15-610: The Little Dart River is a tributary of the River Taw in Devon , England. It joins the Taw a mile west of Chulmleigh . The Little Dart rises near Rackenford . It flows west past Witheridge and through a deep wooded valley between Chawleigh and Chulmleigh before meeting the Taw. Devon County Council has promoted an 11-mile walking route, the Little Dart Ridge and Valley Walk, which links
30-478: A coal-fired power station (closed 1984; demolished 1989), it still is used as a tanker-distribution centre for commercial and domestic petrol and diesel deliveries. The oil storage tanks here are filled from coastal lighters. The flooding of the Taw in August 1983 and the destruction of the sand dune causeway to Crow Island at the southern tip of Braunton Burrows was the inspiration for Ted Hughes' poem to commemorate
45-507: Is 12 miles (20 km). The last mile of the river is tidal and prone to flooding both when in spate, but also from the sea. A plan has been put forward to divert the river through an 82 feet (25 m) channel in Pilton Park in Barnstaple to alleviate extreme flooding events. [REDACTED] Media related to River Yeo (Barnstaple) at Wikimedia Commons This article related to
60-461: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . River Taw The River Taw ( / t ɔː / ) in England rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor , crosses North Devon and at the town of Barnstaple , formerly a significant port, empties into Bideford Bay in
75-568: The Bristol Channel , having formed a large estuary of wide meanders which at its western end is the estuary of the River Torridge . As a stream, the Taw heads north and gives its name to the villages of South Tawton and North Tawton . Headwaters add to the size from a number of two major upper course tributaries including the Lapford Yeo and Little Dart River . Along the middle course
90-557: The River Yeo , is a tributary of the River Taw , which enters the Taw at Barnstaple in Devon , England. It is one of several rivers of the same name , including another tributary of the Taw, the Lapford Yeo . The Barnstaple Yeo rises on Berry Down, south of Combe Martin , and flows south through the grounds of Arlington Court and past the village of Chelfham and into the River Taw at Barnstaple. The river length from source to mouth
105-604: The Two Moors Way at Witheridge to the Tarka Trail at Eggesford railway station . A survey completed in 2007 examined the water quality of the river Taw and its tributaries. The result in the Little Dart was a marginal failure, put down to the dairy farming and fertilizers being spread in the area. 50°56′N 3°54′W / 50.933°N 3.900°W / 50.933; -3.900 This Devon location article
120-465: The Taw is Fremington. Between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries its tidal quay was the busiest port (tonnage) between Bristol and Lands End, mainly as it was a handy landing point for Welsh coal shipped across the Bristol Channel which could be distributed around the south-west peninsula by train (track finally closed 1987). The lowest port (or at least jetty) can be found at Yelland . The site of
135-529: The Taw receives the River Mole ( distributary of the River Bray and a second Yeo) , which all rise on upland Exmoor to the north-east. By this midway stage the river has increased in size and becomes a season-round recreational trout, sea trout and salmon river before becoming tidal at Newbridge , approximately 19 km (12 mi) from the sea. The river drains a variable width basin as one of many rivers in
150-756: The christening of Prince William , son of King Charles III - Rain-Charm for the Duchy. Local rail and road routes follow the river from Barnstaple through the centre of the county. The Southern Railway built a series of 4-6-2 steam locomotives named after various places within the West Country . The locomotive that honours the Taw Valley is preserved in its rebuilt form on the Severn Valley Railway carrying its post-nationalisation number 34027. River Yeo (Barnstaple) The Barnstaple Yeo , also known as
165-557: The long-awaited 'downstream bridge', part of the Barnstaple Western Bypass and now the Taw's lowest crossing point; it was opened in May 2007. Seawards of Barnstaple, the river's journey is blocked by the large dune complex of Braunton Burrows , hence its late diversion south-westward and shared estuary mouth with the River Torridge across Zulu Bar sandbanks and out into Barnstaple (or Bideford) Bay . The second lowest port on
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#1733116404111180-579: The river to Barnstaple angered the landowners, the Earls of Bedford and Bath . The timber damaged banks made to protect marshy ground from flooding. The following is a list of bridges over the River Taw listed going upstream from the estuary at Barnstaple. The left bank of a river is that on the left of a traveller progressing downstream. The river shares the large tidal ranges of the Bristol Channel and daily changes of water depth of 6 m to 8 m are common near its mouth. This effect can also be seen in changes to
195-487: The small River Caen joins the river on its north bank, the river of Braunton . This tributary was made navigable on its main lower course as the Braunton Canal in the early 19th century. The Taw also gives its name to Bishop's Tawton just before passing through the only town on its route, Barnstaple . The Long Bridge here, originally medieval, is the second-lowest bridging point of the Taw. Work finished in 2007 on
210-455: The strongly agricultural county, the river has a rolling valley surrounded by (in order of frequency of occurrence) animal pasture , cultivated fields and woodland until near its end. Its length is approximately 72 km (45 mi). The Tarka Trail named after Tarka the Otter follows much of the river's course. In 1604, the activity of timber merchants and carpenters who floated timber on
225-418: The tidal-estuarine basin, which is 18 km long. The tidally-influenced river starts at Newbridge , 4 km south of Barnstaple, where the river's width is approximately 20 m. The channel's width increases dramatically over the next 8 km, reaching 1 km by Fremington . At Barnstaple the Taw is joined by the (Barnstaple) Yeo , which is tidal for a short distance inland. Seawards of Fremington,
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