Exe Head
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The River Exe ( ) in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of
Simonsbath Simonsbath () is a small village high on Exmoor in the English county of Somerset. It is the principal settlement in the Exmoor civil parish, which is the largest and most sparsely populated civil parish on Exmoor, covering nearly but with ...
, on Exmoor 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_ ...
, from the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. It flows for 60 miles (96 km) and reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the
Exe Estuary The Exe estuary is an estuary on the south coast of Devon, England. The estuary starts just to the south () of the city of Exeter, and extends south for approximately eight miles to meet the English Channel (). The estuary is a ria and so is l ...
, on the south (
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
) coast of Devon. Historically, its lowest bridging point was the Old Exe Bridge in
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, the largest settlement on the river, but there is now a viaduct for the M5 motorway about south of the city centre.


Topography

The river's name derives from *Uɨsk, a
Common Brittonic Common Brittonic ( cy, Brythoneg; kw, Brythonek; br, Predeneg), also known as British, Common Brythonic, or Proto-Brittonic, was a Celtic language spoken in Britain and Brittany. It is a form of Insular Celtic, descended from Proto-Celtic, a ...
root meaning "abounding in fish", and a
cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
of both the Irish ''iasc'', meaning "fish", and ''pysg'', the plural word for "fish" in
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
. The same root separately developed into the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
Axe and Esk, the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
Usk, though not, as some have claimed, the word '' whisky'', this latter being from the Classical Irish/Gaelic "water" (the fuller phrase being ; ga, uisce beatha; gd, uisge beatha; "" ("water of life")). The river's name occurs in
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
("fortress on the Exe") and many other settlements along its course, including Exford,
Up Exe Rewe is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon in England. It lies on the river Culm, north of the city of Exeter and south of the town of Tiverton. Rewe is a linear village, with most of its buildings lying along the A396 road ab ...
,
Nether Exe Nether Exe or Netherexe is a very small village and civil parish in Devon, England. It lies near the River Exe, as its name suggests, about north of Exeter. The Church of St John the Baptist is a small stone church set amidst fields close to th ...
,
Exwick Exwick is an historic parish and manor in Devon, England, which today is a north-western suburb of the City of Exeter. Its name is derived from the River Exe, which forms its eastern boundary. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish and an elector ...
, Exton, Exminster, and
Exebridge Exebridge is a village that lies on the border between Devon and Somerset, England. It lies at the confluence of the Barle and Exe rivers. Exebridge is named so because of the bridge over the River Exe that also marks the border between Devon a ...
, where it is joined by the
River Barle The River Barle runs from the Chains on northern Exmoor, in Somerset, England to join the River Exe at Exebridge, Devon. The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest. On the Chains above ...
. The seaside town of
Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...
is at the east side of the estuary mouth, and Dawlish Warren is at the west, with its long sand spit extending across the mouth. The river fuelled Exeter's growth and relative importance in medieval times. The city's first industrial area was developed at
Exe Island Exe Island was the early industrial area of Exeter, England, and was an area of marshland between the city walls and the River Exe, reclaimed by the construction of a series of leats, or artificial water courses, possibly from as early as the 10t ...
, which was created in the 10th century by digging a series of leats into the sandy and marshy land bordering the river. The island became home to numerous
watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
s producing paper and textiles. Tides on the river are limited at Trews Weir in Exeter, two kilometres upstream of
Countess Wear Countess Wear is a district within the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It lies about two miles south-east of the city centre, on the north bank of the estuary of the River Exe. Historically an estate known as Weare, part of the manor of Topsham, ...
, the site of a former
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 ...
commissioned by the
Countess of Devon Countess of Devon is a title that may be held by a woman in her own right or given to the wife of the Earl of Devon. Women who have held the title include: Countesses in their own right * Isabel de Forz, suo jure 8th Countess of Devon (1237 — ...
in the 13th century. The
Exeter Canal The Exeter Ship Canal, also known as the Exeter Canal is a canal leading from (and beside) the River Exe to Exeter Quay in the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It was first constructed in the 1560s predating the "canal mania" period and is one o ...
bypassed this weir to enable ships to reach Exeter Quay. At high tide, the estuary forms a large body of water that is heavily used for water sports especially sailing, windsurfing and water skiing. Railways run along both sides of the estuary. The Avocet Line from Exeter to Exmouth on the eastern side, and the
South Devon main line South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...
on the western. The latter is on a causeway, the
South Devon Railway sea wall The South Devon Railway sea wall is situated on the south coast of Devon in England. A footpath runs alongside the railway between Dawlish Warren and Dawlish, then another footpath forms a continuation to the sea front promenade at Teignmouth. B ...
from Powderham to Dawlish Warren. The
Exmouth to Starcross Ferry The Exmouth to Starcross Ferry is a passenger ferry which crosses the mouth of the River Exe in the English county of Devon. It links the town of Exmouth on the eastern side of the Exe estuary to the village of Starcross on the western side. The ...
carries passengers across the mouth of the estuary during the summer months, linking the harbour at Exmouth with a pier adjacent to
Starcross railway station Starcross railway station is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is down the line from and measured from via . The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate all train ...
on the South Devon main line. At low tide, extensive mud flats are exposed, and these are an important feeding source for wading birds. Along with other rias in
South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...
, the Exe estuary is an important site for wintering waders. Dawlish Warren is a favoured site for birdwatching. The river has a low pH but does not suffer from a serious
acid rain Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...
problem. It is populated with wild
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
, and in the lower reaches coarse fish including dace, chub, perch, roach, pike and bream and some
grayling Grayling or Greyling may refer to: Animals Fish * Grayling, generically, any fish of the genus ''Thymallus'' in the family Salmonidae ** European grayling (''Thymallus thymallus''), the European species of the genus ''Thymallus'' ** Arctic grayli ...
, the average size being . There is a run of
Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...
and a sparse run of sea trout. Just below the union of the River Barle is Black Pool, which is one of the best, and highest salmon pools on the river. The smaller fish species present include stone loach and there are good reasons to assume others are present.


2008 clearing operation

In 2008 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 ...
embarked on a project to clear vegetation from the river in Exeter. In order to do so the water level was lowered further than during the worst droughts that Exeter had seen.


See also

* Rivers of the United Kingdom


References


Further reading

* Lawrence, Rod (1999). ''The Exe: A River for Wildlife''. Bradford-on-Avon.


External links


RSPB reserves: Exminster & Powderham Marshes

Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exe, River Rivers of Somerset Rivers of Devon Exmoor