Sorbus
Sorbus is a genus of about 100–200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and mountain ash...
here are the whitebeams Sorbus eminens
Sorbus eminens
Sorbus eminens, sometimes classified as Aria eminens when the Aria subgenus of Sorbus is elevated to full genus, is a species of plant in the Rosaceae family. It is endemic to the United Kingdom. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
and Sorbus anglica
Sorbus anglica
Sorbus anglica, the English whitebeam is a species of tree in the Rosaceae family. It is uncommonly found in Ireland and the United Kingdom, with an entire British population estimated at about 600. individuals.-Source:...
, both of which are also nationally rare in Britain. The nationally scarce Large-leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos) also occurs, and herbs include Field Garlic
Field garlic
Field garlic is a bulbous perennial that grows wild in dry places in northern Europe, reaching 80cm in height. It reproduces by seed, bulbs and by the production of small bulblets in the flower head . Unlike A. vineale however, it is very rare with Field garlic to find flower-heads containing...
(Allium oleraceum) and Pale St. John's-wort (Hypericum montanum). The saltmarsh vegetation, which lies at the base of the cliff, is predominantly made up of Sea Aster (Aster tripolium) and English Scurvygrass (Cochlearia anglica). There are however two nationally scarce vascular plant species here as well – Slender Hare's-ear (Bupleurum tenuissimum) and Long-stalked Orache (Atriplex longipes).
The tidal reaches of the River Avon provide habitat for waterbirds, with 64 species having been recorded up to 2004, including 21 species of shorebird, and 13 species of gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
.
History
The river Avon had been navigable from Bristol to Bath during the early years of the 13th century but construction of mills on the river forced its closure.The Bristol Avon Navigation, which runs the 15 miles (24.1 km) from the Kennet and Avon Canal at Hanham Lock to the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth, with two locks, was constructed between 1724 and 1727, following legislation passed by Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, by a company of proprietors and the engineer John Hore
John Hore
John Hore was an English navigation engineer notable for engineering the River Kennet navigation in 1718.Born in Newbury, Berkshire to a line of maltsters, worked alongside his father. When his father acquired part-ownership of the River Kennet, he also invested...
of Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
. The first cargo of 'Deal boards, Pig-Lead and Meal' arrived in Bath in December 1727. It is now administered by British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
.
Route and points of interest
See also
- Other Rivers Avon
- Photograph of the Clifton Suspension Bridge from Brunel Way
- Photograph of the estuary at Avonmouth
- Rivers of the United Kingdom
- Wife of Bath
External links
- http://environment-agency.resultspage.com/search?p=R&srid=S8%2d1&lbc=environment%2dagency&w=The%20Bristol%20Avon%20Catchment%20Abstraction%20Management%20Strategy&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eenvironment%2dagency%2egov%2euk%2fstatic%2fdocuments%2fResearch%2fba%5f%5fcams%5f1%5f1038339%2epdf&rk=4&uid=59310565&sid=15&ts=ev2&rsc=hv245zNgfjp57Tip&method=and&isort=scoreThe Bristol Avon Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy]
- Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat