River Avon

The River Avon rises near Didmarton on the edge of the Cotswold hills and winds south-east through Wiltshire and Somerset before reaching the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth. Its name comes from an old word meaning river, so ‘River Avon’ means ‘river river’. The river is about 83 miles long but only 19 miles as the crow flies between source and mouth. In its lower reaches it is known as the Avon Navigation and links Bath to Bristol. The river passes through valleys, towns and historic sites along its course. The Avon is worth the journey for its engineering landmarks and long history. At Bradford-on-Avon a Norman bridge still carries traffic across the river. Between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon the river runs under two aqueducts built by John Rennie and John Thomas in the early 19th century. Claverton Pumping Station uses a giant water wheel to lift river water into the canal, a feat of early industrial design. Cleveland Bridge and Pulteney Bridge in Bath show Georgian and Regency styles, while the Kennet and Avon Canal joins the river at Bath Locks to form a through route to London. Visitors find a river lined with stone bridges, weirs and pumping stations. The stretch from Bath to Bristol offers six locks and wide views over the valley. Rowers from Monkton Combe School have used the water below Dundas Aqueduct since the early 1900s. At Bath the river passes under elegant bridges and over a weir, then joins the canal that carries boats onward. The landscape changes from steep Cotswold hills to flat Somerset levels, giving a varied journey along the waterway.