River Chew

The River Chew is a small river in England that flows for some through the North Somerset countryside to form the Chew Valley before merging with the River Avon.

The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from Chewton Mendip. The river flows northwest from Chewton Mendip through Litton, Chew Valley Lake, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna, and Stanton Drew. The river passes under the A37 at Pensford; flows through the villages of Publow, Woollard, Compton Dando, and Chewton Keynsham; and joins the River Avon at Keynsham. The Two Rivers Way runs alongside the Chew for much of its distance, forming part of the Monarch's Way.

The name "Chew"

The name "Chew" may have Celtic origins, cognate with the River Chwefru, ''cliwyf-ffrenwy'', "the moving, gushing water"; ancient forms are ''Estoca'' ( Chew Stoke), ''Chiu'' (Chew Magna), and ''Ciwetune'' (Chewton Mendip). Its exact meaning admits of several possible explanations, including "winding water", the ''ew'' being a variant of the French ''eau'', "water". The word ''chewer'' is western dialect for "narrow passage" and ''chare'' is Old English for "turning."

Another theory is that the name derives from the Welsh ''cyw'', "the young of an animal, or chicken", such that ''Afon Cyw'' would have meant "the river of the chickens".

Other possible explanations are it comes from the Old English word ''cēo'' ("fish gill"), used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse ''gil'', or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English ''chowe'', "chough", Old English ''cēo'', a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw, notorious for its chattering and thieving. Still another suggestion is that the river is named after the Viking war god Tiw.

Course

The current course of the river was likely established after the last ice age, before which the river had probably followed the course of the Congresbury Yeo to the Bristol Channel. Ice blocking the Bristol Channel would have diverted the Chew such that it flowed north rather than west through Compton Martin to join the Avon.

Roman use

"Pigs" (ingots) of lead from the Charterhouse Roman Town on the Mendips were brought to the river to be transported to Sea Mills on the Avon for shipment overseas.

Flood of 1968

The Chew Stoke flood of 1968 caused serious damage to towns and villages along its path, sweeping away the bridge at Pensford.

Fishing

Fish ladders have been installed at three weirs in Keynsham and Chewton Keynsham to allow fish to travel upstream. Fishing rights for the Millground and Chewton sections of the river are owned by Keynsham Angling Club. The Mill Ground stretch of the River Chew consists of the six left-bank fields (looking downstream) from Chewton Place at Chewton Keynsham to the Albert Mill, Keynsham. The water is home to numerous species of fish, including chub, roach, European perch, rudd, gudgeon, dace, grayling, trout, and eel.

References

External links

For further information, visit the dedicated River Chew website a
www.riverchew.co.uk

Gallery

File:Pensford bridge.JPG, Bridge at Pensford.
File:Publow bridge.JPG, Bridge at Publow.
File:Bridge at stanton drew.JPG, Bridge at Stanton Drew.

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Bath and North East Somerset
Chew
Mendip Hills
1Chew