RIVER SEVERNBY CHIKAY, SHEEDIAAH AND DILLAN

HISTORY• STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS (WATER SPIRITS) , WHERE ALL OF THEM

BECAME RIVERS AND ONE OF THEM BEING THE SEVERN• THE NAME SEVERN, CAME FROM A MYTHICAL LEGEND OF WHERE THE NYMPH

SEVERN, OR HAFREN IN WELSH, HAD DROWNED IN THIS RIVER.• IN EARLY TIMES, THE RIVER HAS SERVED AS A BOUNDARY, THIS HAS PLAYED

VARIOUS ROLES IN THE WARS, SUCH AS THE INVATION OF THE SAXONS IN BRITAIN AROUND 577.

FAME• FAMOUS FOR ITS TIDAL BORE, ITS BORES ARE SOMETIMES ABOUT A METER

AND HALF HIGH• THE RIVER IS THE LONGEST RIVER OF THE UK (350 KM), AND ONLY SECOND

LONGEST RIVER OF THE BRITISH ISLES• FAMED FOR THE SEVERN-BREAK-ITS-NECK FALLS, WHICH FROM

TIME TO TIME CHANGES LOCATION BY CRUMBLING ITS OWN FALL

• FAMED FOR THE IRONBRIDGE, THE VERY FIRST BRIDGE MADE OUT OF CAST IRON, MADE IN 1779

• AROUND THE END OF THE 17TH CENTURY, THE SEVERN WAS THE SECOND MOST BUSY RIVER OF EUROPE

Bore hitting the riverbank in 1994

CURRENTLY

• FLOWS THROUGH THE ANCIENT CITIES OF WORCESTER AND GLOUCESTER• THE CANAL & RIVER TRUST LOOKS AFTER THE RIVER SEVERN FROM 

STOURPORT TO GLOUCESTER. • ABOVE STOURPORT, IT IS SUITABLE FOR CANOES AND ROWING BOATS. THE

SECTION FROM GLOUCESTER TO SHARPNESS IS DANGEROUS FOR BOATS, AND IS BYPASSED BY THE GLOUCESTER & SHARPNESS CANAL.

FACTS • THE RIVER SEVERN IS 350 KM LONG, AND IS THE LONGEST RIVER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND ONLY THE SECOND LONGEST RIVER OF THE BRITISH ISLES. • IT FLOWS THROUGH THE REGION OF POWYS IN WALES, AND THE COUNTIES OF SHROPSHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE AND GLOUCESTER IN ENGLAND.• THE SEVERN HAS THE GREATEST WATER FLOW OF ANY RIVER IN ENGLAND OR WALES.• SEVERAL LARGE TOWNS HAVE DEVELOPED FROM THE ORIGINAL SETTLEMENTS ON THE BANKS OF THE SEVERN. THESE INCLUDE: NEWTOWN, WELSHPOOL, SHREWSBURY, IRONBRIDGE, STOURPORT, WORCESTER, TEWKESBURY AND GLOUCESTER.• THE RIVER SEVERN IS BRIDGED IN LOTS OF PLACES. TWO OF THE BRIDGES, THE SEVERN BRIDGE (OPENED IN 1966) AND THE SECOND SEVERN CROSSING (OPENED IN 1996) , LINK WALES AND ENGLAND BY ROAD.• BEFORE THE 16TH CENTURY, THE BRISTOL CHANNEL WAS KNOWN AS THE SEVERN SEA.• DURING THE END OF 17TH CENTURY ,THE SEVERN WAS THE SECOND BUSIEST RIVER OF EUROPE

DOCUMENTARY

• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NNAYE8VP3AQ- THE RIVER SEVERN FROM SOURCE TO MOUTH

The Severn

THE TRIBUTARIES OF THE RIVER SEVERN• AFON CLYWEDOG JOINS THE SEVERN AT LLANIDLOES• RIVER CAMLAD JOINS THE SEVERN NEAR CAMLAD• RIVER VYRNWY JOINS THE SEVERN AT MELVERLEY,

SHROPSHIRE• RIVER PERRY JOINS THE SEVERN AT MONTFORD BRIDGE• REA BROOK JOINS THE SEVERN AT SHREWSBURY• RIVER TERN JOINS THE SEVERN AT ATTINGHAM PARK• COUND BROOK JOINS THE SEVERN AT EYTON ON SEVERN• SHEINTON BROOK JOINS THE SEVERN AT SHEINTON• RIVER WORFE JOINS THE SEVERN ABOVE BRIDGNORTH• BORLE BROOK JOINS THE SEVERN AT ARLEY• DOWLES BROOK JOINS THE SEVERN ABOVE

KIDDERMINSTER

• RIVER STOUR JOINS THE SEVERN AT STOURPORT-ON-SEVERN

• RIVER SALWARPE JOINS THE SEVERN ABOVE WORCESTER

• RIVER TEME JOINS THE SEVERN DOWNSTREAM OF WORCESTER

• WARWICKSHIRE AVON JOINS THE SEVERN AT TEWKESBURY

• RIVER CHELT JOINS THE RIVER SEVERN AT WAINLODE• RIVER LEADON JOINS THE SEVERN AT OVER• RIVER FROME JOINS THE SEVERN AT UPPER FRAMILODE• RIVER WYE JOINS THE SEVERN AT CHEPSTOW• BRISTOL AVON FLOWS INTO THE SEVERN THROUGH

THE AVON GORGE• RIVER USK FLOWS INTO THE SEVERN ESTUARY JUST

SOUTH OF NEWPORT

REFERENCES• LIAM ROGERS, SABRINA AND THE RIVER SEVERN, 1991, FROM:

HTTP://WWW.WHITEDRAGON.ORG.UK/ARTICLES/SABRINA.HTM• BBC, HISTORY OF THE RIVER SEVERN, 2008, FROM:

HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/SHROPSHIRE/CONTENT/ARTICLES/2008/09/26/RIVER_SEVERN_FEATURE.SHTML• JAMES, THE RIVER SEVERN: FACTS & KEY INFORMATION, 2012, FROM:

HTTP://PRIMARYFACTS.COM/203/THE-RIVER-SEVERN-FACTS-AND-KEY-INFORMATION/• ROWBOTHAM, F. (1983). SEVERN BORE. PP 12-13,54. DAVID & CHARLES.  • HOPKIN, J. & BROOKER, P, 2001, GEOGRAPHY MATTERS, P 78. OXFORD: HEINEMANN EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS. • RIVER SEVERN, 2013, RETRIEVED OCTOBER 4, 2013, FROM 

HTTP://CANALRIVERTRUST.ORG.UK/CANALS-AND-RIVERS/RIVER-SEVERN• TRIBUTARIES OF THE SEVERN, 2013, RETRIEVED OCTOBER 4, 2013, FROM

HTTP://RESOURCES.WOODLANDS-JUNIOR.KENT.SCH.UK/RIVERSEVERN/TRIBUTARIES.HTML• THE RIVER SEVERN FROM SOURCE TO MOUTH, 2012, FROM HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NNAYE8VP3AQ