River Ottery
Encyclopedia
The River Ottery is a small river in northeast Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. The river is approximately twenty miles (33 km) long from its source southeast of Otterham
to its confluence with the River Tamar
at Nether Bridge, two miles (3 km) northeast of Launceston.
The headwaters
of the River Ottery are within the civil parish
of Otterham
but formerly came under the parish of Forrabury and Minster
. In 1311, the rector of that parish wrote: ..the river Ottery takes its rise in this parish and flows to Canworthy Water and so by Yeolmbridge to the river Tamar.
, the River Ottery forms a major sub-catchment of the Tamar system, draining 48 square miles (124.3 km²) of north Cornwall. The River Ottery's catchment area
is within the Carboniferous
geological formation known as the Culm Measures
which stretches from Dartmoor
to north Devon and across northeast Cornwall as far west as Bodmin Moor
.
The infant river initially flows north until it reaches the hamlet of Trengune. From here it adopts an east-southeasterly course which it follows to its confluence with the River Tamar.
The largest tributaries to the River Ottery are Caudworthy Water and Bolsbridge Water which join the River Ottery from the north and Canworthy Water which joins from the south.
The River Ottery system was severely affected by flooding in north Cornwall on 16 August 2004 when up to eight inches of rain fell during a single afternoon. The Ottery headwaters at Marshgate and Otterham were the most severely affected.
The river flows through an isolated area of mixed farming and the only riverside settlements of any size are Canworthy Water
and Yeolmbridge
.
in the Ottery catchment including the Ottery Valley SSSI which has 33 hectares of increasingly threatened culm habitat and Kernick and Ottery Meadows SSSI, also noted for its biological interest
.
The Project's page also notes: The Ottery supports a broad range of wildlife including populations of trout
and migratory fish, otters
, kingfishers
, sand martins
, dippers
, curlews
, snipe
and the marsh fritillary butterfly
.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The river is approximately twenty miles (33 km) long from its source southeast of Otterham
Otterham
Otterham is a village and a civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately ten miles south of Bude and six miles north of Camelford....
to its confluence with the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
at Nether Bridge, two miles (3 km) northeast of Launceston.
The headwaters
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
of the River Ottery are within the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Otterham
Otterham
Otterham is a village and a civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately ten miles south of Bude and six miles north of Camelford....
but formerly came under the parish of Forrabury and Minster
Forrabury and Minster
Forrabury and Minster is a civil parish on the north coast of Cornwall. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779....
. In 1311, the rector of that parish wrote: ..the river Ottery takes its rise in this parish and flows to Canworthy Water and so by Yeolmbridge to the river Tamar.
Hydrology and course
With its tributariesTributary
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 Ottery forms a major sub-catchment of the Tamar system, draining 48 square miles (124.3 km²) of north Cornwall. The River Ottery's catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
is within the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
geological formation known as the Culm Measures
Culm Measures
The Culm Measures are a geological formation of the Carboniferous period that occur in south-west England, principally in Devon and Cornwall. They are so called because of the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as culm....
which stretches from Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
to north Devon and across northeast Cornwall as far west as Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
.
The infant river initially flows north until it reaches the hamlet of Trengune. From here it adopts an east-southeasterly course which it follows to its confluence with the River Tamar.
The largest tributaries to the River Ottery are Caudworthy Water and Bolsbridge Water which join the River Ottery from the north and Canworthy Water which joins from the south.
The River Ottery system was severely affected by flooding in north Cornwall on 16 August 2004 when up to eight inches of rain fell during a single afternoon. The Ottery headwaters at Marshgate and Otterham were the most severely affected.
The river flows through an isolated area of mixed farming and the only riverside settlements of any size are Canworthy Water
Canworthy Water
Canworthy Water is a settlement in northeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated beside the River Ottery at approximately seven miles northeast of Camelford....
and Yeolmbridge
Yeolmbridge
Yeolmbridge is a village in Cornwall, two and a half miles north of Launceston.Yeolm Bridge over the River Ottery is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Built about 1350, it is considered the oldest surviving and best built of medieval Cornish bridges...
.
Wildlife
The Cornwall Rivers Project notes five Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)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...
in the Ottery catchment including the Ottery Valley SSSI which has 33 hectares of increasingly threatened culm habitat and Kernick and Ottery Meadows SSSI, also noted for its biological interest
Flora and fauna of Cornwall
Cornwall is the county that forms the tip of the southwestern peninsula of England; this area has a mild and warm climate regulated by the Gulf Stream...
.
The Project's page also notes: The Ottery supports a broad range of wildlife including populations of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and migratory fish, otters
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, kingfishers
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
, sand martins
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
, dippers
Dipper
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
, curlews
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
, snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
and the marsh fritillary butterfly
Marsh Fritillary
The Marsh Fritillary, Euphydryas aurinia, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.It is widespread in the Palaearctic region from Ireland in the West to Yakutia in the East, and to North-west China and Mongolia in the South.E. aurinia is represented by many subspecies.The most widely accepted...
.
Location
- Source coordinates 50.67944°N 4.59460°W
- Trengune (change of course) coordinates 50.71032°N 4.56602°W
- Canworthy WaterCanworthy WaterCanworthy Water is a settlement in northeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated beside the River Ottery at approximately seven miles northeast of Camelford....
(settlement) coordinates 50.69744°N 4.51693°W - YeolmbridgeYeolmbridgeYeolmbridge is a village in Cornwall, two and a half miles north of Launceston.Yeolm Bridge over the River Ottery is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Built about 1350, it is considered the oldest surviving and best built of medieval Cornish bridges...
(settlement) coordinates 50.66203°N 4.38123°W - Confluence with River TamarRiver TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
coordinates 50.65828°N 4.33969°W