River Plym

The River Plym rises on Dartmoor at Plym Head, about 450 metres above sea level, and flows southwest then south for roughly 20 miles to Plymouth Sound. Its upper reaches pass through upland marshes and past old clay workings near Shaugh Prior. Mining remains and antiquities lie scattered along this stretch, marking centuries of human use. The river’s name comes from the Brythonic word for plum, and Plymouth itself took its name from the Plym. In 1944 the frigate HMS Plym was destroyed in Britain’s first nuclear test. The Plym Valley Railway follows the river’s course, using part of the old South Devon and Tavistock line that opened in 1856. Today volunteers run steam and diesel trains between Marsh Mills and Plymbridge. Canoeists tackle the upper section from Cadover Bridge to Shaugh Bridge, where pool drops challenge even experienced paddlers. Below Shaugh Bridge the river eases, offering gentler runs past Bickleigh Bridge. Anglers fish for brown trout, sea trout and salmon along much of the river, managed by the local angling association. Plymbridge Woods, a National Trust property, lines the banks near the bridge of the same name.