The River Rea is a small river that flows through south east Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

, 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...

 and passes just to the east of the small market town

Market town

Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

 of Cleobury Mortimer

Cleobury Mortimer

Cleobury Mortimer is a small rural market town in Shropshire, England. The town's parish has a population of 1,962 according to the 2001 census. Although sometimes regarded as a village, it is in fact the second smallest town in Shropshire , having been granted a town charter in 1253.Several...

, before entering the Teme

River Teme

The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...

 at Newnham Bridge

Newnham Bridge

Newnham Bridge is a village in the parish of Knighton on Teme, near Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom.The village derives part of its name from the bridge over the River Rea.-Location:...

 in Worcestershire

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

. Its waters eventually reach the Bristol Channel

Bristol Channel

The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...

, via the Severn

River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...

. The upper stretch of the river is known as the Rea Brook

Rea Brook

The name Rea Brook can refer to either of two brooks in Shropshire, England.One of the brooks, which eventually becomes the River Rea, is in southern Shropshire. It is to the east of Brown Clee Hill....

. For a short stretch between Cleobury Mortimer and Neen Sollars

Neen Sollars

Neen Sollars is a village and civil parish in south east Shropshire, England. It is situated close to the border with Worcestershire, south of the small market town of Cleobury Mortimer. The River Rea, which was historically known as the River Neen, flows by the village.There is a popular public...

 the river forms part of the Shropshire-Worcestershire border.

It is crossed (at 52.387401°N 2.478847°W) by the Elan aqueduct

Elan aqueduct

The Elan aqueduct, crosses Wales and the Midlands of England, running eastwards from the Elan Valley Reservoirs in Powys to Birmingham's Frankley Reservoir, carrying drinking water for Birmingham....

.

The name of the river derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow".

The historic or alternative name for the river is the "River Neen" and there are various settlements along its course of that name or variations of it, such as Neen Sollars, Neenton

Neenton

Neenton is a civil parish and a hamlet in south east Shropshire, England. It is situated on the B4364 southwest of the market town of Bridgnorth. The Rea Brook/River Rea, which was historically known as the River Neen, flows by the hamlet. There was once a public house open, called the Pheasant Inn...

 and Neen Savage

Neen Savage

Neen Savage is a civil parish and a hamlet in south east Shropshire, England. It is situated north of the small market town of Cleobury Mortimer. The River Rea, which was historically known as the River Neen, flows past the hamlet and a notable ford exists....

.