View source for River Axe (Lyme Bay)

{{Short description|River in southwest England}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[River Axe (Bristol Channel)|River Axe]] that also flows through Somerset but empties into the Bristol Channel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox river
| name = River Axe
| name_native = 
| name_native_lang = 
| name_other = 
| name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = River Axe - geograph.org.uk - 440559.jpg
| image_size = 
| image_caption = The River Axe near Axminster
| map = River Axe (Lyme Bay) map.png
| map_size = 
| map_caption = Course and catchment of the River Axe
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_map_size = 
| pushpin_map_caption = <!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[England]] within the [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type2 = Counties
| subdivision_name2 = [[Devon]], [[Dorset]] and [[Somerset]]
| subdivision_type3 = 
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| subdivision_type5 = 
| subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{Convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| width_min = 
| width_avg = 
| width_max = 
| depth_min = 
| depth_avg = 
| depth_max = 
| discharge1_location = 
| discharge1_min = 
| discharge1_avg = 
| discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = 
| source1_location = [[Chedington]], [[Dorset]]
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|50.83953|-2.71711|type:river_region:GB|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = 
| mouth = [[Lyme Bay]], [[English Channel]]
| mouth_location = [[Seaton, Devon|Seaton]], [[Devon]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|50.70200|-3.05509|type:river_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = 
| progression = 
| river_system = 
| basin_size = 
| tributaries_left = [[Blackwater River (River Axe)|Blackwater River]]
| tributaries_right = [[River Yarty]], [[River Coly]]
| custom_label = 
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}}
[[File:Coronation Corner, Axmouth - geograph.org.uk - 171898.jpg|thumb|The Axe Estuary near Axmouth]]
The '''River Axe''' is a {{convert|22|mi|km|adj=on}} long river in the counties of [[Dorset]], [[Somerset]] and [[Devon]], in the south-west of England. It rises in Dorset and flows south to [[Lyme Bay]] which it enters through the '''Axe Estuary''' in Devon. It is a shallow, non-navigable river, although its mouth at Seaton has some boating activity. The name ''Axe'' derives from a [[Common Brittonic]] word meaning "abounding in fish", and is [[cognate]] with ''[[:wikt:pysg|pysg]]'' (a variant of ''[[:wikt:pysgod|pysgod]]''), the Welsh word for fish.<ref name=OSE116>{{cite map |isbn=978-0-319-24317-6 |title=Explorer 116 - Lyme Regis & Bridport | publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]] |scale=1:25000}}</ref><ref name=OSE117>{{cite map |isbn=978-0-319-24318-3 |title=Explorer 117 - Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis | publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]] |scale=1:25000}}</ref><ref name=audit>{{cite web| title=Parish Biodiversity Audit for Axmouth| url=http://www.axmouthparishcouncil.co.uk/uploads/Axmouth%20PBA_draft_apr2010.pdf |publisher=Devon County Council |access-date=14 December 2013 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215001350/http://www.axmouthparishcouncil.co.uk/uploads/Axmouth%20PBA_draft_apr2010.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|Witcombe|2009|p=202}}

The River Axe rises in several streams to the south of [[Chedington]] in Dorset, close to the source of the [[River Parrett]] that flows north to the [[Bristol Channel]]. The Axe then flows west through [[Mosterton]] and [[Seaborough]] before turning south and forming the county boundary between Dorset and Somerset. In this section it flows past the villages of [[Wayford]] and [[Winsham]], and the former [[Forde Abbey]]. At a point some {{convert|3|mi|km}} north of [[Axminster]] it is joined by the [[Blackwater River (River Axe)|Blackwater River]] and enters the county of Devon. It is then joined by the River Kit, before passing through Axminster after which it is joined by the [[River Yarty]] and continues south by the villages of [[Whitford, Devon|Whitford]] and [[Colyford]], where it is joined by the [[River Coly]]. At this point it spreads out to form the tidal Axe Estuary. The estuary flows past the village of [[Axmouth]], on its eastern bank, before passing through a high [[shingle beach|shingle bank]] to the east of the seaside town of [[Seaton, Devon|Seaton]] and entering Lyme Bay on the [[English Channel]].<ref name=OSE116/><ref name=OSE117/><ref name=audit/>

In 1999, a section of the river extending for {{convert|13|km|mi}}—from the confluence with the Blackwater River to Colyford Bridge—was designated a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) by England's conservation body, [[Natural England]]. It was described as supporting "an exceptionally diverse aquatic and marginal flora".<ref name=sssi /> The river's diversity comes from its active [[geomorphology]], which has created a number of natural features that support niche ecologies; it also comes from there being a limited number of trees on the river bank, allowing in light; and also the riverbed stability in the lower reaches of the river.<ref name=sssi /> A majority of the SSSI runs through Devon; only {{convert|160|yards|metres}} runs through Dorset.<ref name=sssi /> The underlying [[Geology of Dorset|geology]] of the riverbed is [[alluvium]] with areas of valley gravel, clay, shale and marl. The fish life in the river is considered of European interest;<ref name=sssi /> ;other animals include more generally includes [[salmon]], [[European bullhead|bullhead]]s, [[Eurasian otter|otters]], [[medicinal leeches]] and [[common kingfisher|kingfishers]], whilst there is a diverse aquatic and marginal plant life. The geomorphology of the meanders south of Axminster are the particular geological interest.<ref name=sssi>{{cite web |title=River Axe SSSI citation |url={{sssi link|2000139}} |publisher=[[Natural England]] |access-date=5 February 2012 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721132100/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/2000139.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Seaton , River Axe Estuary - geograph.org.uk - 2738249.jpg|thumb|The River Axe estuary near its mouth]]

Although now shallow and largely unnavigable, the estuary of the Axe was once important for shipping. According to [[Historic England]], the village of Axmouth, which is some {{convert|1|mile}} inland, 'was ranked as a major port by the mid-14th century and accounted for 15% of the country’s shipping trade'. The remains of a late medieval fishing boat can be seen at low tide in the river, just south-west of Axmouth village. Over the following years the estuary silted up and a moving shingle bar formed at the mouth. In 1870 the current Axmouth Harbour was developed at the river mouth. Although the harbour is nearer the town of Seaton than the village of Axmouth, the harbour and all of the estuary are in the parish of Axmouth.<ref name=audit/><ref name="historic">{{cite web |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/three-historic-shipwrecks-given-protection |access-date=26 May 2019 |website=Historic England |title=Three Historic Shipwrecks Given Protection |date=15 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816062638/https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/three-historic-shipwrecks-given-protection |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art560434-shipwreck-medieval-fishing-boat-navy-devon |title=Three of England's oldest shipwrecks can still be seen on sand and mud in Devon |date=15 August 2016 |website=Culture24 |access-date=26 May 2019 |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816115532/https://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art560434-shipwreck-medieval-fishing-boat-navy-devon}}</ref>

The estuary is flanked to its west by a series of low-level [[nature reserve]]s, collectively known as Seaton Wetlands and including Seaton Marshes, Black Hole Marsh, Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh. Between them, these reserves include freshwater grazing marshes, intertidal lagoons, scrapes, ditches and bird hides, and are host to a diverse variety of birds and mammals such as otters. The reserves are separated from the estuary by the embankment of the former [[Seaton branch line|Seaton branch railway]], which now carries the [[Seaton Tramway]] on its route between Seaton, Colyford and [[Colyton, Devon|Colyton]]. with the open-topped trams offering a good view of both estuary and reserves. To its east, the estuary is flanked by the steeply rising land of the hills behind the [[Jurassic Coast]] and the [[Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avdcs.org/nature-reserves-in-the-area.html |title=Nature Reserves in the area |publisher=Axe Vale & District Conservation Society |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721130432/https://www.avdcs.org/nature-reserves-in-the-area.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://eastdevon.gov.uk/wildeastdevon/wild-east-devon-nature-reserves/seaton-wetlands/visiting-seaton-wetlands/ |title=Visiting Seaton Wetlands |publisher=East Devon District Council |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721131139/https://eastdevon.gov.uk/wildeastdevon/wild-east-devon-nature-reserves/seaton-wetlands/visiting-seaton-wetlands/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Prehistoric archaeology''': The Axe valley has produced evidence for some of the earliest human (Palaeolithic) activity in the south-west of England. The Broom gravel pits (near Holditch) produced at least 1,800 [[Lower Paleolithic|Lower Palaeolithic]] [[Hand axe|handaxes]] when they were quarried in the late 19th century and the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moir |first=J.R. |date=1936 |title=Ancient man in Devon |journal=Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Exploration Society |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=264-275}}</ref> More recent archaeological investigations<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hosfield |first=R.T. |title=Quaternary History and Palaeolithic Archaeology in the Axe Valley at Broom, South West England |last2=Green |first2=C.P. |publisher=Oxbow Books |year=2013 |isbn=9781842175200 |location=Oxford}}</ref> suggested that these artefacts are around 300,000 years old. Similar artefacts have been found in the gravel pits around Chard Junction.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Basell |first=Laura |title=The Quaternary of the Exe Valley and Adjoining Areas |last2=Brown |first2=Tony |last3=Toms |first3=Phil |publisher=Quaternary Research Association |year=2011 |isbn=0907780822 |pages=93-102 ("Chard Junction Quarry and the Axe Valley Gravels")}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*[[George Pulman]] ''The Book of the Axe: containing a piscatorial description of that stream, with brief histories of the more remarkable places on its banks, and a variety of tales, songs, and anecdotes''
*--do.--2nd ed. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co., 1844
*--do.--3rd ed., enlarged. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1853  
*--do.--4th ed., re-written. London: Longman, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1875 
*--do.--reprinted. Bath: Kingsmead Reprints, 1969
*{{cite book|last=Witcombe|first=Richard|title=Who was Aveline anyway?: Mendip's Cave Names Explained|year=2009|publisher=Wessex Cave Club|location=Priddy|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0-9500433-6-4}}

==External links==
* {{cite thesis |url = http://hdl.handle.net/1826/2237 | access-date = 16 January 2021 | title = Investigation of the impact of land use management scenarios on diffuse source nutrients in the River Axe catchment | last = Glavan | first = Matjaz |type = MSc| publisher  = Cranfield University}}

{{Devon}}
{{Dorset}}
{{Somerset}}
{{SSSIs Dorset biological}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Axe}}
[[Category:Rivers of Devon]]
[[Category:Rivers of Dorset]]
[[Category:Rivers of Somerset]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Dorset]]