River Blythe
Encyclopedia
The Blythe is a river in the English
Midlands which runs from Warwickshire
, through the borough of Solihull
(past the Blythe Valley Park
) and on to Coleshill
. It runs along the Meriden Gap
in the Midlands Plateau
,
is fed by the River Cole
and is a tributary
of the Tame
beside the West Midland Bird Club's Ladywalk reserve
. This then joins the Trent
, whose waters reach the North Sea
via the Humber Estuary
.
The river rises at various sources near Earlswood Lakes
, but the principal tributory is listed as Spring Brook . From here it winds north east, skirting Cheswick Green
, towards Solihull
. Here it passes through a local wildlife park, Malvern and Brueton Park and Nature Reserve
. From here it meanders east, past several old country houses Old Berry Hall, Ravenshaw Hall, and Eastcote hall, before turning sharply south towards Barston
, which is encircled within a large meander of the river. At Temple Balsall
the Cuttle Brook feeds the river, which now arcs north, and again close by Barston. Past Hampton in Arden the river is fed by Shadow Brook, at Diddington Hall. Travelling further north it passes to the east of Coleshill
, and is fed by the River Cole
, only a few hundred meters before it itself feeds into the River Tame
, at Ladywalk Nature Reserve
The river is a particularly fine example of a lowland river on clay according to its Sites of Special Scientific Interest citation. The SSSI was notified in 1989, and includes for a 39 kilometre stretch of the river from near its source to the moth at the River Tame.
The Blythe has a wide range of natural geographical features such as riffles, pools, small cliffs and meanders, combined with a high diversity of substrate types ranging from fine silt and clay in the lower reaches to sands and gravels in the upper and middle reaches. The structure of this river is very variable and diverse, and is important as a rare example of such in lowland Britain.
The diverse physical features of the Blythe matched by its diverse plant communities. Botanically, the Blythe is one of the richest rivers in lowland England with the most species-rich sections containing as many species as the very richest chalk streams. In addition, several damp, unimproved meadows occur along the length of the river, they receive some of their water from annual flooding and are largely dependent upon the river for the maintenance of a high water-table.
As well as the rich and diverse flora, the river supports a diverse invertebrate community with a wide range of molluscs, oligochaetes and caddisflies
The river is popular with Anglers along much of its length although in dry weather it can become very shallow in places so deep holes should be sought. Species to be found include Perch
, Chub
and Dace
with the occasional summer Carp
being caught. The river also holds Tench
, Bream and Rudd
and more recently a small number of Barbel
have been caught.
It is one of the cleanest rivers in England
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Midlands which runs from Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, through the borough of Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
(past the Blythe Valley Park
Blythe Valley Park
Blythe Valley Park is a newly created district of the town of Solihull in the West Midlands conurbation. It is adjacent to Junction 4 of the M42 motorway, on the A34 Stratford Road between Solihull and Hockley Heath. The area was agricultural land administered by Sydenhale Farm until the late 1990s...
) and on to Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
. It runs along the Meriden Gap
Meriden Gap
The Meriden Gap is a mostly rural area located in the West Midlands between Solihull and Coventry. It serves as a green belt which separates the latter from the large West Midlands conurbation, which includes Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The 'Gap' takes its name from the village central to the...
in the Midlands Plateau
Midlands Plateau
The Midlands Plateau is a plateau covering approximately 3,200 km² in the Midlands of England, bounded by the Rivers Severn, Avon and Trent....
,
is fed by the River Cole
River Cole, West Midlands
The River Cole is a river in the English Midlands. It rises in Redhill, near Kings Norton, South of Birmingham. After flowing through Birmingham, it passes Coleshill, to which it gave its name. It joins the River Blythe, of which it is a tributary, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets...
and is a tributary
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...
of the Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
beside the West Midland Bird Club's Ladywalk reserve
Ladywalk Reserve
Ladywalk Reserve is a nature reserve on the River Tame, at its confluence with the River Blythe, at Hams Hall in north Warwickshire, England, owned by Powergen, but leased to, and operated by, the West Midland Bird Club since 1971....
. This then joins the Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, whose waters reach the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
via the Humber Estuary
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
.
The river rises at various sources near Earlswood Lakes
Earlswood Lakes
Earlswood Lakes is the modern name for three man-made reservoirs which were built in the 1820s at Earlswood in Warwickshire, England, to supply water to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. They still supply the canal, and also provide leisure facilities, including sailing, fishing and walking...
, but the principal tributory is listed as Spring Brook . From here it winds north east, skirting Cheswick Green
Cheswick Green
Cheswick Green is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. It was previously part of the civil parish of Hockley Heath, and lies approximately south west of Solihull town centre....
, towards Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. Here it passes through a local wildlife park, Malvern and Brueton Park and Nature Reserve
Malvern & Brueton Park
Malvern and Brueton Park is a town park and Local Nature Reserve in Britain. It is located in Solihull, West Midlands. The park is formed from a comparatively narrow strip of land, with the length being approximately ten times the average width, but it is looped forming a roughly U-shaped layout....
. From here it meanders east, past several old country houses Old Berry Hall, Ravenshaw Hall, and Eastcote hall, before turning sharply south towards Barston
Barston
Barston is a village and civil parish in Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands of England. It is about six km east of Solihull and is located inside a large meander of the River Blythe. The nearest large city is Birmingham. According to the 2001 UK Census, the parish had a...
, which is encircled within a large meander of the river. At Temple Balsall
Temple Balsall
Temple Balsall is a hamlet within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English West Midlands, situated between the large villages of Knowle and Balsall Common. It was formerly in Warwickshire. It is on a notoriously bad bend on the B4101 Kenilworth Road.It is one of the oldest and most...
the Cuttle Brook feeds the river, which now arcs north, and again close by Barston. Past Hampton in Arden the river is fed by Shadow Brook, at Diddington Hall. Travelling further north it passes to the east of Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
, and is fed by the River Cole
River Cole, West Midlands
The River Cole is a river in the English Midlands. It rises in Redhill, near Kings Norton, South of Birmingham. After flowing through Birmingham, it passes Coleshill, to which it gave its name. It joins the River Blythe, of which it is a tributary, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets...
, only a few hundred meters before it itself feeds into the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
, at Ladywalk Nature Reserve
The river is a particularly fine example of a lowland river on clay according to its Sites of Special Scientific Interest citation. The SSSI was notified in 1989, and includes for a 39 kilometre stretch of the river from near its source to the moth at the River Tame.
The Blythe has a wide range of natural geographical features such as riffles, pools, small cliffs and meanders, combined with a high diversity of substrate types ranging from fine silt and clay in the lower reaches to sands and gravels in the upper and middle reaches. The structure of this river is very variable and diverse, and is important as a rare example of such in lowland Britain.
The diverse physical features of the Blythe matched by its diverse plant communities. Botanically, the Blythe is one of the richest rivers in lowland England with the most species-rich sections containing as many species as the very richest chalk streams. In addition, several damp, unimproved meadows occur along the length of the river, they receive some of their water from annual flooding and are largely dependent upon the river for the maintenance of a high water-table.
As well as the rich and diverse flora, the river supports a diverse invertebrate community with a wide range of molluscs, oligochaetes and caddisflies
The river is popular with Anglers along much of its length although in dry weather it can become very shallow in places so deep holes should be sought. Species to be found include Perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, Chub
European chub
The European chub , sometimes called the round chub, fat chub, chevin, pollard or simply "the" chub, is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae...
and Dace
Common dace
The common dace , also known as the dace or the Eurasian dace, is a fresh- or brackish-water fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams of Europe north of the Alps as well as in Asia. It is most abundant in France and Germany, and has also spread to...
with the occasional summer Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
being caught. The river also holds Tench
Tench
The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...
, Bream and Rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
and more recently a small number of Barbel
Barbus barbus
Barbus barbus is a species of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family of minnows and carps. It shares the common name "barbel" with its many relatives in the genus Barbus and is properly known as the Common Barbel.B...
have been caught.
It is one of the cleanest rivers in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.