River Teign
The River Teign (tiːn) is a river in Devon, flowing from the midst of Dartmoor to the sea on Devon's east coast, having opened into a long broad estuary. It gives a name to Teigncombe, Drewsteignton, Teigngrace, Kingsteignton, Bishopsteignton, Teignharvey and finally Teignmouth.
Contents
Course
Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement.
It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing beneath Castle Drogo in a steep-sided valley. It then flows southwards at the east edge of the moor.
The river becomes tidal at Newton Abbot, and reaches the English Channel at Teignmouth. Its estuary is broad and long, technically described as a large "ria", similar to that of the River Exe.
The river lends its name to several places on the map in its 30 miles to the English Channel: Teigncombe, Drewsteignton, Teigngrace, Kingsteignton (at one time, one of England's largest villages), Bishopsteignton, Teignharvey, and Teignmouth.
Until 1827 the lowest bridge over the river was Teign Bridge at Teigngrace. When it was being rebuilt in 1815 it became apparent that at least four successive bridges had been erected at various times with or over the remains of the previous constructions. Mr. P. T. Taylor, who investigated the matter at the time, gave as his opinion that:the last or upper work was done in the sixteenth century, and that the red bridge had been built on the salt marsh in the thirteenth century; since which time there has been an accumulation of soil to the depth of ten feet. He supposes the wooden bridge to be old as the Conquest, and the white stone bridge to have been Roman work.[1]
Poetry
Keats was charmed by the river along its length. He wrote:
Here all the summer could I stay
For there's Bishop's teign
And King's teign
And Coomb at the clear Teign head -
Where close by the stream
You may have your cream
All spread upon barley bread.
Leisure
The Teign estuary is one of the United Kingdom's premier rivers for flounder fishing. Other species include grey mullet in the estuary, brown trout further up the river and some salmon and sea trout throughout. Some coarse fish are caught in the lower reaches of Teign, although it is not officially a coarse fish river. This includes carp as far as the tidal marshes under the A380 at Newton Abbot.
The river has been kayaked at least from Leigh Bridge (the confluence of the North and South Teign) to Steps Bridge,[2] rated as grade 2 to 3. There is also a single high-grade, very technical drop. Near Dunsford there is a nature reserve on the east bank.[3]
References
- ↑ Jusserand, J.J. (1891). English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages. Pub. T. Fisher Unwin, London. P. 69. Available online at www.archive.org.
- ↑ UK Rivers Guidebook - South West England
- ↑ Dunsford Nature Reserve on Devon Wildlife Trust Website
