Little Avon River

The Sturt Bridge near Wickwar, on the Little Avon

The Little Avon River is a small river in southern Gloucestershire, which empties into the estuary of the River Severn.

The Little Avon rises to the east of Wickwar, near Horton, passes near Charfield, Stone and Berkeley, and enters the Severn at Berkeley Pill. It was formerly navigable up to moorings at Berkeley, but a flood-prevention scheme, built in the 1960s, now prevents navigation more than a few hundred yards upstream.

Geology

• Source: 51°33’30"N, 2°21’12"W
• Mouth: 51°41’58"N, 2°29’18"W

The Little Avon River rises from a point upstream to the east of Wickwar. From here it flows north-west for a total of nine miles, near Charfield, Stone and Berkeley, before finally joining the River Severn.

The river runs through sandstone and clay, while the source water has been affected by the limestone from where it rises. The river starts as a steep course, with a natural riffle-pool sequence, before flattening out at Stone, where the river has been modified for used for irrigation.

By the time the river reaches Berkeley, it is sheltered from the tide using tidal gates.

Ecology

The river is used as a fishery, controlled by Berkeley Estate Fishing Syndicate, which ensures that brown trout and grayling are in the river for fly fishing as well as standard coarse fishing species.

Features

Footbridge over the river

There is a footbridge over the Little Avon River which links Berkeley Castle to Berkeley Stables. It was built around the turn of the 19th century, with the main arch being about 26 feet wide and 11 feet above water level at its highest point. The pathway across the bridge is approximately 5 feet wide, with the total width of 8 feet. The bridge is a Grade II listed structure.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Little Avon River)

• Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
• SSSI listing and designation for Severn Estuary