River Severn

Not to be confused withRiver Seven.

"Severn" redirects here. For other uses, seeSevern (disambiguation).

TheRiver Severn(Welsh:AfonHafren,pronounced[ˈavɔnˈhavrɛn]), at 220 miles (354 km) long, is the longest river inGreat Britain.It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all ofEngland and Wales,with an average flow rate of 107 m³/s (3,800 cu ft/s) atApperley,Gloucestershire. It rises in theCambrian Mountainsinmid Wales,at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on thePlynlimonmassif, which lies close to theCeredigion/Powysborder nearLlanidloes.The river then flows throughShropshire,WorcestershireandGloucestershire.Thecounty townsofShrewsbury,WorcesterandGloucesterlie on its course.

River Severn Welsh:Afon Hafren
The river seen fromShrewsbury Castle
Tributaries (light blue) and major settlements on and near the Severn (red)
Location
Country	EnglandandWales
Region	Mid Wales,West Midlands,South West
Counties	Powys,Shropshire,Worcestershire,Gloucestershire
Cities	Shrewsbury,Worcester,Gloucester,Bristol
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Plynlimon,Powys,Wales
• coordinates	52.493464°N 3.734597°W/52.493464; -3.734597
• elevation	610 m (2,000 ft)
Mouth	Severn Estuary
• location	Bristol Channel,United Kingdom
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	354 km (220 mi)
Basin size	11,420 km2(4,410 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Bewdley,Worcs.SO 7815 7622
• average	61.17 m3/s (2,160 cu ft/s)
• maximum	533.48 m3/s (18,840 cu ft/s)max recorded on 1947-03-21
Discharge
• location	Apperley, Glos.
• average	107 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	Montford, Shrops.
• average	43.46 m3/s (1,535 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Vyrnwy,Tern,Stour,Warwickshire Avon,Bristol Avon
• right	Teme,Leadon,Wye

The Severn's major tributaries are theVyrnwy,theTern,theTeme,theWarwickshire Avon,and theWorcestershire Stour.

By convention, the River Severn is usually considered to end, and theSevern Estuaryto begin, after theSecond Severn Crossing,betweenSevern BeachinSouth GloucestershireandSudbrook, Monmouthshire.The total area of the Estuary'sdrainage basinis 4,409 square miles (11,419 km²). That figure excludes the area of theRiver Wyeand theBristol Avon,both of which flow into the Severn Estuary. The Estuary discharges into theBristol Channel,which opens into theCeltic Seaand from there into the Atlantic Ocean.

Etymology and mythology

Celtic Root

An etymology has been proposed, which signifies that 'Severn' is an anglicized version of an ancient Celtic phrase signifying 'a gap (in the coastline)', referring to the estuary.

Romano-British name

The name Severn is thought to derive from aBritishword*sabrinā,possibly from an older form *samarosina,meaning "land of summertime fallow". During theRoman occupationtheSevernwas known by theRomano-BritishLatinnameSabrina.

Name legacy

Main article:Hafren § In literature

Milton's 1634 masqueComusmakesSabrinaanymphwho had drowned in the river. InShrewsbury,there is now a statue of Sabrina in the Dingle Gardens at theQuarry,as well as a metal sculpture erected in 2013.

There is a different deity associated with the Severn Estuary:Nodens,represented as mounted on aseahorse,riding on the crest of theSevern bore.

Welsh name

Main article:Hafren

TheWelshform of the name isAfon Hafren(pronounced[ˈavɔnˈhavrɛn]) first recorded in the 12th-centuryHistoria Regum Britanniae.TheOld Welshform of the nameHabrenwas recorded c.800.

Documented history of the Welsh name:

• Habren c.800.
• Hauren c.1170.
• hahafrenn, 12th century.
• Dyffrin hawren, mid 13th century.

ThetoponymforHabrenmight be:

• High prow of a ship.
• High prow of a wave.

English name

The English form of the name ( "Severn") is derived fromOld EnglishSæfern.However the name is also influenced by English dialectseave( "sedge, rush") hence the origin of the nameSeavernerecorded in the 16th–17th century.

Common club-rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) prefers to grow in shallow water such as that found in ponds, streams and river margins.TheHwiccepeople used the club-rush growing along the banks of the River Severn to makewickerbaskets.

Name history

The name history shows evidence of Scandinavian influence:

Name	Year	Period	Influence
Sæferne	894	Viking Age	Old Englishsæfôr– "seafarer".
Saverna	1086	Norman Conquest	English dialectseave– "sedge, rush".
Severne	1205	13th century	English dialectseave
Sephern	1479	15th century	Old Norsesef– "sedge, rush".
Seaverne	1584	16th century	English dialectseave
Seaverne	1677	17th century	English dialectseave
Severn	1836	19th century

Viking age

In the Summer of 893 a coalition of all of the Danish armies in England made a determined attempt to annex western Mercia to Danish Mercia.TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle(ASC)recorded an account of theBattle of Buttington,and included this description of the route taken by theDanes:

"... Foron þa up beTemeseoþþæt hie gedydon ætSæferne,þa up beSæferne.

Seafarer

The Seafarer (poem)
... "þæt he a his sæforesorge næbbe,
to hwon hine Dryhten gedon wille. "

... "that he never in his seafaring has a worry,
as to what his Lord will do to him. "

— A passage inOld Englishpoem

The nameSæfernmight be related to:

1. The Sea.
2. Middle Englishfaren– "travel".
3. Old Norsesær– "the sea, ocean".
4. Old Norsefara– "to fare, to travel".
5. The Old Norse personal nameSæfari– "Seafarer".

The Old Norse nameSæfari( "Seafarer" ) lives on as the name of theDalvík–Grímseyferry inIceland.

Geography and geology

Post marked as thesourceof the River Severn onPlynlimon,Wales. The wording is in both English and Welsh.

The River Severn's current form is the result of a multi-million year history and complex underlying geology but is in part the result of glaciation during the lastice agein thePleistoceneepochof theQuaternaryperiod.Within Wales, the river runs through a landscape formed inOrdovicianandSilurianrocks. As it enters the Shropshire Plain, these lowerPalaeozoicrocks are replaced byPermianandTriassicage strata though largely unseen beneath a thick cover of Quaternary deposits. Certain stretches also run acrossCarboniferousstrata as at Shrewsbury and for much of the distance between Ironbridge and Bewdley. Permo-Triassic bedrock then continues until the Severn moves intermittently onto theJurassicoutcrop from Tewkesbury southwards. Only in the SSW-NNE aligned valley either side of Welshpool is there any obvious relationship to geological structure where the valley follows the lines of the Severn Valley Fault Belt.For much of the rest of its course it runs directly across geological structures.

It was first proposed in the 1900s that the former northerly course of the upper Severn was disrupted during the course of theice ageby the blocking of its access to theIrish SeathroughCheshirecausing a large lake to develop across much of Shropshire. It was supposed that this lake, named asLake Lapworth,overtopped its southern margin and rapidly cut down to form theIronbridge Gorgeproviding the Severn with a southerly exit to the sea as remains the case today.An alternative theory which has gained favour in recent years does away with Lake Lapworth, suggesting that the upper Severn flowed beneath the icesheet in a bedrock hollow known as the Severn Trench eastwards from Melverley to the Ironbridge Gorge. It is possible that the trench and gorge were cut over successive ice ages.

Tributary rivers

Over its length, there are a large number of tributaries, but the three largest feeding the non-tidal river are theVyrnwy,theTemeand theWarwickshire Avon.TheWye,theBristol Avonand theUskall flow into the estuarine section of the Severn. The main tributaries are described in sequence below.

The first tributary of significance is theAfon Dulas,joining from the south immediately upstream ofLlanidloes,with theAfon Clywedogjoining in the town. TheAfon Cerist,bolstered by theAfon Trannon,and theAfon Carnojoin as left bank tributaries immediately upstream of Caersws. Mochdre Brook enters on the western edge of Newtown, followed by the Bechan Brook just northeast of the town.The Muleenters atAbermule,and theRiver Rhiweast ofBerriew,followed shortly by theCamladwhich rises aboveChurchstokeand by the Luggy Brook. The left bank Sylfaen Brook enters atWelshpool,and the Bele Brook via the New Cut east ofArddlin.

The River Vyrnwy, which begins atLake Vyrnwy,flows eastwards throughPowys,gathering the waters of theBanwy,CainandTanat,before forming part of the border between England and Wales, and joining the Severn nearMelverley,Shropshire. TheRiver Perryjoins on the left bank aboveShrewsbury,while both theRad Brookand theRea Brook,which flows northeast from its source atMarton Poolnear the Welsh border, join the Severn within the town. The left bank tributary, theRiver Tern,after flowing south fromMarket Draytonand being joined by theRiver Meeseand theRiver Roden,meets the Severn atAttingham Park.

TheRiver Worfejoins the Severn's left bank just aboveBridgnorth,before the Mor, Borle andDowlesbrooks join on the opposite bank over the next few miles, the last-named drainingWyre Forest.TheRiver Stourrises in the north of Worcestershire in theClent Hills,near St Kenelm's Church atRomsley.It flows north into the adjacentWest MidlandsatHalesowen.It then flows westwards throughCradley HeathandStourbridge,where it leaves theBlack Country.It is joined by the Smestow Brook atPrestwoodbefore it winds around southwards toKinver,and then flows back into Worcestershire. It then passes throughWolverley,KidderminsterandWildento itsconfluencewith the Severn atStourport-on-Severn.TheDick Brook,Shrawley Brook and Grimley Brook enter on the right bank before theRiver Salwarpe,which runs throughDroitwichenters on the opposite (east) bank.

The River Teme flows eastwards from its source inMid Wales,straddling the border betweenShropshireandHerefordshire;it is joined by theRiver Onny,River CorveandRiver Reabefore it finally joins the Severn on the southern edge ofWorcester.Bushley Brook joins just upstream of the confluence of theWarwickshire Avonwith the Severn atTewkesbury.One of several Avons, this one flows west throughRugby,WarwickandStratford-upon-Avon.It is then joined by its tributary theRiver Arrow,before joining the Severn. The riversSwilgateandCheltalso join the Severn's left bank, as do theHatherleyandHorsberebrooks, before it reaches Gloucester. TheRiver Leadonenters the tidal West Channel of the Severn at Over, immediately west of Gloucester. TheRiver Fromeis the second significant tributary to enter the tidal stretch of the Severn, doing so at Framilode. Bideford Brook drains the easternmost part of theForest of Dean,entering the Severn estuary east ofBlakeney.On the opposite (southeast) bank the flow of theRiver Camis usurped by theGloucester and Sharpness Canalbefore reaching the estuary.The Lydenters the west bank of the estuary atLydney Harbour,opposite the place where Berkeley Pill carries the waters of theLittle Avon Riverinto it. The final tributary before the Severn Bridge is the collection of streams which enter via Oldbury Pill.

The River Wye, from its source inPlynlimonin Wales (2 miles (3 km) from the source of the Severn), flows generally south east through the Welsh towns ofRhayaderandBuilth Wells.It entersHerefordshire,flows throughHereford,and is shortly afterwards joined by theRiver Lugg,before flowing throughRoss-on-WyeandMonmouth,and then southwards where it forms part of the border between England (Forest of Dean) andWales.The Wye flows into the Severn estuary south of the town ofChepstow.

TheMounton BrookandNedernBrooks enter on the Monmouthshire side between the two motorway crossings. ThePort of Bristolis on theSevern Estuary,where another River Avon flows into it through theAvon Gorge.TheRiver Uskand theEbbw Riverflow into the Severn Estuary atUskmouthjust south ofNewport.

Settlements

Worcester Cathedraloverlooking the Severn

High Town,Bridgnorth.

The river's course within Wales lies wholly within the county ofPowys.The first town it encounters downstream of its source isLlanidloeswhere it is joined by the Dulas and the Clywedog. It flows past the villages ofLlandinamandCaerswsbefore reachingNewtown.It then runs byAbermuleandCilcewyddbefore flowing besideWelshpool,the last town on its course in Wales.

EnteringShropshireand England, a few villages such asShrawardinesit back from the river as it meanders eastwards towards the county town ofShrewsbury.More villages, notablyAtcham,WroxeterandCressagesit beside the river as it turns southeast and heads for the gorge atIronbridgebefore turning south forBridgnorth.The Shropshire villages ofQuatfordandHampton Loadeand the Worcestershire village ofUpper Arleyfollow, before the Severn runs throughBewdleyand Stourport-on-Severn in quick succession. The river then passes the villages ofAstley BurfandHolt Fleetbefore entry into the city ofWorcester.Several villages sit back from the river before it runs byUpton-upon-Severnand then entersGloucestershireas it joins with theWarwickshire Avonoutside ofTewkesbury.A few more villages intervene, notable amongst which isMaisemorebefore the river enters the city ofGloucesterfrom which point it is tidal.

Several more villages sit beside the tidal stretch. Amongst these areElmore,EpneyandFramilodeon the east bank andMinsterworth,BroadoakandNewnham on Severnon the west bank.

Transport

Bridges

TheWelsh Bridge(background)andFrankwell Footbridge(foreground)inShrewsbury,Shropshire.

The Severn bridged by theA49 roadjust outsideShrewsbury.The village ofUffington, Shropshireis in the foreground.

Main article:Crossings of the River Severn

The Severn is bridged at many places, and many of these bridges are notable in their own right.The Iron BridgeatIronbridgewas the world's first iron arch bridge. Several other bridges crossing the river were designed and built by the engineerThomas Telford.

The two major road bridges of theSevern crossinglink south eastern Wales with the southern counties of England.

• Severn Bridge– opened in 1966 carrying what is now theM48
• Second Severn Crossing– opened in 1996 carrying theM4 motorway

Prior to the construction of the first bridge in 1966, the channel was crossed by theAust Ferry.

Other notable bridges include:

• ButtingtonBridge – built in 1872
• Montford Bridge–Thomas Telford'sfirst ever bridge design, built between 1790 and 1792
• Welsh Bridge – in the centre of Shrewsbury, built in 1795 at a cost of £8,000
• English Bridge – also in Shrewsbury, designed and completed in 1774 byJohn Gwynn
• AtchamBridges – the old one built in 1774, while the newer one in 1929 carries the B4380
• Albert Edward Bridge– in Coalbrookdale, a railway bridge opened in 1864
• CoalportBridge – like its neighbour Ironbridge, is made of cast iron, built in 1818
• Victoria Bridge– designed byJohn Fowler,opened in 1862. Still in use by theSevern Valley Railway
• Bewdley Bridge – designed by Telford, completed in 1798
• Holt FleetBridge – in Worcestershire and designed by Telford and opened in 1828
• Upton Town Bridge – built in 1940, the only bridge to cross between Worcester and Tewkesbury
• Queenshill Viaduct – carries theM50between Junction 1 and 2
• Mythe Bridge– designed by Telford and opened in April 1826, located inTewkesbury
• Haw Bridge – a steel beam bridge, west of Tewkesbury
• MaisemoreBridge – carries the A417 and is a single masonry arch, dating back to 1230.
• Over Bridge– single masonry arch, built by Telford
• Over Rail Bridge – carrying theGloucester to Newport Line,currently the last bridge before the Severn Crossings, which is 30 miles (48 km) downstream
• Severn Rail Bridge– linking theForest of DeantoSharpnessdocks, partially collapsed in 1960 and was dismantled in 1967–70

Rail

TheSevern Tunnel,completed in 1886 byJohn Hawkshawon behalf of theGreat Western Railway,lies near theSecond Severn Crossingroad bridge, and carries theSouth Wales Main Linesection of theGreat Western Main Lineunder the channel. The original line built before theSevern Tunnelwas theSouth Wales RailwayfromGloucester,that followed the estuary alongside present day stations ofLydney,Chepstow,CaldicotandSevern Tunnel JunctiontoNewport.

Cars could also be transported through the Severn Tunnel. In the 1950s three trains a day made round trips betweenSevern Tunnel JunctionandPilning.The vehicles were loaded onto open flat bed carriages and pulled by a smallpannier tank locomotive,although sometimes they were joined to a scheduled passenger train. The prudent owner paid to cover the vehicle with a sheet, as sparks often flew when thesteam locomotivetackled the slope leading to the tunnel exit. A railway coach was provided for passengers and drivers. Reservations could be made and the fee for the car was about thirty shillings (£1.50) in the early 1950s.

Disasters

Tewkesburyduring the2007 floods

There have been manydisasters on the Severn,which have claimed perhaps 300 lives, depending on sources, especially during the 20th century. TheSevern Railway Bridgewas badly damaged by the collision of two river barges in 1960, which led to its demolition in 1970. Five crew members of both theArkendale HandWastdale Hdied in the accident.There have been frequentfloods in Shrewsbury,Bewdley and elsewhere. More recently the river flooded during the2007 United Kingdom floodsand the2019–20 United Kingdom floods.

Navigation

Navigation light on Chapel Rock nearBeachley

There is a public right of navigation betweenPool Quay,nearWelshpool,and Stourport. However this stretch of the river has little traffic, other than small boats, canoes and some tour boats in Shrewsbury. Below Stourport, where the river is more navigable for larger craft, users must obtain permits from theCanal & River Trust,who are thenavigation authority.During springfreshetthe river can be closed to navigation.

At Upper Parting above Gloucester, the river divides into two, and flows either side ofAlney Islandto Lower Parting. The West Channel is no longer navigable. The East Channel is navigable as far as Gloucester Docks, from where theGloucester and Sharpness Canalprovides a navigable channel south. Between the docks and Lower PartingLlanthony Weirmarks the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the East Channel of the river.

In the tidal section of the river below Gloucester, theGloucester Harbour Trusteesare the competent harbour authority. The Trustees maintain navigation lights at various points along the river (including on Chapel Rock and Lyde Rock, andleading lightsat Slime Road, Sheperdine and Berkeley Pill).

Locks

There are locks on the lower Severn to enable seagoing boats to reach as far as Stourport. The most northerly lock is at Lincomb, about 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream from Stourport.

Associated canals

Navigable River Severn
Bewdley Limit of navigation Stourport-on-Severn Stourport basins Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Lincombe lock Holt lock River Salwarpe Droitwich Canal Bevere lock and weir Cotswold Line Worcester Worcester and Birmingham Canal Diglis weir and locks River Avon Avon lock Tewkesbury Upper Lode lock Coombe Hill Canal Maisemore weir and lock Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal South Wales Railway Llanthony lock Llanthony weir Gloucesterlock Gloucester Dock and Victoria Basin Gloucester and Sharpness Canal New Swing Bridge Stroudwater Navigation River Severn SharpnessOld Lock SharpnessLock Lydney Canal  M48 Severn Bridge River Wye Severn Tunnel  M4 Second Severn Crossing Severn Estuary River Avon Bristol Channel

TheStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canal,theWorcester and Birmingham Canal,(both narrow beam) and theHerefordshire and Gloucestershire Canaljoin the Severn at Stourport,WorcesterandGloucesterrespectively. TheDroitwich Barge Canal,a broad beam canal, joins the Severn atHawford,near to theRiver Salwarpe,and connects to the Droitwich Canal (narrow beam) in the name town, which then forms a link to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The two Droitwich canals re-opened in 2010 after major restoration.

TheGloucester and Sharpness Canalconnects the Severn at Gloucester to the Severn atSharpness,avoiding a stretch of the tidal river which is dangerous to navigate. TheStroudwater Navigationused to join the tidal Severn atFramilode,but since the 1920s has connected to the Severn only via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

TheLydney Canalis a short canal which connectsLydneyto the river.

The section of the river between Tewkesbury and Worcester forms part of theAvon Ring,a 109-mile (175 km) circular cruising route which includes 129 locks and covers parts of three other waterways.

Passenger transport

The tidal river

Paddle steamerswere operated in the Severn Estuary from the mid 19th century to the late 1970s byP & A CampbellofBristol.The vessels,Cardiff Queen,Bristol Queen,Glen Usk,Glen GowerandBritanniaall operated on this route in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 1986 Waverley Excursions has operated occasional sailings to Sharpness and Lydney by theMV Balmoral.

A number of ferries were also operated on the tidal river, for example atNew Passage,PurtonandArlingham.The last ferry was theAust Ferry,which closed in 1966 when the Severn Bridge opened. One of the Aust ferries,Severn Princess,is still inChepstowalthough largely derelict.

The upper river

Currently the only passenger boat operating between Shrewsbury & Gloucester is the 'River King' vessel that operates in Stourport. Worcester River Cruises used to run boat trips up and down the river betweenTewkesburyand Stourport, operating the boatsThe Pride of the MidlandsandThe Earl Grosvenor.

The Cathedral Ferry, a foot passenger ferry, also operates on summer weekends from the steps ofWorcester Cathedral.

In Shropshire theHampton Loade Ferryused to operate across the river but has been closed since 2016.

In Shrewsbury, boat trips around the loop of the town centre are at present provided by theSabrinaand depart from Victoria Quay near theWelsh Bridgeduring the summer.

Severn Estuary

Main article:Severn Estuary

TheSevern bridgescrossing near the mouth of theRiver Severn

The river becomes tidal close toMaisemore,on the West Channel just north of Gloucester, and at Llanthony Weir on the East Channel. However, particularly high tides may overtop the weir atTewkesbury,and even the foot of the weir atWorcestermay experience a rise in water level of 1 foot (30 cm) or so.

Thetidal riverdownstream from Gloucester is sometimes referred to as the Severn Estuary, but the river is usually considered to become the Severn Estuary after theSecond Severn CrossingnearSevern Beach,South Gloucestershire(the point to which the jurisdiction of theGloucester Harbour Trusteesextends), or atAust,the site of theSevern Bridge.

The Severn Estuary extends to a line fromLavernock Point(south ofCardiff) toSand PointnearWeston-super-Mare.West of this line is theBristol Channel.In the Severn Estuary (or theBristol Channelin the last two cases, depending where the boundary is drawn) are the rocky islands calledDenny Island,Steep HolmandFlat Holm.

The estuary is about 2 miles (3 km) wide at Aust, and about 9 miles (14 km) wide between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare.

Severn Sea

Main article:Bristol Channel

UntilTudor timesthe Bristol Channel was known as theSevern Sea,and it is still known as this in bothWelshandCornish(Môr Hafren and Mor Havren respectively, withmôrmeaningsea).

Severn bore

Main article:Severn bore

Bore hitting the riverbank in 1994

A phenomenon associated with the lower reaches of the Severn is thetidal bore,which forms upstream of the port ofSharpness.

It is frequently asserted that the river'sestuary,which empties into theBristol Channel,has the second largesttidal rangein the world—48 feet (15 m),exceeded only by theBay of Fundy.However a tidal range greater than that of the Severn is recorded from the lesser knownUngava Bayin Canada.During the highest tides, the rising water is funnelled up the Severn estuary into a wave that travels rapidly upstream against the river current. The largest bores occur in spring, but smaller ones can be seen throughout the year. The bore is accompanied by a rapid rise in water level which continues for about one and a half hours after the bore has passed.

Industry

A 3-mile (4.8 km) stretch of the River Severn inShropshire,is known asIronbridge Gorge.It was designated aWorld Heritage SitebyUNESCOin 1986. Its historic importance is due to its role as the centre of theiron industryin the early stages of theIndustrial Revolution.The gorge and the village ofIronbridgeget their name from theIron Bridgeacross the Severn, built in 1779, which was the first cast-iron arch bridge ever constructed.

Two nuclear power stations are situated on the river, in the area of South Gloucestershire.Oldbury Nuclear Power StationandBerkeley Nuclear Power Stationboth made use of the River Severn as part of the power generation and nuclear cooling processes. Both are now decommissioned.

Wildlife

The sides of the estuary are also important feeding grounds forwaders,notably at theBridgwater BayNational Nature Reserveand theSlimbridge Wildfowl Trust.River shingle habitat can also be found on the lower estuary, notable for its population of the endangered5-spot Ladybird.

Before the installation of the weirs,sturgeonandgrey sealswould regularly reach as far upstream as Worcester.In the winter of 2011/2012 a female grey seal spent several weeks on the river in Bewdley.The same individual was seen at and around Worcester from October to December 2013.

The river forms part of theSevern-Trent flyway,a route used bymigratory birdsto crossGreat Britain.

Literary and musical allusions

The River Severn is named several times inA. E. Housman'sA Shropshire Lad(1896): "It dawns in Asia, tombstones show/And Shropshire names are read;/And the Nile spills his overflow/Beside the Severn's dead" ( "1887" ); "Severn stream" ( "The Welsh Marches" ); and "Severn shore" ( "Westward from the high-hilled plain..." ).

In Shakespeare'sHenry IV, Part 1,Henry "Hotspur" Percyrecalls the valour ofEdmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of Marchin a long battle against WelshmanOwain Glyndŵrupon the banks of the Severn, claiming the flooding Severn "affrighted with [the warriors'] bloody looks ran fearfully among the trembling reeds and hid his crisp head in the hollow bank, bloodstained with these valiant combatants."

The Severn was the inspiration for a number of works by Gloucestershire composerIvor Gurney,including the songs "Western Sailors" (1925) and "Severn Meadows" (1917).

Gloucestershire writer and poet Brian Waters publishedSevern TidewithJ. M. Dentin 1947 and followed it withSevern Streamin 1949. With anecdotal stories about his travels, both books tell of the lives of the people who lived and worked on and along the river, describing the landscape with a poet's eye. Waters linksNodenswith the Severn Bore and the association of the Celtic deity with the river is explored at length by Rogers.

Several 20th-century English composers wrote works inspired by the river.Gerald Finzi(1901–1956) wroteA Severn Rhapsody,his Opus 3, in 1923; taking the Severn River and its surrounding countryside as his inspiration.Edward Elgar(1857–1934) wroteThe Severn Suite,Opus 87, in 1930. Elgar lived much of both his early life and his later life nearWorcester,through which the Severn runs.Herbert Howells(1892–1983), born close to the Severn inLydney,wrote the complexMissa Sabrinensis(Mass of the Severn) in 1954, and an earlier hymn tune simply entitledSevern.

The Severn is often mentioned inEllis Peters'The Cadfael Chronicles,set in or aroundShrewsbury Abbey,beside the river.

InJulian Barnes' 2011 novel,The Sense of an Ending,Tony, the main character, recalls "a river rushing nonsensically upstream, its wave and wash lit by half a dozen chasing torchbeams," an allusion to a visit to the Severn Bore.

In the song "The Last Bristolian Pirate" byThe Longest Johns,a disgruntled farmer decides to become a pirate on the Severn, attacking innocent travellers down the river.

See also

• List of crossings of the River Severn
• List of rivers of EnglandandList of rivers of Wales,between them recording all main tributaries
• TheSevern Waylong-distance footpath
• TheSevern Area Rescue Associationoperates search and rescue services and lifeboats from Wyre Forest to Beachley (4 stations on the river)
• Mercia Inshore Search and Rescueare based atUpton-upon-Severn
• TheSevern Valley,an area straddling Shropshire and Worcestershire
• Severnside,a term with various uses
• Seven Natural Wonders– 2005 TV programme where the river was described as one of the wonders of theWest Country.
• Stourport Ring
• South Herefordshire and Over Severn– National Character Area

References

Sources

• Adams, Max (2017).Aelfred's Britain: War and Peace in the Viking Age.Head of Zeus.ISBN9781784080310.
• Clark Hall, John Richard(1916).A Concise Anglo−Saxon Dictionary, Second Edition.The Macmillan Company.
• Falileyev, Alexander (2000).Etymological Glossary of Old Welsh.De Gruyter.ISBN3-484-42918-6.
• Mabey, Richard(1996).Flora Britannica.Sinclair-Stevenson.ISBN1-85619-377-2.
• Raithby, John, ed. (1819).Charles II, 1677 & 1678: An Act for Preservation of Fishing in the River of Seaverne.British History Online.pp.892–893.Retrieved2 July2023.
• Wainwright, F. T. (1975).Scandinavian England: Collected Papers.Phillimore & Co Ltd.ISBN0-900592-65-6.
• Williams, Thomas (2017).Viking Britain – A History.William Collins Books.ISBN978-0-00-817195-7.

External links

• Severn Estuary Partnership
• Portishead and Bristol LifeboatArchived19 April 2018 at theWayback Machine
• ITV Local footageITV'sKeith Wilkinsonand Jennifer Binnscanoeingthe Severn
• Woodend, a hamlet washed away by the River Severn
• Canal & River Trust official site