| River Somer | |
|---|---|
 River Somer at Midsomer Norton | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| County | Somerset |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Chilcompton, Mendip, Somerset, England |
| • coordinates | 51°15′44″N2°30′28″W / 51.26222°N 2.50778°W |
| Mouth | Wellow Brook |
• location | Midsomer Norton, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England |
• coordinates | 51°17′32″N2°26′49″W / 51.29222°N 2.44694°W Coordinates: 51°17′32″N2°26′49″W / 51.29222°N 2.44694°W |
The River Somer is a small river in Somerset, England.
The river rises at Chilcompton and flows to Midsomer Norton where it joins the Wellow Brook, which flows through Wellow and joins the Cam Brook at Midford to form Midford Brook before joining the River Avon close to the Dundas Aqueduct and the remains of the Somerset Coal Canal. [1]
There is some debate as to the origin of the name "Midsomer". Different schools of thought include the difficulty in travelling to the area in times of flooding as opposed to the town's position at the branch of the river Somer. [2] Eilert Ekwall wrote that the village "is said to be so called in allusion to the festival held at midsummer on the day of St. John, the patron saint." [3] John Wesley wrote of the appalling local road conditions which ensured it was reachable "only in midsummer." As Simon Winchester notes in his book The Map that Changed the World , "...the roads on this part of Somerset were atrocious, thick with mud and as rough as the surface of the moon". [4]
In 1974 and 1975 the Midsomer Norton Flood Alleviation Tunnel was constructed which carries water away from the town centre at times of high rainfall. [5]
Concerns about the state of the river and the potential for flooding lead to the creation of the locally based management team in 2007. They have worked with the Bath and North East Somerset council and other stakeholders within the Riparian zone to improve the flow and appearance of the river. [6] This involved the removal of weirs, construction of a new channel, removal of silt from the bed of the river and creating beds for plants along the sides of the river. [7] [8] [9]
Reviews following the work follow up studies have looked at the effects on the environment and wildlife. Improvements have been seen for fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds, mammals (potentially including otters) and bees and terrestrial invertebrates. [10] The water quality is assessed as moderate in terms of ecology and good in relation to chemical pollutants, [11] which is an improvement made on the measurements made in 1996. [12]
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other rivers of the same name, this river is often also known as the Bristol Avon. The name 'Avon' is a cognate of the Welsh word afon, meaning 'river'.
Bath and North East Somerset is the district of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset Council that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the county of Avon. It is part of the ceremonial county of Somerset.
The River Tame flows through Greater Manchester, England. It rises on Denshaw Moor and flows to Stockport where it joins the River Goyt to form the River Mersey.
Radstock is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, 9 miles (14 km) south west of Bath, 8 miles (13 km) north west of Frome, 12 miles (19 km) west of Trowbridge, 12 miles (19 km) north east of Wells and 18 miles (28 km) south east of Bristol. It is on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills and is 4 miles (6 km) south of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,620 at the 2011 census. Since 2011, Radstock has been a separate parish with a town council.
The River Chew is a small river in England that flows for some 17 miles (27 km) through the North Somerset countryside to form the Chew Valley before merging with the River Avon.
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Bath, 10 miles (16 km) north-east of Wells, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Frome, 12 miles (19 km) west of Trowbridge and 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock, but is now a town council in its own right. It is also part of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.
The name Rea Brook can refer to either of two brooks in Shropshire, England.
The Somerset Coal Canal was a narrow canal in England, built around 1800. Its route began in basins at Paulton and Timsbury, ran to nearby Camerton, over two aqueducts at Dunkerton, through a tunnel at Combe Hay, then via Midford and Monkton Combe to Limpley Stoke where it joined the Kennet and Avon Canal. This link gave the Somerset coalfield access east toward London. The longest arm was 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long with 23 locks. From Midford an arm also ran via Writhlington to Radstock, with a tunnel at Wellow.
North East Somerset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, since its 2010 creation, by Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative currently serving as Leader of the House of Commons.
The River Anker is a river in England that flows through the centre of Nuneaton. It is a major tributary of the River Tame, which it joins in Tamworth. The name of the river derives from an old British term for winding river. From source to river mouth at Tamworth is 50 kilometres (31 mi).
Midford is a village approximately 3 miles (5 km) south-south-east of Bath, Somerset, England. Although relatively small, it extends over 2 counties, is part of two unitary authorities and is part of five parishes. Although all five parishes extend very near to the village centre, most of the residents reside in the parish of Southstoke and are part of the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority.
Wellow is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Bath. The parish, which includes the hamlets of Twinhoe, White Ox Mead, Baggridge and part of Midford has a population of 529. The village itself falls within the southernmost boundary of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is recognised as having special architectural and historic interest, which led to it being designated as a Conservation Area in 1983.
The River Anton is a chalk stream in Hampshire in south east England. It rises in Andover and flows southwards for approximately 8 miles (13 km) to meet the River Test near Chilbolton. The principal tributary of the Anton, the Pillhill Brook, joins the river at Upper Clatford.
The River Dever is a chalk stream in Hampshire in the south of England. It rises at West Stratton near Micheldever and flows westwards for 11 mi (18 km) to meet the River Test at Wherwell.
The Radstock rail accident took place on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway in south west England, on 7 August 1876. Two trains collided on a single track section, resulting in fifteen passengers being killed.
The Cam brook is a small river in Somerset, England. It rises near Hinton Blewitt, flows through Cameley, Temple Cloud, Camerton, Dunkerton and Combe Hay. It then joins the Wellow Brook at Midford to form Midford Brook before joining the River Avon close to the Dundas Aqueduct.
The Wellow Brook is a small river in Somerset, England.
Midford Brook is a small river in Somerset, England.
The Bristol and North Somerset Railway was a railway line in the West of England that connected Bristol with Radstock, through Pensford and further into northern Somerset, to allow access to the Somerset Coalfield. The line ran almost due south from Bristol and was 16 miles (26 km) long.
Pilhill Brook is a 9.9-kilometre-long (6.2 mi) tributary of the River Anton in Hampshire, England. It is a chalk stream, known for its trout fishing.
Media related to River Somer at Wikimedia Commons
