The River Avon, also known as the River Aune, is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the ...
in the
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of
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 ...
in the southwest of England. It
rises in the southern half of
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is an highland (geography), upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National parks of England and Wales, National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The gran ...
in an area of
bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
to the west of
Ryder's Hill. Close to where the river leaves Dartmoor a dam was built in 1957 to form the Avon reservoir (see
Dartmoor reservoirs). After leaving the moor it passes through
South Brent and then
Avonwick
Avonwick is a village in the civil parish of North Huish, in the South Hams district, in the county of Devon, England. The River Avon runs through the settlement and the village's name derives from ''avon'' meaning ''river'', and ''wick'' an old ...
and
Aveton Gifford and flows into the sea at
Bigbury-on-Sea. Near
Loddiswell the valley flows through
Fosse Copse a woodland owned and managed by the
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the United Kingdom and is concerned with the creation, protection, and restoration of native woodland heritage. It has planted over 50 million trees since 1972.
The Woodland Tr ...
.
The estuary lies within the
South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers 337 square kilometres, including much of the South Hams area of Devon and the rugged coastline from Jennycliff Bay to Elberry Cove near Brixham. The purpose of an Area of Outstandi ...
and is part of the South Devon Heritage Coast.
From 1893 until its closure in 1963, the
Kingsbridge branch line railway line ran along the valley of the Avon between
Kingsbridge
Kingsbridge is a market town and tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population at the ab ...
and
South Brent.
See also
*
Rivers of the United Kingdom
For details of rivers of the United Kingdom, see
* List of rivers of England
* List of rivers of Scotland
* List of rivers of Wales
* Northern Ireland: see List of rivers of Ireland and Rivers of Ireland
* Longest rivers of the United Kingdo ...
References
Rivers of Devon
{{England-river-stub