River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, stretching 220 miles (354 km). It also carries the most water of any river in England and Wales, with an average flow of 107 cubic meters per second. The river begins in the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales, near the town of Llanidloes, and flows through several areas including Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. Important towns such as Shrewsbury, Worcester, and Gloucester are located along its path.

The River Severn has several major tributaries, including the Vyrnwy, the Tern, the Teme, the Warwickshire Avon, and the Worcestershire Stour. After passing the Prince of Wales Bridge, the river is considered to become the Severn Estuary, which flows into the Bristol Channel and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary’s drainage basin covers an area of 4,409 square miles, not including the areas of the River Wye and the Bristol Avon.

Etymology

The name "Severn" has an interesting history. It comes from an ancient Celtic word that means "a gap (in the coastline)", referring to the river’s wide estuary. During Roman times, the river was called Sabrina.

In Welsh, the river is called Afon Hafren. This name was first written down in the 12th century. The old Welsh word for the river was Habren, which might mean "high prow of a ship" or "high prow of a wave".

The English name "Severn" comes from the Old English word Sæfern. It was also influenced by an English word for a type of plant called "sedge" or "rush", which grew along the riverbanks. People used these plants to make baskets.

The name also has links to Viking times, as it may be related to words meaning "the sea" and "to travel". This shows the river’s importance to sailors and travelers long ago.

Main article: Hafren

Geography and geology

The River Severn’s shape today is the result of millions of years of changes, shaped partly by ice during the last ice age. In Wales, the river flows through land made of rocks from long ago, called the Ordovician and Silurian times. As it reaches the Shropshire Plain, the rocks change to ones from the Permian and Triassic periods, though these are hidden under newer layers of soil. Some parts of the river also run across rocks from the Carboniferous period, near places like Shrewsbury and between Ironbridge and Bewdley. The river’s path continues on rocks from the Permo-Triassic time until it reaches areas from the Jurassic period near Tewkesbury.

Scientists have different ideas about how the river used to flow. One idea from the early 1900s suggests that during the ice age, the river’s path north was blocked, causing a big lake to form. This lake, called Lake Lapworth, then overflowed and created a new path through the Ironbridge Gorge to the sea. Another newer idea says the river may have flowed under the ice in a deep valley called the Severn Trench, from Melverley to the Ironbridge Gorge, possibly shaping this area over many ice ages.

Tributary rivers

The River Severn has many smaller rivers that flow into it. Three of the biggest are the Vyrnwy, the Teme, and the Warwickshire Avon. Other rivers like the Wye, the Bristol Avon, and the Usk also join the Severn.

Many smaller streams and rivers join the Severn along its path. Some of these include the Afon Dulas, Afon Clywedog, Afon Cerist, and Afon Carno. The River Vyrnwy starts at Lake Vyrnwy and flows through Powys before joining the Severn. The River Teme flows from Mid Wales and joins the Severn near Worcester. The River Wye begins close to the Severn's source and flows through Wales and Herefordshire before joining the Severn estuary.

Settlements

The River Severn flows through several towns and villages in Wales and England. In Wales, it passes by Llanidloes, Llandinam, Caersws, Newtown, Abermule, and Welshpool.

When it enters England, the river runs by villages such as Shrawardine and towns like Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Bewdley, and Worcester. It also passes near Gloucester where the water becomes tidal, and continues beside villages like Elmore, Epney, Framilode, Minsterworth, and Newnham on Severn.

Transport

Bridges

Main article: Crossings of the River Severn

The Severn River has many bridges, and some of them are very special. The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge was the first bridge in the world made from iron. Many other bridges were designed by the engineer Thomas Telford.

Two big road bridges connect Wales and England across the Severn:

• Severn Bridge – opened in 1966 and carries the M48
• Prince of Wales Bridge – opened in 1996 and carries the M4 motorway, known as the Second Severn Crossing until 2018

Before the first bridge was built in 1966, people used a ferry called the Aust Ferry to cross.

Other famous bridges include:

• Buttington Bridge – built in 1872
• Montford Bridge – designed by Thomas Telford and built between 1790 and 1792
• Welsh Bridge – in Shrewsbury, built in 1795
• English Bridge – also in Shrewsbury, finished in 1774
• Atcham Bridges – the old one from 1774, and a newer one from 1929
• Albert Edward Bridge – a railway bridge in Coalbrookdale, opened in 1864
• Coalport Bridge – made of cast iron, built in 1818
• Victoria Bridge – opened in 1862 and still used by the Severn Valley Railway
• Bewdley Bridge – designed by Telford and finished in 1798
• Holt Fleet Bridge – in Worcestershire, designed by Telford and opened in 1828
• Upton Town Bridge – built in 1940, the only bridge between Worcester and Tewkesbury
• Queenshill Viaduct – carries the M50
• Mythe Bridge – designed by Telford and opened in 1826, in Tewkesbury
• Haw Bridge – a steel bridge west of Tewkesbury
• Maisemore Bridge – a stone bridge from 1230
• Over Bridge – a stone bridge designed by Telford
• Over Rail Bridge – carries the Gloucester to Newport Line
• Severn Rail Bridge – linking Forest of Dean to Sharpness docks, which partly fell down in 1960 and was taken down in 1967–70

Rail

The Severn Tunnel, finished in 1886, is near the Second Severn Crossing road bridge. It carries trains under the river for the South Wales Main Line.

Navigation

People can travel on the river between Pool Quay near Welshpool and Stourport, but there isn’t much traffic except small boats and some tour boats in Shrewsbury. Below Stourport, boats need permits from the Canal & River Trust.

Locks

There are locks on the lower part of the Severn to help boats reach Stourport.

Associated canals

Several canals connect to the Severn at different places.

Passenger transport

The tidal river

In the past, steam boats travelled in the Severn Estuary. Today, some special boat trips still happen.

The upper river

Now, only one passenger boat operates between Shrewsbury and Gloucester. In Shrewsbury, boat trips around the town centre happen in the summer.

Severn Estuary

Main article: Severn Estuary

The River Severn becomes tidal near Maisemore, close to Gloucester, and at Llanthony Weir. During very high tides, water levels can rise near Tewkesbury and even at the foot of the weir in Worcester.

The part of the river below Gloucester is called the Severn Estuary, starting near the Prince of Wales Bridge close to Severn Beach in South Gloucestershire, or at Aust, where the Severn Bridge is located.

The Severn Estuary stretches from Lavernock Point near Cardiff to Sand Point near Weston-super-Mare. To the west of this line lies the Bristol Channel. In the estuary, there are rocky islands such as Denny Island, Steep Holm, and Flat Holm.

The estuary is about 2 miles wide at Aust and about 9 miles wide between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare.

Severn Sea

Main article: Bristol Channel

Long ago, during Tudor times, people called the Bristol Channel the Severn Sea. Even today, in Welsh and Cornish, it is still known by this name: Môr Hafren in Welsh and Mor Havren in Cornish, where môr means sea.

Severn bore

Main article: Severn bore

The River Severn has a special wave called a tidal bore that happens near the town of Sharpness. This wave is created when the tide pushes water up the river, making a fast-moving wave that goes against the river's current.

The area where the river meets the sea, called the estuary, has very high tides—almost 48 feet (15 meters). This is one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. During very high tides, the water forms a wave that moves quickly upstream. The biggest waves happen in spring, but smaller ones can be seen any time of the year. After the wave passes, the water level keeps rising for about an hour and a half.

Industry

A part of the River Severn in Shropshire is called Ironbridge Gorge. In 1986, it became a special World Heritage Site chosen by UNESCO because it was very important for the early iron industry during the Industrial Revolution. The area is named after the Iron Bridge, the first bridge made from cast iron, built in 1779.

There are also two old nuclear power stations along the river in South Gloucestershire. Oldbury Nuclear Power Station and Berkeley Nuclear Power Station used the river for cooling. Both of these power stations are no longer in use.

Wildlife

The sides of the river where it meets the sea are important places for birds that walk on land and in water, especially at the Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve and the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust. You can also find special places with small rocks where an endangered type of ladybird lives, called the 5-spot Ladybird.

Before dams were built, big fish called sturgeon and grey seals would come up the river as far as Worcester. In the winter of 2011/2012, a female grey seal stayed for several weeks on the river in Bewdley. The same seal was seen near Worcester from October to December 2013.

The river is part of a path in the sky called the Severn-Trent flyway, which birds use when they travel across Great Britain to find new places to live.

In culture

Main article: Hafren § In literature

The River Severn has inspired many stories, poems, and songs over the years. In a 1634 play by Milton, the river is linked to a water spirit named Sabrina, who is said to have drowned in its waters. Today, you can see statues and sculptures of Sabrina in Shrewsbury.

Famous writers have mentioned the Severn in their work. In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, Part 1, a character talks about an old battle that took place by the river. Poets and composers have also drawn inspiration from the Severn, creating music and stories that celebrate its beauty and power.

The river appears in many books and songs, showing how important it is to the people who live near it.

In Welsh mythology

Main article: Hafren

The River Severn has an important place in Welsh mythology. In one famous story, the river is named after a princess called Hafren. She was sadly drowned by her stepmother, Gwendolen. This story comes from an old book called Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

There is also another tradition where the river is one of "the three sisters" in Welsh legends. Hafren and her two sisters, Rheidolyn and Gwy, all start from the same mountain and flow to the sea. Each sister takes a different path, and Hafren chooses the longest but easiest way to reach the ocean.