The River Arrow is a tributary of the
River Avon and flows through
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
and
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
in the
English Midlands.
Course
The Arrow rises on Beacon Hill in the
Lickey Hills Country Park in the
Lickey Hills in the north of
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
, and heads generally southeastwards to become a major tributary of the
River Avon. The river flows through
Cofton Hackett
Cofton Hackett is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove (district), Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, north east Worcestershire, England. It is southwest of the city centre of Birmingham and northeast of Worcester, England, Worcest ...
, it then feeds
Lower Bittell Reservoir and flows through
Alvechurch before reaching the
Arrow Valley Country Park in
Redditch. At the eastern boundary of
Redditch the river enters
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
and flows through the river meadows at
Studley, and then on through
Spernall and past
Coughton Court, a
National Trust
The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
property, where it is
forded by a minor road, Coughton Fields Lane.
The Arrow then flows through the small market town of
Alcester
Alcester ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. It is west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Redditch. The town dates back to the times of Roman ...
and is joined by its largest tributary the
River Alne. The river continues south through the village of
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
where it still drives the waterwheel at the converted Arrow Mill, and then through the small villages of
Wixford and
Broom.
The river joins the
River Avon at Marriage Hill, near
Salford Priors, close to the boundary of
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
and Worcestershire.
Flooding
In 1998 the river flooded for the first time since 1956, spilling over its defences and flooding a large part of Alcester.
The river burst its banks again during the night of 20/21 July 2007, flooding about 112 homes in Alcester. It breached the defences by Gunnings Bridge in Alcester and a large torrent of water flowed through the town and flooded about deep at the bottom of the High Street and Stratford Road.
See also
*
River Arrow Nature Reserve
*
Rivers of the United Kingdom
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arrow, River
Rivers of Warwickshire
Rivers of Worcestershire
1Arrow