View source for River Severn

{{Short description|River in the United Kingdom}}
{{Distinguish|River Seven}}
{{Redirect|Severn}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = River Severn
| name_other         = {{langx|cy|[[Hafren|Afon Hafren]]}}
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
| image_size         = 288
| image_caption      = The river seen from [[Shrewsbury Castle]]
| map                = RiverSevernMap.jpg
| map_size           = 288
| map_caption        = Tributaries (light blue) and major settlements on and near the Severn (red)
| pushpin_map_size   = 288
| pushpin_map_caption= 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]] and [[Wales]]
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[Mid Wales]], [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]], [[South West England|South West]]
| subdivision_type4  = Counties
| subdivision_name4  = [[Powys]], [[Shropshire]], [[Worcestershire]], [[Gloucestershire]]
| subdivision_type5  = Cities
| subdivision_name5  = [[Shrewsbury]], [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], [[Gloucester]], [[Bristol]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|354|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| discharge1_location= [[Bewdley]], [[Worcestershire|Worcs.]] {{gbmappingsmall|SO 7815 7622}}<ref name="nwl.ac.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.nwl.ac.uk/ih/nrfa/station_summaries/054/001.html |title=National River Flow Archive – 54001 Severn @ Bewdley |access-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023122308/http://www.nwl.ac.uk/ih/nrfa/station_summaries/054/001.html |archive-date=23 October 2007 }}</ref>
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|61.17|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="nwl.ac.uk"/>
| discharge1_max     = {{convert|533.48|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}max recorded on 1947-03-21<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/hiflowsuk/stations/54001/ |title=HiFlows-UK |access-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109155624/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/hiflowsuk/stations/54001/ |archive-date=9 January 2007 }}</ref>
| discharge2_location= [[Apperley|Apperley, Glos.]]
| discharge2_avg     = {{convert|107|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge3_location= [[Montford, Shropshire|Montford, Shrops.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwl.ac.uk/ih/nrfa/station_summaries/054/005.html |title=National River Flow Archive – 54001 Severn @ Montford |access-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023071650/http://www.nwl.ac.uk/ih/nrfa/station_summaries/054/005.html |archive-date=23 October 2007 }}</ref>
| discharge3_avg     = {{convert|43.46|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge3_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1_location   = [[Plynlimon]], [[Powys]], [[Wales]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|52.493464|N|3.734597|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|610|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Severn Estuary]]
| mouth_location     = [[Bristol Channel]], United Kingdom
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}}
| basin_size         = {{convert|11420|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = [[River Vyrnwy|Vyrnwy]], [[River Tern|Tern]], [[River Stour, Worcestershire|Stour]], [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Warwickshire Avon]], [[River Avon (Bristol)|Bristol Avon]]
| tributaries_right  = [[River Teme|Teme]], [[River Leadon|Leadon]], [[River Wye|Wye]]
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-zoom     = 7
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| mapframe-point    = none
}}

The '''River Severn''' ({{langx|cy|Afon [[Hafren]]}}, {{IPA|cy|ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn|pron}}) is the longest river in [[Great Britain]], with a length of {{convert|220|mi|km|0}}.<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.seered.co.uk/shrewsburyfloods.pdf
  |title=Frankwell Flood Alleviation Scheme, Shrewsbury
  |access-date=13 March 2010
  |publisher=UK [[Environment Agency]]
  |archive-date=5 October 2018
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005171011/http://www.seered.co.uk/shrewsburyfloods.pdf
  |url-status=live
  }}</ref><ref name="BBC, Severn" >{{cite web
  | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/west/severn-river/
  | title=The River Severn Facts
  | publisher=BBC
  | access-date=28 December 2006
  | archive-date=11 October 2007
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011115541/http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/west/severn-river/
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref> It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of [[England and Wales]], with an average flow rate of {{convert|107|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} at [[Apperley]], Gloucestershire.  It rises in the [[Cambrian Mountains]] in [[mid Wales]], at an altitude of {{cvt|610|m}}, on the [[Plynlimon]] massif, which lies close to the [[Ceredigion]]/[[Powys]] border near [[Llanidloes]]. The river then flows through [[Shropshire]], [[Worcestershire]] and [[Gloucestershire]]. The [[county town]]s of [[Shrewsbury]], [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] and [[Gloucester]] lie on its course.

The Severn's major tributaries are the [[River Vyrnwy|Vyrnwy]], the [[River Tern|Tern]], the [[River Teme|Teme]], the [[Warwickshire Avon]], and the [[River Stour, Worcestershire|Worcestershire Stour]].

By convention, the River Severn is usually considered to end, and the [[Severn Estuary]] to begin, after the [[Prince of Wales Bridge]], between [[Severn Beach]] in [[South Gloucestershire]] and [[Sudbrook, Monmouthshire]]. The total area of the estuary's [[drainage basin]] is {{convert|4409|sqmi|km2|0}}. That figure excludes the area of the [[River Wye]] and the [[River Avon, Bristol|Bristol Avon]], both of which flow into the Severn Estuary. The estuary discharges into the [[Bristol Channel]], which opens into the [[Celtic Sea]] and from there into the Atlantic Ocean.

==Etymology and mythology==
===Celtic Root===
An etymology has been proposed, which signifies that 'Severn' is an anglicised version of an ancient Celtic phrase signifying 'a gap (in the coastline)', referring to the estuary.<ref>*John Walter Taylor, [https://archive.org/details/dumbleton-and-the-celtic-substrate/mode/2up "Dumbleton and the Celtic Substrate"] (Dublin, 2022)</ref>

===Romano-British name===
The name Severn is thought to derive from a [[Common Brittonic|British]] word [[:wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/Sabrinā|''sabrinā'']], possibly from an older form  *''samarosina'', meaning "land of summertime fallow".<ref>{{cite thesis |url=https://orca.cf.ac.uk/54375/1/U584476.pdf |last=Price |first=Bronwen |date=2009 |title=Unknown, unfamiliar and abnormal worlds. Engaged knowing in the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age of the Irish Sea Region |type=PhD |publisher=Cardiff University |docket= |access-date=2 May 2021 |archive-date=2 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102212033/http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54375/1/U584476.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
During the [[Roman Britain|Roman occupation]] the ''Severn'' was known by the [[Romano-British culture|Romano-British]] [[British Latin|Latin]] name ''Sabrina''.{{efn|Dictionary – Old English (Clark Hall) < Sæfern >
# "Severn" (Latin Sabrina).{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}} }}{{efn| See [[Ancient Rome]] > [[Ancient Rome#Language|Language]] >  ... The native language of the Romans was [[Latin]].}}{{efn| The name was recorded in the 2nd century:
* Sabrinam 115-7<ref name= PC_Hafren/> 
* Sabrinā 150<ref name= PC_Hafren/>}}{{efn| See [[Roman Britain]] > [[Roman Britain#Diocletian's reforms|Diocletian's reforms]] > Map of ROMAN BRITANNIA about 410 > ''Sabrina Aest''}}

====Name legacy====
{{main|Hafren#In literature}}
[[John Milton|Milton]]'s 1634 masque ''[[Comus (Milton)|Comus]]'' makes ''Sabrina'' a [[nymph]] who had drowned in the river.<ref name="rogers">{{cite web |url=http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/sabrina.htm |author=Liam Rogers |title=Sabrina and the River Severn |access-date=9 December 2006 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125044848/http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/sabrina.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
In [[Shrewsbury]], there is now a statue of Sabrina in the Dingle Gardens at the [[The Quarry (park)|Quarry]], as well as a metal sculpture erected in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/06/26/statues-of-famous-salopians-unveiled-in-shrewsbury/30111460/ |title=Statues of famous Salopians unveiled in Shrewsbury |work=[[Shropshire Star]] |date=26 June 2013 |access-date=26 June 2013 |archive-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000232/http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/06/26/statues-of-famous-salopians-unveiled-in-shrewsbury/30111460/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There is a different deity associated with the Severn Estuary: [[Nodens]], represented as mounted on a [[seahorse]],<!--is this the actual [[seahorse]], or the mythological [[hippocamp]]?-->  riding on the crest of the [[Severn bore]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Clucas |first=P. |year=1985 |title=Britain – The Landscape Below |location=Guildford |publisher=Colour Library Books |isbn=0-86283-174-1 }}</ref>

===Welsh name===
{{main|Hafren}}
The [[Welsh language|Welsh]] form of the name is ''{{lang|cy|Afon Hafren}}'' ({{IPA|cy|ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn|pron}}) first recorded in the 12th-century ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]''. The [[Old Welsh]] form of the name ''{{lang|cy|Habren}}'' was recorded c.800.<ref name= PC_Hafren>*{{cite web |title= Welsh Place-names: Afon Hafren ( River Severn) |url= https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/466933#?xywh=-119%2C-47%2C1508%2C1107 |publisher= People's Collection Wales |access-date= 2 July 2023}}</ref>

Documented history of the Welsh name:
* Habren c.800.<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
* Hauren c.1170.<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
* hahafrenn, 12th century.<ref name= PC_Hafren/> 
* Dyffrin hawren, mid 13th century.<ref name= PC_Hafren/>

The [[toponym]] for ''Habren'' might be:
* High prow of a ship.{{efn|[[Old Welsh]] ''breni'' – "prow of a ship".{{sfn|Falileyev|2000|pp=18}}}}<ref name= GPC_Welsh>*{{cite web |title= GPC – A dictionary of the Welsh language |url= https://welsh-dictionary.ac.uk/gpc/gpc.html |publisher= [[University of Wales]] |access-date= 3 August 2023}}</ref>
* High prow of a wave.<ref>{{cite web |title= MAGiC MaP: The Haw (Severn bore) near Tewkesbury. |url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=&xygridref=384400,227800&startScale=25000 |publisher= Natural England – Magic in the Cloud.}}</ref>

===English name===
The English form of the name ("''Severn''") is derived from [[Old English]] ''Sæfern''.{{efn|Dictionary – Old English (Clark Hall) < Sæfern >
# "Severn"{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}} }}{{efn|Wiktionary: Old English < [[wikt:Sæfern#Old English|Sæfern]] >
# "Severn"}} However the name is also influenced by English dialect [[wikt:seave#English|''seave'']] ("[[List of plants known as rush|sedge, rush]]") hence the origin of the name ''Seaverne'' recorded in the 16th–17th century.{{sfn|Raithby|1819|pp=892–893}}{{efn|See [[Rushbearing]] > [[Rushbearing#Dialect names for rush|Dialect names for rush]].}}

Common club-rush (''[[Schoenoplectus lacustris]]'') prefers to grow in shallow water such as that found in ponds, streams and river margins.{{efn|'''Common club-rush''' or '''Bulrush'''. ''[[Schoenoplectus lacustris]]'' (Richard Mabey) ...."Club-rush is a stout [[Perennial plant|perennial]] found in shallow water in lakes, ponds, canals, slow rivers ... It can reach heights of up to ten feet in height with a thickness of nearly an inch at its base ...."{{sfn|Mabey|1996|pp=389–391}} }} The [[Hwicce]] people used the club-rush growing along the banks of the River Severn to make [[wicker]] baskets.{{efn|See [[Hwicce]] > [[Hwicce#Name|Name]] > ... It is also likely that "Hwicce" referred to the native tribes living along the banks of the River Severn, ... who were weavers using rushes ... growing profusely to create baskets.}}{{efn|'''Common club-rush''' or '''Bulrush'''. ''[[Schoenoplectus lacustris]]'' (Richard Mabey) "The rounded stems are straight and jointless, which makes them ideal for [[wikt:plait#English|plaiting]] and [[weaving]] into [[basket]]s, [[Reed mat (craft)|mats]] ...."{{sfn|Mabey|1996|pp=389–391}} }}

====Name history====
The name history shows evidence of Scandinavian influence:{{efn|Aelfred's Britain (Max Adams) "Words loaned both ways between Old English and Old Norse ..."{{sfn|Adams|2017|p=136}} }}

{| class=wikitable
|-
!Name
!Year
!Period
!Influence
|-
|Sæferne
|894{{efn|[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle|ASC]] 'A' sa 894 recte 893 }}
|[[Viking Age]]
|[[Old English]] ''sæfôr'' – "seafarer".{{efn|Dictionary – Old English (Clark Hall) < sæfôr >
# "sea−voyage"{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}} }}
|-
|Saverna		
|1086<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
|[[Norman Conquest]]
|English dialect ''seave'' – "sedge, rush".{{efn| Wiktionary: English dialect < [[wikt:seave#English|seave]] > From Old Norse ''sef'', whence also Danish ''siv'', Icelandic ''sef'' and Swedish ''säv'' ("club-rush").}}{{efn|Wiktionary: Old Norse < [[wikt:sef#Old Norse|sef]] >
# "sedge, rush".}}
|-
|Severne
|1205<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
|13th century
|English dialect ''seave''
|-
|Sephern{{efn| See also [[River Seph]], [[Bilsdale]], [[North York Moors]].}}
|1479{{efn| "Servern id est aqua Haveren id est Sephern 1479"<ref name= PC_Hafren/> }}
|15th century
|[[Old Norse]] [[wikt:sef#Old Norse|''sef'']] – "sedge, rush".{{efn|Wiktionary: Old Norse < [[wikt:sef#Old Norse|sef]] >
# "sedge, rush".}}
|-
|Seaverne
|1584<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
|16th century
|English dialect ''seave''
|-
|Seaverne
|1677{{sfn|Raithby|1819|pp=892–893}}
|17th century
|English dialect ''seave''
|-
|Severn
|1836<ref name= PC_Hafren/>
|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.{{efn| North-West Mercia (Wainwright) ...  "It has been suggested that these raids were a deliberate attempt to annex western Mercia to Danish Mercia ...  "{{sfn|Wainwright|1975|pp=73–74}} }} The [[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]] (ASC){{efn| The ASC is written in [[Old English]].}} recorded an account of the [[Battle of Buttington]], and included this description of the route taken by the [[Danes (tribe)|Danes]]:
<blockquote>
"... Foron þa up be [[River Thames|Temese]] oþþæt hie gedydon æt ''Sæferne'', þa up be ''Sæferne''.{{efn|ASC 'A' sa 894 recte 893 }}{{efn| North-West Nercia (Wainwright) . . "In the Summer of 893 the two Danish Armies, supported by considerable reinforcements from the East Anglian and Northumbrian Danes, moved from [[Shoeburyness|Shoebury]] ...  "up along the Thames until they came to the Severn and then up along the Severn ..."{{sfn|Wainwright|1975|pp=73–74}} }}{{efn|Viking Britain (Thomas Williams) "it was the exploration of England's river routes ... made possible by their light and shallow-draughted [[Viking ships|ships]] ... that provided Viking armies with a means of swift and efficient movement through Britain's interior ... increased the range of ther attacks ... able to destabilise [[Anglo-Saxon]] kingdoms ..."{{sfn|Williams|2017|pp=145}} }}
</blockquote>

====Seafarer====
{{Quote box
| width = 22em
| align = right
| quote = [[The Seafarer (poem)]]<br>
..."þæt he a his sæfore{{efn|''sæfôr'' – "seafaring".}} sorge næbbe,<br>
to hwon hine Dryhten gedon wille."<br><br>
..."that he never in his seafaring has a worry,<br>
as to what his Lord will do to him."
| source = — A passage in [[Old English]] poem
}}

The name ''Sæfern'' might be related to:{{efn|Aelfred's Britain (Max Adams) ..."Words loaned both ways between Old English and Old Norse ...{{sfn|Adams|2017|p=136}} }}
# The Sea.{{efn| Dictionary – Old English ( Clark Hall )
# ''sæfaroð'' – "sea−coast".{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}}
# ''sæflôd'' – "flow of the sea".{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}}
# ''sæflota'' – "ship".{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}}
# ''sæfôr'' – "sea−voyage".{{sfn|Clark Hall|1916|p=524}} }}
# Middle English ''faren'' – "travel".{{efn|Wiktionary: [[Middle English]] < [[wikt:faren#Middle English|''faren'']] >
# "To move, go or travel"}}
# Old Norse ''sær'' – "the sea, ocean".{{efn|Wiktionary: [[Old Norse]] < [[wikt:sær#Old Norse|sær]] >
# "the sea, ocean".}} 
# Old Norse ''fara'' – "to fare, to travel".{{efn|Wiktionary: [[Old Norse]] < [[wikt:fara#Old Norse|fara]] >
# "to fare, to travel".}} 
# The Old Norse personal name ''Sæfari'' – "Seafarer".<ref name= Nordic_Saefari>*{{cite web |title= Nordic Names – Saefari – "Seafarer". |url= https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/S%C3%A6fari |publisher= Nordic Names |access-date= 2 July 2023}}</ref>

The Old Norse name ''Sæfari'' ("Seafarer") lives on as the name of the [[Dalvík]] – [[Grímsey]] ferry in [[Iceland]].{{efn| SAEFARI (IMO: 9041277) is a Passenger/Cargo Ship ...<ref>*{{cite web |title= SAEFARI (IMO: 9041277) |url= https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:294377/mmsi:251521110/imo:9041277/vessel:SAEFARI#Summary
 |publisher= [[MarineTraffic]] |access-date= 2 July 2023}}</ref> }}<ref>*{{cite web |title= Ferry from Dalvík: Sæfari |url= https://www.akureyri.is/grimsey-en/moya/news/ferry-from-dalvik-saefari |publisher= Akureyrarbaer |access-date= 2 July 2023}}</ref>

==Geography and geology==
{{expand section|date=February 2020}}
[[File:Severnsource.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Post marked as the [[Source (river or stream)|source]] of the River Severn on [[Plynlimon]], 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 last [[ice age]] in the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|epoch]] of the [[Quaternary]] period.<ref>{{cite journal|issn= 1750-855X |journal=Proceedings of the Shropshire Geological Society|volume=13|pages= 92–99|publisher=Shropshire Geological Society|title=Glaciation and drainage evolution in the southern Welsh Borderland|citeseerx = 10.1.1.616.8048}}</ref> Within Wales, the river runs through a landscape formed in [[Ordovician]] and [[Silurian]] rocks. As it enters the Shropshire Plain, these lower [[Palaeozoic]] rocks are replaced by [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] age strata though largely unseen beneath a thick cover of Quaternary deposits. Certain stretches also run across [[Carboniferous]] strata as at Shrewsbury and for much of the distance between Ironbridge and Bewdley. Permo-Triassic bedrock then continues until the Severn moves intermittently onto the [[Jurassic]] outcrop 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.<ref>{{cite map |year=2008 |title=Welshpool |scale=1:50,000 |series=England and Wales Geology |location=Keyworth, Nottingham |publisher=British Geological Survey |isbn=9780751834710 }}</ref> 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 the [[ice age]] by the blocking of its access to the [[Irish Sea]] through [[Cheshire]] causing a large lake to develop across much of Shropshire. It was supposed that this lake, named as [[Lake Lapworth]], overtopped its southern margin and rapidly cut down to form the [[Ironbridge Gorge]] providing the Severn with a southerly exit to the sea as remains the case today.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.esci.keele.ac.uk/people/pgk/Dissertation/Pannett%202008.pdf|title=The Ice Age Legacy in North Shropshire|journal=Proceedings of the Shropshire Geological Society|volume=13|pages=86–91|year=2008|publisher=Shropshire Geological Society|access-date=16 February 2020|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613185926/http://www.esci.keele.ac.uk/people/pgk/Dissertation/Pannett%202008.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Toghill |first1=Peter |title=Geology of Shropshire |date=2006 |publisher=The Crowood Press |location=Marlborough |isbn=1861268033 |pages=240–243 |edition=Second}}</ref>

==Tributary rivers==
Over its length, there are a large number of tributaries, but the three largest feeding the non-tidal river are the [[River Vyrnwy|Vyrnwy]], the [[River Teme|Teme]] and the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Warwickshire Avon]]. The [[River Wye|Wye]], the [[River Avon, Bristol|Bristol Avon]] and the [[River Usk|Usk]] all flow into the estuarine section of the Severn. The main tributaries are described in sequence below.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The first tributary of significance is the [[Afon Dulas, Llanidloes|Afon Dulas]], joining from the south immediately upstream of [[Llanidloes]], with the [[Afon Clywedog]] joining in the town. The [[Afon Cerist]], bolstered by the [[Afon Trannon]], and the [[Afon Carno]] join 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 Mule (river)|The Mule]] enters at [[Abermule]], and the [[River Rhiw]] east of [[Berriew]], followed shortly by the [[Camlad]] which rises above [[Churchstoke]] and by the Luggy Brook. The left bank Sylfaen Brook enters at [[Welshpool]], and the Bele Brook via the New Cut east of [[Arddlin]].

The River Vyrnwy, which begins at [[Lake Vyrnwy]], flows eastwards through [[Powys]], gathering the waters of the [[River Banwy|Banwy]], [[River Cain|Cain]] and [[River Tanat|Tanat]], before forming part of the border between England and Wales, and joining the Severn near [[Melverley]], Shropshire. The [[River Perry, Shropshire|River Perry]] joins on the left bank above [[Shrewsbury]], while both the [[Rad Brook]] and the [[Rea Brook]], which flows northeast from its source at [[Marton, Shropshire|Marton Pool]] near the Welsh border, join the Severn within the town. The left bank tributary, the [[River Tern]], after flowing south from [[Market Drayton]] and being joined by the [[River Meese]] and the [[River Roden, Shropshire|River Roden]], meets the Severn at [[Attingham Park]].

The [[River Worfe]] joins the Severn's left bank just above [[Bridgnorth]], before the Mor, Borle and [[Dowles Brook|Dowles]] brooks join on the opposite bank over the next few miles, the last-named draining [[Wyre Forest]]. The [[River Stour, Worcestershire|River Stour]] rises in the north of Worcestershire in the [[Clent Hills]], near St Kenelm's Church at [[Romsley, Worcestershire|Romsley]]. It flows north into the adjacent [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] at [[Halesowen]]. It then flows westwards through [[Cradley Heath]] and [[Stourbridge]], where it leaves the [[Black Country]]. It is joined by the Smestow Brook at [[Prestwood (Kinver)|Prestwood]] before it winds around southwards to [[Kinver]], and then flows back into Worcestershire. It then passes through [[Wolverley]], [[Kidderminster]] and [[Wilden, Worcestershire|Wilden]] to its [[confluence]] with the Severn at [[Stourport-on-Severn]]. The [[Dick Brook]], Shrawley Brook and Grimley Brook enter on the right bank before the [[River Salwarpe]], which runs through [[Droitwich]] enters on the opposite (east) bank.

The River Teme flows eastwards from its source in [[Mid Wales]], straddling the border between [[Shropshire]] and [[Herefordshire]]; it is joined by the [[River Onny]], [[River Corve]] and [[River Rea, Shropshire|River Rea]] before it finally joins the Severn on the southern edge of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]]. Bushley Brook joins just upstream of the confluence of the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Warwickshire Avon]] with the Severn at [[Tewkesbury]]. One of several Avons, this one flows west through [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]], [[Warwick]] and [[Stratford-upon-Avon]]. It is then joined by its tributary the [[River Arrow (Worcestershire)|River Arrow]], before joining the Severn. The rivers [[River Swilgate|Swilgate]] and [[River Chelt|Chelt]] also join the Severn's left bank, as do the [[Hatherley Brook|Hatherley]] and [[Horsbere Brook|Horsbere]] brooks, before it reaches Gloucester. The [[River Leadon]] enters the tidal West Channel of the Severn at Over, immediately west of Gloucester. The [[River Frome, Stroud|River Frome]] is the second significant tributary to enter the tidal stretch of the Severn, doing so at Framilode. Bideford Brook drains the easternmost part of the [[Forest of Dean]], entering the Severn estuary east of [[Blakeney, Gloucestershire|Blakeney]]. On the opposite (southeast) bank the flow of the [[River Cam, Gloucestershire|River Cam]] is usurped by the [[Gloucester and Sharpness Canal]] before reaching the estuary. [[Lydney Canal|The Lyd]] enters the west bank of the estuary at [[Lydney Canal|Lydney Harbour]], opposite the place where Berkeley Pill carries the waters of the [[Little Avon River]] into it. The final tributary before the Severn Bridge is the collection of streams which enter via Oldbury Pill.

The River Wye, from its source in [[Plynlimon]] in Wales ({{convert|2|mi|sigfig=1}} from the source of the Severn), flows generally south east through the Welsh towns of [[Rhayader]] and [[Builth Wells]]. It enters [[Herefordshire]], flows through [[Hereford]], and is shortly afterwards joined by the [[River Lugg]], before flowing through [[Ross-on-Wye]] and [[Monmouth]], and then southwards where it forms part of the border between England ([[Forest of Dean]]) and [[Wales]]. The Wye flows into the Severn estuary south of the town of [[Chepstow]].

The [[Mounton|Mounton Brook]] and [[Nedern Brook Wetlands|Nedern]] Brooks enter on the Monmouthshire side between the two motorway crossings. The [[Port of Bristol]] is on the [[Severn Estuary]], where another River Avon flows into it through the [[Avon Gorge]]. The [[River Usk]] and the [[Ebbw River]] flow into the Severn Estuary at [[Uskmouth]] just south of [[Newport, Wales|Newport]].

==Settlements==
[[Image:Worcester cathedral night2.jpg|thumb|[[Worcester Cathedral]] overlooking the Severn]]
[[Image:High Town, Bridgnorth.jpg|left|thumb|High Town, [[Bridgnorth]].]]

The river's course within Wales lies wholly within the county of [[Powys]]. The first town it encounters downstream of its source is [[Llanidloes]] where it is joined by the Dulas and the Clywedog. It flows past the villages of [[Llandinam]] and [[Caersws]] before reaching [[Newtown, Powys|Newtown]]. It then runs by [[Abermule]] and [[Cilcewydd]] before flowing beside [[Welshpool]], the last town on its course in Wales.

Entering [[Shropshire]] and England, a few villages such as [[Shrawardine]] sit back from the river as it meanders eastwards towards the county town of [[Shrewsbury]]. More villages, notably [[Atcham]], [[Wroxeter]] and [[Cressage]] sit beside the river as it turns southeast and heads for the gorge at [[Ironbridge]] before turning south for [[Bridgnorth]]. The Shropshire villages of [[Quatford]] and [[Hampton Loade]] and the Worcestershire village of [[Upper Arley]] follow, before the Severn runs through [[Bewdley]] and Stourport-on-Severn in quick succession. The river then passes the villages of [[Astley Burf]] and [[Holt Fleet]] before entry into the city of [[Worcester, England|Worcester]]. Several villages sit back from the river before it runs by [[Upton-upon-Severn]] and then enters [[Gloucestershire]] as it joins with the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Warwickshire Avon]] outside of [[Tewkesbury]]. A few more villages intervene, notable amongst which is [[Maisemore]] before the river enters the city of [[Gloucester]] from which point it is tidal.

Several more villages sit beside the tidal stretch. Amongst these are [[Elmore, Gloucestershire|Elmore]], [[Epney]] and [[Framilode]] on the east bank and [[Minsterworth]], [[Broadoak, Gloucestershire|Broadoak]] and [[Newnham on Severn]] on the west bank.

==Transport==

===Bridges===
[[File:ShrewsburyBridges.JPG|right|thumb|The [[Welsh Bridge (Shrewsbury)|Welsh Bridge]] ''(background)'' and [[Frankwell|Frankwell Footbridge]] ''(foreground)'' in [[Shrewsbury]], Shropshire.]]
[[File:UffingtonShropshire.JPG|thumb|right|The Severn bridged by the [[A49 road]] just outside [[Shrewsbury]]. The village of [[Uffington, Shropshire]] is in the foreground.]]
{{Main|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 Bridge]] at [[Ironbridge]] was the world's first iron arch bridge. Several other bridges crossing the river were designed and built by the engineer [[Thomas Telford]].

The two major road bridges of the [[Severn crossing]] link south eastern Wales with the southern counties of England.
*[[Severn Bridge]] – opened in 1966 carrying what is now the [[M48 motorway|M48]]
*[[Prince of Wales Bridge]] – opened in 1996 carrying the [[M4 motorway]], known as the Second Severn Crossing until 2018

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

Other notable bridges include:

* [[Buttington]] Bridge – built in 1872
* [[Montford Bridge]] – [[Thomas Telford|Thomas Telford's]] first 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 by [[John Gwynn (architect)|John Gwynn]]
* [[Atcham]] Bridges – 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
* [[Coalport]] Bridge – like its neighbour Ironbridge, is made of cast iron, built in 1818
* [[Victoria Bridge, Worcestershire|Victoria Bridge]]  – designed by [[Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet|John Fowler]], opened in 1862. Still in use by the [[Severn Valley Railway]]
* Bewdley Bridge – designed by Telford, completed in 1798
* [[Holt Fleet]] Bridge – 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 the [[M50 motorway (Great Britain)|M50]] between Junction 1 and 2
* [[Mythe Bridge]] – designed by Telford and opened in April 1826, located in [[Tewkesbury]]
* Haw Bridge – a steel beam bridge, west of Tewkesbury
* [[Maisemore]] Bridge – 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 the [[Gloucester to Newport Line]], currently the last bridge before the Severn Crossings, which is {{convert|30|mi}} downstream
* [[Severn Rail Bridge]] – linking the [[Forest of Dean]] to [[Sharpness, Gloucestershire|Sharpness]] docks, partially collapsed in 1960 and was dismantled in 1967–70

===Rail===
The [[Severn Tunnel]], completed in 1886 by [[John Hawkshaw]] on behalf of the [[Great Western Railway]], lies near the [[Second Severn Crossing]] road bridge, and carries the [[South Wales Main Line]] section of the [[Great Western Main Line]] under the channel. The original line built before the [[Severn Tunnel]] was the [[South Wales Railway]] from [[Gloucester railway station|Gloucester]], that followed the estuary alongside present day stations of [[Lydney railway station|Lydney]], [[Chepstow railway station|Chepstow]], [[Caldicot railway station|Caldicot]] and [[Severn Tunnel Junction]] to [[Newport railway station|Newport]].

Cars could also be transported through the Severn Tunnel. In the 1950s three trains a day made round trips between [[Severn Tunnel Junction railway station|Severn Tunnel Junction]] and [[Pilning railway station|Pilning]]. The vehicles were loaded onto open flat bed carriages and pulled by a small [[Pannier tank|pannier 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 the [[steam locomotive]] tackled 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===
[[File:TewkesburyFloods210707.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tewkesbury]] during the [[2007 United Kingdom floods|2007 floods]]]]
There have been many [[disasters on the Severn]], which have claimed perhaps 300 lives, depending on sources, especially during the 20th century. The [[Severn Railway Bridge]] was badly damaged by the collision of two river barges in 1960, which led to its demolition in 1970. Five crew members of both the ''Arkendale H'' and ''Wastdale H'' died in the accident.<ref>Ron Huxley, The Rise and Fall of the Severn Bridge Railway, 1984, {{ISBN|978-1-84868-033-3}}</ref> There have been frequent [[Shrewsbury floods|floods in Shrewsbury]], Bewdley and elsewhere. More recently the river flooded during the [[2007 United Kingdom floods]] and the [[2019–20 United Kingdom floods]].

===Navigation===
[[File:St Twrog's Chapel ruins on Chapel Rock - geograph.org.uk - 545622.jpg|thumbnail|left|Navigation light on Chapel Rock near [[Beachley]]]]
There is a public right of navigation between [[Pool Quay]], near [[Welshpool]], 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 the [[Canal & River Trust]], who are the [[navigation authority]]. During spring [[freshet]] the river can be closed to navigation.

At Upper Parting above Gloucester, the river divides into two, and flows either side of [[Alney Island]] to Lower Parting. The West Channel is no longer navigable. The East Channel is navigable as far as Gloucester Docks, from where the [[Gloucester and Sharpness Canal]] provides a navigable channel south. Between the docks and Lower Parting [[Llanthony Secunda|Llanthony Weir]] marks the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the East Channel of the river.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=p&gazString=GLOUCESTER|title=OS Maps – online and App mapping system – Ordnance Survey Shop|access-date=28 February 2009|archive-date=31 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131201355/http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=p&gazString=GLOUCESTER|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the tidal section of the river below Gloucester, the [[Gloucester Harbour Trustees]] are the competent harbour authority. The trustees maintain navigation lights at various points along the river (including on Chapel Rock and Lyde Rock, and [[leading lights]] at 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 {{convert|1|mi}} downstream from Stourport.

===Associated canals===
{{River Severn map}}
The [[Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal]], the [[Worcester and Birmingham Canal]], (both narrow beam) and the [[Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal]] join the Severn at Stourport, [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] and [[Gloucester]] respectively. The [[Droitwich Canal|Droitwich Barge Canal]], a broad beam canal, joins the Severn at [[Hawford]], near to the [[River 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.

The [[Gloucester and Sharpness Canal]] connects the Severn at Gloucester to the Severn at [[Sharpness, Gloucestershire|Sharpness]], avoiding a stretch of the tidal river which is dangerous to navigate. The [[Stroudwater Navigation]] used to join the tidal Severn at [[Framilode]], but since the 1920s has connected to the Severn only via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

The [[Lydney Canal]] is a short canal which connects [[Lydney]] to the river.

The section of the river between Tewkesbury and Worcester forms part of the [[Avon Ring]], a {{convert|109|mi|km|adj=on}} circular cruising route which includes 129 locks and covers parts of three other waterways.

===Passenger transport===

====The tidal river====
[[Paddle steamer]]s were operated in the Severn Estuary from the mid 19th century to the late 1970s by [[P & A Campbell]] of [[Bristol]]. The vessels, ''Cardiff Queen'', ''Bristol Queen'', ''Glen Usk'', ''Glen Gower'' and ''Britannia'' all operated on this route in the 1950s and 1960s.  Since 1986 Waverley Excursions has operated occasional sailings to Sharpness and Lydney by the ''[[MV Balmoral (1949)|MV Balmoral]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/bristol.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804142737/http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/bristol.htm|url-status=dead|title=Waverley Excursions website|archivedate=4 August 2009}}</ref>

A number of ferries were also operated on the tidal river, for example at [[New Passage]], [[Purton, Berkeley|Purton]] and [[Arlingham]]. The last ferry was the [[Aust Ferry]], which closed in 1966 when the Severn Bridge opened. One of the Aust ferries, ''Severn Princess'', is still in [[Chepstow]] although 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 between [[Tewkesbury]] and Stourport, operating the boats ''The Pride of the Midlands'' and ''The Earl Grosvenor''.<ref>[http://www.worcesterrivercruises.co.uk/home.html Worcester River Cruises website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708025438/http://www.worcesterrivercruises.co.uk/home.html |date=8 July 2009 }}</ref>

The Cathedral Ferry, a foot passenger ferry, also operates on summer weekends from the steps of [[Worcester Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pryce |first1=Mike |title=NOSTALGIA: Worcester's Cathedral Ferry is a Severn tradition |url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17723708.nostalgia-worcesters-cathedral-ferry-is-a-severn-tradition-says-mike-pryce/ |access-date=27 October 2019 |work=Worcester News |date=22 June 2019 |archive-date=24 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624145303/https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17723708.nostalgia-worcesters-cathedral-ferry-is-a-severn-tradition-says-mike-pryce/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Shropshire the [[Hampton Loade Ferry]] used to operate across the river but has been closed since 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hampton Loade Station|url=http://www.svr.co.uk/Hampton-Info.aspx|website=Severn Valley Railway|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706175650/http://www.svr.co.uk/Hampton-Info.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Shrewsbury, boat trips around the loop of the town centre are at present provided by the ''Sabrina'' and depart from Victoria Quay near the [[Welsh Bridge]] during the summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shrewsburyboat.co.uk/|title=shrewsburyboat.co.uk|access-date=11 September 2008|archive-date=5 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905131221/http://www.shrewsburyboat.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Severn Estuary==
{{Main|Severn Estuary}}
[[File:Severn Aerial.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Severn crossing|Severn bridges]] crossing near the mouth of the '''River Severn''']]
The river becomes tidal close to [[Maisemore]], on the West Channel just north of Gloucester, and at Llanthony Weir on the East Channel. However, particularly high tides may overtop the weir at [[Tewkesbury]], and even the foot of the weir at [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] may experience a rise in water level of {{convert|1|ft|cm}} or so.<ref name="Rowbotham, Severn Bore">{{cite book |last=Rowbotham |first=Fred |title=Severn Bore |isbn=0-7153-8508-9 |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |year=1983 |orig-year=1964}}</ref>{{rp|19–26}}

The [[tidal river]] downstream from Gloucester is sometimes referred to as the Severn Estuary, but the river is usually considered to become the Severn Estuary after the [[Prince of Wales Bridge]] near [[Severn Beach]], [[South Gloucestershire]] (the point to which the jurisdiction of the [[Gloucester Harbour Trustees]] extends), or at [[Aust]], the site of the [[Severn Bridge]].

The Severn Estuary extends to a line from [[Lavernock Point]] (south of [[Cardiff]]) to [[Sand Point, Somerset|Sand Point]] near [[Weston-super-Mare]]. West of this line is the [[Bristol Channel]]. In the Severn Estuary (or the [[Bristol Channel]] in the last two cases, depending where the boundary is drawn) are the rocky islands called [[Denny Island]], [[Steep Holm]] and [[Flat Holm]].

The estuary is about {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} wide at Aust, and about {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} wide between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare.

==Severn Sea==
{{Main|Bristol Channel}}
Until [[Tudor period|Tudor times]] the Bristol Channel was known as the '''Severn Sea''', and it is still known as this in both [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[Cornish language|Cornish]] (Môr Hafren and Mor Havren respectively, with ''môr'' meaning ''sea'').

==Severn bore==
{{Main|Severn bore}}
[[Image:SevernBore1994.jpg|thumb|left|Bore hitting the riverbank in 1994]]
A phenomenon associated with the lower reaches of the Severn is the [[tidal bore]],<ref name="Rowbotham, Severn Bore" /> which forms upstream of the port of [[Sharpness, Gloucestershire|Sharpness]].

It is frequently asserted that the river's [[estuary]], which empties into the [[Bristol Channel]], has the second largest [[tidal range]] in the world—{{convert|48|ft|m|0}},<ref>{{cite web
  | url= http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/position/99429.aspx
  | archive-url= http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090205000049/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/position/99429.aspx
  | url-status= dead
  | archive-date= 5 February 2009
  | publisher=UK [[Environment Agency]]
  | title= About the Severn Estuary
  | date= 5 March 2006 | access-date= 13 March 2010
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2005/07/04/bristolchannel_feature.shtml
  | title= Coast: Bristol Channel
  | publisher= BBC
  | access-date= 27 August 2007
  | archive-date= 25 May 2006
  | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060525130200/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2005/07/04/bristolchannel_feature.shtml
  | url-status= live
  }}</ref> exceeded only by the [[Bay of Fundy]]. However a tidal range greater than that of the Severn is recorded from the lesser known [[Ungava Bay]] in Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/faq2.html#26 |title=Frequently Asked Questions – Tide Predictions and Data |publisher=Co-ops.nos.noaa.gov |access-date=28 May 2013 |archive-date=18 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318001320/https://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/faq2.html#26 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 {{convert|3|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch of the River Severn in [[Shropshire]], is known as [[Ironbridge Gorge]]. It was designated a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]] in 1986. Its historic importance is due to its role as the centre of the [[Ironworks|iron industry]] in the early stages of the [[Industrial Revolution]]. The gorge and the village of [[Ironbridge]] get their name from the [[The Iron Bridge|Iron Bridge]] across the Severn, built in 1779, which was the first cast-iron arch bridge ever constructed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/371|title=Ironbridge Gorge|first=UNESCO World Heritage|last=Centre|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=2 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802133816/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/371|url-status=live}}</ref>

Two nuclear power stations are situated on the river, in the area of South Gloucestershire. [[Oldbury Nuclear Power Station]] and [[Berkeley Nuclear Power Station]] both made use of the River Severn as part of the power generation and nuclear cooling processes.  Both are now decommissioned.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-25198759 |title=Berkeley named as preferred nuclear waste site |publisher=BBC |date=3 December 2013 |access-date=4 December 2013 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201150649/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-25198759 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Wildlife==
The sides of the estuary are also important feeding grounds for [[wader]]s, notably at the [[Bridgwater Bay]] [[national nature reserves in England|National Nature Reserve]] and the [[WWT Slimbridge|Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust]]. River shingle habitat can also be found on the lower estuary, notable for its population of the endangered [[Coccinellidae#UK ladybird survey|5-spot Ladybird]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/endangered-ladybird-found-only-wales-1827527 |title=Wales Online |date=14 June 2011 |access-date=26 September 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904052020/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/endangered-ladybird-found-only-wales-1827527 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Before the installation of the weirs, [[sturgeon]] and [[grey seal]]s would regularly reach as far upstream as Worcester.<ref name="Winnall">{{cite journal |last1=Winnall |first1=Rosemary |title=Grey Seal in Bewdley! |journal=Wyre Forest Study Group Annual Review |date=2013 |pages=6–8 |url=https://wyreforest.net/wp-content/uploads/Mammal_Articles/2013-Grey-Seal-in-Bewdley_optimize.pdf}}</ref> In the winter of 2011/2012 a female grey seal spent several weeks on the river in Bewdley.<ref name="Winnall" /> The same individual was seen at and around Worcester from October to December 2013.<ref name="Winnall" />

The river forms part of the [[Severn-Trent flyway]], a route used by [[bird migration|migratory birds]] to cross [[Great Britain]].<ref name="WtgW">{{cite book |title=RSPB Where To Go Wild in Britain |date=2009 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-1405335126 |page=265}}</ref>

== Literary and musical allusions ==
The River Severn is named several times in [[A. E. Housman]]'s ''[[A 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's ''[[Henry IV, Part 1]]'', [[Henry Percy (Hotspur)|Henry "Hotspur" Percy]] recalls the valour of [[Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March]] in a long battle against Welshman [[Owain Glyndŵr]] upon 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 composer [[Ivor Gurney]], including the songs "Western Sailors" (1925) and "Severn Meadows" (1917).

Gloucestershire writer and poet Brian Waters published ''Severn Tide'' with [[J. M. Dent]] in 1947 and followed it with ''Severn Stream'' in 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 links [[Nodens]] with the Severn Bore and the association of the Celtic deity with the river is explored at length by Rogers.<ref name=rogers/>

Several 20th-century English composers wrote works inspired by the river. [[Gerald Finzi]] (1901–1956) wrote ''A Severn Rhapsody,'' his Opus 3, in 1923; taking the Severn River and its surrounding countryside as his inspiration. [[Edward Elgar]] (1857–1934) wrote ''[[The Severn Suite]],'' Opus 87, in 1930. Elgar lived much of both his early life and his later life near [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], through which the Severn runs. [[Herbert Howells]] (1892–1983), born close to the Severn in [[Lydney]], wrote the complex ''Missa Sabrinensis'' (Mass of the Severn) in 1954, and an earlier hymn tune simply entitled ''Severn''.

The Severn is often mentioned in [[Ellis Peters]]' ''[[The Cadfael Chronicles]]'', set in or around [[Shrewsbury Abbey]], beside the river.

In [[Julian 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" by [[The Longest Johns]], a disgruntled farmer decides to become a pirate on the Severn, attacking innocent travellers down the river.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Last Bristolian Pirate |url=https://www.auntieshanty.org/songs/the-last-bristolian-pirate/ |publisher=Auntie Shanty |access-date=2 May 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|Transport}}
* [[List of crossings of the River Severn]]
* [[List of rivers of England]] and [[List of rivers of Wales]], between them recording all main tributaries
* The [[Severn Way]] long-distance footpath
* The [[Severn Area Rescue Association]] operates search and rescue services and lifeboats from Wyre Forest to Beachley (4 stations on the river)
* [[Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue]] are based at [[Upton-upon-Severn]]
* The [[Severn 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 the [[West Country]].
* [[Stourport Ring]]
* [[South Herefordshire and Over Severn]] – National Character Area

==References==

===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last1= Adams |first1= Max
 |year= 2017 |title= Aelfred's Britain: War and Peace in the Viking Age  |publisher= [[Bloomsbury Publishing|Head of Zeus]] |isbn= 9781784080310 }}
*{{cite book |last1= Clark Hall |first1= John Richard |author-link= John Richard Clark Hall
 |year= 1916 |title= A Concise Anglo−Saxon Dictionary, Second Edition |publisher= [[Macmillan Inc.|The Macmillan Company]] }}
*{{cite book |last1= Falileyev |first1= Alexander |year= 2000 |title= Etymological Glossary of Old Welsh |publisher= [[De Gruyter]] |isbn= 3-484-42918-6 }}
*{{cite book |last1= Mabey |first1= Richard |author-link= Richard Mabey
 |year= 1996 |title= Flora Britannica |publisher= [[Sinclair-Stevenson]] |isbn= 1-85619-377-2 }}
*{{cite book |editor1-last= Raithby |editor1-first= John |year= 1819 |pages= 892–893 |publisher= [[British History Online]] |title= Charles II, 1677 & 1678: An Act for Preservation of Fishing in the River of Seaverne. |url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/statutes-realm/vol5/pp892-893 |access-date= 2 July 2023 }}
*{{cite book |last1= Wainwright |first1= F. T.
 |year= 1975 |title= Scandinavian England: Collected Papers |publisher= [[The History Press|Phillimore & Co Ltd]] |isbn= 0-900592-65-6 }}
*{{cite book |last1= Williams |first1= Thomas
 |date= 2017 |title= Viking Britain – A History |publisher= [[HarperCollins|William Collins Books]] |isbn= 978-0-00-817195-7}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|River Severn}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090103063739/http://www.severnestuary.net/sep/ Severn Estuary Partnership]
*[http://www.portishead-lifeboat.org.uk Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419150500/http://www.portishead-lifeboat.org.uk/ |date=19 April 2018 }}
*[http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/?player=CEN_News_26&void=113448/   ITV Local footage] ITV's [[Keith Wilkinson (reporter)|Keith Wilkinson]] and Jennifer Binns [[canoeing]] the Severn
*[http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/woodend.html Woodend, a hamlet washed away by the River Severn]
*[http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/river-severn Canal & River Trust official site]

{{River Severn}}
{{Severn from Bewdley to Gloucester}}
{{Severn from Gloucester to Bristol}}
{{Transport in Worcestershire}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Transport in Gloucestershire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn, River}}
[[Category:River Severn| ]]
[[Category:Elenydd|River Severn]]
[[Category:Ironbridge Gorge|River Severn]]
[[Category:Severn drainage basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Bristol]]
[[Category:Rivers of Cardiff]]
[[Category:Rivers of Gloucestershire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Rivers of Powys]]
[[Category:Rivers of Shropshire]]
[[Category:Rivers of Somerset]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Vale of Glamorgan]]
[[Category:Rivers of Worcestershire]]
[[Category:River navigations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips|River Severn]]