River Avon, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
The River Avon is a river
in the south of England. The river rises in the county of Wiltshire
and flows through the city of Salisbury
and the county of Hampshire
before reaching the English Channel
through Christchurch Harbour
in the county of Dorset
.
It is sometimes known as the Salisbury Avon or the Hampshire Avon in order to distinguish it from the various other River Avons in England. It is one of the rivers in Britain
in which the phenomenon of anchor ice
has been observed. The Avon is thought to contain more species of fish than any other river in Britain.
word meaning "river", and therefore the river's name means River River.
, draining the Vale of Pewsey
, and the eastern Avon rises just east of Pewsey
. These two merge at Upavon
, flowing southwards across Salisbury Plain
through Durrington
, Amesbury
and Salisbury
. To the south of Salisbury it enters the Hampshire Basin
, flowing along the western edge of the New Forest
through Fordingbridge
and Ringwood
, meeting up with the river Stour
at Christchurch
, to flow into Christchurch Harbour
and the English Channel
at Mudeford
.
All the significant direct and indirect tributaries of the Avon, including the Nadder
, Wylye
, Bourne
and Ebble
, converge within a short distance around Salisbury.
About half of the length of the river is within Wiltshire, and only relatively short proportions are entirely within the current boundaries of Hampshire or Dorset. However for part of its path the river forms the border between Dorset and Hampshire, and prior to the 1974 reorganization of local government
the whole of the section now in or bordering Dorset was wholly within Hampshire. As there are two rivers with the name Avon in Wiltshire, this led to the river being popularly known as the Hampshire Avon or the Salisbury Avon.
The Avon Valley Path
parallels the river from Salisbury to Christchurch.
. This act has not been repealed, hence remains in force providing a legal right of navigation.
Court cases were brought in the 18th century concerning the loss of navigation of the river. One was in 1737 and another was in 1772.
North Avon Valley:
Woodford Valley:
Salisbury:
Wiltshire Watermeadows:
Hampshire
Dorset
, Brook lamprey
, Sea lamprey
, bullhead
, Desmoulin's whorl snail
, Gadwall
and Cygnus columbianus Berwick's swan.
There is also a sister project called Living River which runs from 2006 to 2010. This is providing better access and recreation, as well as biodiversity.
Both of these projects have been shortlisted for the 2009 Thiess International Riverprize competing against four other projects: the Yellow River
in China
, Lake Simcoe
in Canada
, the Polochic Basin in Guatemala
and the Lower Owens River in the USA.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the south of England. The river rises in the county of 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...
and flows through the city of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and the county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
before reaching the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
through Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
It is sometimes known as the Salisbury Avon or the Hampshire Avon in order to distinguish it from the various other River Avons in England. It is one of the rivers in Britain
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
in which the phenomenon of anchor ice
Anchor Ice
Anchor Ice is described by the World Meteorological Organization as "submerged ice attached or anchored to the bottom, irrespective of the nature of its formation." Anchor ice is most commonly observed in fast-flowing rivers during periods of extreme cold, at the mouths of rivers flowing into very...
has been observed. The Avon is thought to contain more species of fish than any other river in Britain.
Etymology
The river's name is a tautology: Avon [Ay-von] is derived from the Proto-BrythonicBrythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
word meaning "river", and therefore the river's name means River River.
Course
The Avon begins as two separate rivers. The western Avon rises to the east of DevizesDevizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, draining the Vale of Pewsey
Vale of Pewsey
The Vale of Pewsey or Pewsey Vale is an area of Wiltshire, England to the east of Devizes and south of Marlborough, centred on the town of Pewsey.-Geography:...
, and the eastern Avon rises just east of Pewsey
Pewsey
Pewsey is a large village, often considered a small town, at the centre of the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire about west of London. It is well connected to London, the West Country and Wales being close to the M4 motorway and the A303. Also, the village is served by Pewsey railway station on the...
. These two merge at Upavon
Upavon
Upavon is a rural village in the English County of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portions of the River Avon which runs from the north to the south through the village. It is situated about south of Pewsey, about southeast of the market town of Devizes, and about ...
, flowing southwards across Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
through Durrington
Durrington, Wiltshire
Durrington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is in the east of Salisbury Plain, about north of Salisbury, south of Swindon and northeast of Stonehenge...
, Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. To the south of Salisbury it enters the Hampshire Basin
Hampshire Basin
The Hampshire Basin is a geological basin of Paleogene age in southern England, underlying parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, and Sussex...
, flowing along the western edge of the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
through Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
and Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
, meeting up with the river Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
at Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, to flow into Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
and the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Mudeford
Mudeford
Mudeford was originally a small fishing village in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset southern England, lying at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour. The River Mude and Bure Brook flow into the harbour there...
.
All the significant direct and indirect tributaries of the Avon, including the Nadder
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
, Wylye
River Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
, Bourne
River Bourne, Wiltshire
The River Bourne is a river in the English county of Wiltshire, and a tributary of the River Avon.The Bourne's source is at the eastern end of the Vale of Pewsey, near the village of Burbage. The river cuts through the chalk escarpment at Collingbourne Kingston, to flow south across Salisbury Plain...
and Ebble
River Ebble
The River Ebble is one the five rivers of the English city of Salisbury.Rising at Alvediston 12 miles to the west it joins the River Avon 2 miles south of Salisbury at Bodenham , after flowing through Ebbesbourne Wake, Fifield Bavant, Little London, Knapp, Mount Sorrel, Broad Chalke, Stoke...
, converge within a short distance around Salisbury.
About half of the length of the river is within Wiltshire, and only relatively short proportions are entirely within the current boundaries of Hampshire or Dorset. However for part of its path the river forms the border between Dorset and Hampshire, and prior to the 1974 reorganization of local government
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
the whole of the section now in or bordering Dorset was wholly within Hampshire. As there are two rivers with the name Avon in Wiltshire, this led to the river being popularly known as the Hampshire Avon or the Salisbury Avon.
The Avon Valley Path
Avon Valley Path
The Avon Valley Path is a long-distance path in the English counties of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset.The path takes its name from the River Avon. From Salisbury it passes through the towns of Downton, Fordingbridge and Ringwood as well as the villages of Odstock, Nunton, Charlton-All-Saints,...
parallels the river from Salisbury to Christchurch.
Rights of Use
Canoeists seeking legitimate access to the Avon have recently identified a long-forgotten Act in their favour. The "Act for making the River Avon navigable from Christchurch to the city of New Sarum" was enacted in 1664 under Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. This act has not been repealed, hence remains in force providing a legal right of navigation.
Court cases were brought in the 18th century concerning the loss of navigation of the river. One was in 1737 and another was in 1772.
Settlements
WiltshireNorth Avon Valley:
- UpavonUpavonUpavon is a rural village in the English County of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portions of the River Avon which runs from the north to the south through the village. It is situated about south of Pewsey, about southeast of the market town of Devizes, and about ...
- East and West ChisenburyEnfordEnford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes nine small settlements along the banks of the headwaters of the River Avon...
- EnfordEnfordEnford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes nine small settlements along the banks of the headwaters of the River Avon...
- CoombeCoombe, Enford, WiltshireCoombe is a hamlet of the civil parish of Enford, Wiltshire, about fifteen miles north of the cathedral city of Salisbury. It lies on the River Avon between the larger villages of Enford and Netheravon, with nearly half of its houses on the road connecting the two and the remainder in Coombe...
- FittletonFittletonFittleton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The parish also contains the adjacent settlement of Haxton.-Location:...
- HaxtonFittletonFittleton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The parish also contains the adjacent settlement of Haxton.-Location:...
- NetheravonNetheravonNetheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
- FigheldeanFigheldeanFigheldean is a village and civil parish on the River Avon north of Amesbury in Wiltshire.Centred on the village, the parish of Figheldean extends eastwards towards Tidworth as far as Devil's Ditch and westwards beyond Larkhill towards Shrewton as far as Robin Hood's Ball. The parish includes...
- MilstonMilstonMilston is a civil parish in Wiltshire situated approximately 12 miles north of Salisbury and is separated from neighbouring Durrington by the River Avon. The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and means "middlemost farm/settlement". It consists of two hamlets: Milston and Brigmerston, plus some farm...
- DurringtonDurrington, WiltshireDurrington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is in the east of Salisbury Plain, about north of Salisbury, south of Swindon and northeast of Stonehenge...
- BulfordBulfordBulford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, close to Salisbury Plain. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,698.The name is derived from the Old English bulut ieg ford meaning 'ragged robin island ford'....
- AmesburyAmesburyAmesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
Woodford Valley:
- West Amesbury
- Wilsford-cum-Lake
- Great Durnford
- The Woodfords
- Little Durnford
Salisbury:
- Stratford-sub-Castle
- SalisburySalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
Wiltshire Watermeadows:
- BritfordBritfordBritford is a village and civil parish beside the River Avon about southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The village is just off the A338 road.-Archaeology:Little Woodbury, southwest of the village, is the site of an Iron Age settlement...
- Bodenham
- Charlton All Saints
- Downton
Hampshire
- BreamoreBreamoreBreamore is a village and civil parish near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, England. The toponym is pronounced "Bremmer", not "Bree-moor" as might be supposed. The parish includes a notable Elizabethan country house, Breamore House, built with an E-shaped ground plan...
- FordingbridgeFordingbridgeFordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
- BicktonBicktonBickton is a hamlet in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England. It is within the civil parish of Fordingbridge, and is situated by the River Avon....
- IbsleyIbsleyIbsley is a village in Hampshire, England. It is about 2.5 miles north of the town of Ringwood.-Overview:The village of Ibsley lies to the east of the River Avon on the main road between Ringwood and Fordingbridge, and has some picturesque thatched cottages...
- RingwoodRingwoodRingwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
- SopleySopleySopley is a village and civil parish situated in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. It lies on the old main road from Christchurch to Ringwood, on the east bank of the River Avon. The Parish extends east as far as Thorny Hill and borders the parishes of Bransgore and Burton to the...
Dorset
- St IvesSt Ives, DorsetSt Ives is a village in the county of Dorset in the south of England. It lies close to the border between Dorset and Hampshire, near Ringwood, Verwood and Ferndown. The parish of St Leonards and St Ives has a population of 6,672 ; 41.6% are retired....
- Avon Castle
- BurtonBurton, DorsetBurton Village is a village and parish in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset, England. It is situated some 2 miles north-east of Christchurch town centre...
- ChristchurchChristchurch, DorsetChristchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
Conservation
A four year project called STREAM began in September 2005. This was a £1 million pound project designed to benefit the habitats of species such as Water-crowfoot, Atlantic salmonAtlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
, Brook lamprey
Brook lamprey
The European brook lamprey is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater...
, Sea lamprey
Sea lamprey
The sea lamprey is a parasitic lamprey found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, in the western Mediterranean Sea, and in the Great Lakes. It is brown, gray, or black on its back and white or gray on the underside and can grow up to 90 cm long. Sea lampreys prey on a wide...
, bullhead
European bullhead
The bullhead is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the Cottidae family, a type of sculpin...
, Desmoulin's whorl snail
Desmoulin's whorl snail
Desmoulin's whorl snail, scientific name Vertigo moulinsiana, is a species of minute air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc or micromollusc in the family Vertiginidae, the vertigo snails....
, Gadwall
Gadwall
The Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g...
and Cygnus columbianus Berwick's swan.
There is also a sister project called Living River which runs from 2006 to 2010. This is providing better access and recreation, as well as biodiversity.
Both of these projects have been shortlisted for the 2009 Thiess International Riverprize competing against four other projects: the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Polochic Basin in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and the Lower Owens River in the USA.
See also
- Other Rivers Avon
- Rivers of the United Kingdom