Warleigh Weir is a river structure at Warleigh on the River Avon in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England, upstream from the city of

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. The

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

was originally built to supply a head of water to a

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

at Claverton. The weir was subsequently raised by a height of 12 inches between 1809 and 1813 as part of the construction program for the

Claverton Pumping Station Claverton Pumping Station in the village of Claverton, Somerset, Claverton, in the English county of Somerset, pumps water from the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon to the Kennet and Avon Canal using power from the flow of the river. It is a Grad ...

, which sits on the site of the old grist mill. The weir is accessed from the adjacent island which is created from the bifurcation of the river running to the Claverton Pumping station and the main flow of the River Avon. The weir and the bridge to the island are both owned by the

Canal & River Trust The Canal & River Trust (CRT), branded as in Wales, holds the guardianship of 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, together with reservoirs and a wide range of heritage buildings and structures, in England and Wales. Launched on 12 July 2012, the ...

Recreation

Warleigh Weir has been a popular local swimming spot for over 100 years. The river island—typically used to access the weir—is privately owned and is designated agricultural land. There is a public footpath across the field, to the old Ferry Steps, but not to the weir itself. The landowners argue that there is "no right of public access to the land", although as the land is uncultivated downland it may fall within the

Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (c. 37), known informally as the CRoW Act or "Right to Roam" Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament affecting England and Wales which came into force on 30 November 2000. Right to roam The Act imp ...

, which established

freedom to roam The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wilderness ...

in the UK.

Safety

Swimming at a weir is

highly dangerous ''Highly Dangerous'' is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler. It was released in the US by Lippert Pictures as ''Time Running Out''. Plot Frances Gray is as a British entomologist trying ...

due to the

hydraulic jump A hydraulic jump is a phenomenon in the science of hydraulics which is frequently observed in open channel flow such as rivers and spillways. When liquid at high velocity discharges into a zone of lower velocity, a rather abrupt rise occurs in th ...

as water flows over the weir. Even when the water is calm on the surface, dangerous undercurrents can permanently hold swimmers under the surface. For these reasons the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

warns against any swimming near weirs. There have been reported incidents of Weil's disease in the river. Repeated warnings have been issued by the

and the Warleigh Weir Project around the dangers of swimming at the site. The Warleigh Weir Project website states:

The Warleigh Weir, Island Field and River Avon are not safe places. This is working agricultural land which presents various hazards and risks. The river is not a designated swimming spot, there are no lifeguards and there may be no assumption of safety at the site whatsoever.

Land ownership and Warleigh Weir project

The land adjacent to the weir was used for cattle grazing until June 2018, when the land was purchased by the Warleigh Island Conservation Project Ltd, a business owned by Autonomous Investments Holdings Limited. The Warleigh Weir Project was founded to "promote the responsible and sustainable use of the countryside".

Designated Bathing Water status

In the summer of 2019, the island owner made it known that they intend to apply to make the swimming area at Warleigh Weir the first designated river bathing water in the United Kingdom under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. However, according to

DEFRA DEFRA may refer to: * Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, United States law * Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom government department {{Disambiguation ...

rules, this application must be supported by the local council. As of 2021, no application appears to have been made, and meanwhile Ilkley Wharf in Yorkshire became the first UK river site to achieve designated bathing water status. In August 2022, raw sewage was released just upstream, setting back landowner Johnny Palmer's attempts to gain bathing water status.

Controversy

In 2019, the owner of the land adjacent to the weir threatened to close their land to the public "unless people stop leaving their rubbish behind". However, total closure of field would not be legal as would block the public right of way across the land to the old ferry steps. A sign was also erected in 2019 that incorrectly claimed that there is no public right of access across the land. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 the site was again closed due to island users not adhering to social distancing rules. Currently, the site remains open and is managed by the Warleigh Weir Project Guardians, a group of volunteers who assist with promoting the project values, making site improvements, and cleaning the site. In 2020 a body was found in the river.

References

{{authority control Weirs in England Geography of Somerset Bath and North East Somerset River Avon, Bristol