River Plym
TheRiver Plymis ariverinDevon,England. It runs fromDartmoorin the centre of the county southwest to meet theRiver Meavy,then south towardsPlymouth Sound.The river is popular with canoeists, and thePlym Valley Railwayruns alongside a section of the river.
Course
[edit]The river'ssourceis around 450 metres (1,480 ft) abovesea levelonDartmoor,in an upland marshy area calledPlym Head.[1][2]From theupper reaches,which containantiquitiesandminingremains, the river flows roughly southwest past clay workings atShaughbefore theDewerstone,where it meets theRiver Meavy.The course then changes to run southwards, betweenPlymouthandPlymptonpassing through theNationalPlymbridge Woodsand under the ancient Plym Bridge. Its upper tidal estuary is known as theLairaand the lower part is calledCattewater,which isnavigableand leads towardsPlymouth Sound.[3][4]It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) long.[3][1]
Nomenclature
[edit]The name Plym is thought to have its origins inOld Englishand means the "plum tree" (Cornish:ploumenn), from a back-formation from the name ofPlympton.The port ofPlymouthtook its name from the river.[5]
History
[edit]
HMSPlym,aRiver-class antisubmarine frigate,was named after the river duringWorld War II.It carried outconvoyescort duties in theNorth Atlanticand was later destroyed in the UK's first nuclear explosion.[6]
When it was in operation, theCann Quarry Canalleft the river at Marsh Mills.[7]
ThePlym Valley Railwayruns alongside the River Plym. It opened in 1856 as a section of theSouth Devon and Tavistock Railway,which followed the river as far as the tributary with the River Meavy. The line closed to passengers in 1962, and goods services stopped four years later. The new railway is a volunteer-run railway that operates steam and diesel-hauled train rides. The first section from Plym Valley from Marsh Mills station opened in 2001, with an extension to Lee Moor Crossing in 2008.[8]In 2013, the line was extended to Plymbridge.[9]The remainder of the line forms part of the Plym Valley Trail, a cycle route from Plymouth toIlfracombe.[10]
Leisure
[edit]The River Plym is popular forcanoeing.The upper section ofDartmoorfrom Cadover Bridge to Shaugh Bridge is considered challenging and has been described by the British Canoe Union as the hardest section of the river to navigate the park. It is often the first river to fill during heavy rain and one of the first to drop afterward. Experienced canoeists judge the water level carefully around the weather. This section has some pool drops, which are not recommended for novices. Lower sections beyond Shaugh Bridge to Bickleigh Bridge are easier to navigate past the first rapid, provided the river is at a sufficient water level.[11]
In addition, the Plym is rich with brown trout, sea trout, and salmon. Angling is allowed in both lower and upper areas with much of the water being managed by Plymouth & District Freshwater Angling Association.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
- ^ab"The River Plym: Source to Saltram".National Trust Dartmoor. Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2016.Retrieved15 August2016.
- ^Torbay and South Dartmoor(Map). Ordnance Survey Landranger Series. 2015.
- ^abPlymouth and Launceston(Map). Ordnance Survey Landranger Series. 2015.
- ^"Plym - Summary".Catchment Data Explorer.Environment Agency. 31 March 2016.Retrieved16 August2016.
- ^Holpin 2014,p. 111.
- ^John Pownall Reeves (2014). Colin Day, Richard Garrett (ed.).The Lone Flag: Memoir of the British Consul in Macau during World War II.Hong Kong University Press. p. 196.
- ^Hadfield, Charles (1985).The Canals of Southwest England(2nd ed.). Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. pp.122-123.ISBN0-7153-8645-X.
- ^Colin G. Maggs (2013).The Branch Lines of Devon: Plymouth, West & North Devon.Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 22–26.ISBN978-1-445-62560-7.
- ^"Historic journey marks Plymouth rail line's reopening".Plymouth Herald.3 January 2013.Retrieved15 August2016.
- ^"Devon Coast to Coast cycle route".BBC News.24 September 2014.Retrieved15 August2016.
- ^British Canoe Union (2003).English White Water: The British Canoe Union Guidebook.Pesda Press. p. 76.ISBN978-0-953-19567-1.
- ^"Plymouth and District Freshwater Angling Association".Plymouth and District Freshwater Angling Association.Retrieved2 June2020.
Sources
- Holpin, Gary (2014).Exmouth to Plymouth: Britain's Heritage Coast.Amberley Publishing Limited.ISBN978-1-445-62157-9.