51°20′56″N 1°56′53″W / 51.349°N 1.948°W / 51.349; -1.948
31-778: The River Nadder is a tributary of the River Avon , flowing in south Wiltshire , England. The river flows north from Ludwell to West End where it is joined by the Ferne Brook, close to the Lower Coombe and Ferne Brook Meadows site of special scientific interest ( SSSI ). At Wardour it is joined by the River Sem . The river then flows east through Tisbury , where it is joined by the Fonthill Brook , and then onto Barford St Martin and Burcombe before reaching Wilton . Near Quidhampton ,
62-905: A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In 1996 almost the entire river, from Patney (Wiltshire) to Christchurch, together with its tributaries the Wylye , Nadder , Bourne and Dockens Water, was designated as the River Avon System SSSI. A four-year project called STREAM began in September 2005. This £1 million project was designed to benefit the habitats of species such as water-crowfoot , Atlantic salmon , brook lamprey , sea lamprey , bullhead , Desmoulin's whorl snail , gadwall and Cygnus columbianus (Berwick's swan). A sister project called Living River ran from 2006 to 2010, aiming to providing better access and recreation, as well as aid biodiversity. Both these projects were shortlisted for
93-453: A pound lock soon after the original flash lock was damaged by flooding in the early 18th century. The Avon Valley Path follows the river between Salisbury and Christchurch. Canoeists seeking lawful passage as high as Salisbury have attempted to invoke the 1644 Navigation Act in their favour. However, the Act was subject to enabling works, most of which were never completed, hence the right
124-562: Is England's main World Heritage Site of this category, which includes Stonehenge . Others include massive earthworks at Old Sarum , and across the larger, separate Thornham Down area. Upper Avon Valley Woodford Valley Salisbury Wiltshire watermeadows In 1993 the Avon valley in Hampshire between Bickton (downstream of Fordingbridge ) and Christchurch was designated as
155-452: Is a shop, a doctors ' surgery, a small hairdressers salon, a village hall and a golf course . The nearest secondary school is at Pewsey and the nearest primary school is at Rushall . A school was built at Avon Square in 1957, replacing a 19th-century building next to the church, to cater for children of RAF personnel; up to 200 pupils could be accommodated. Pupil numbers declined as RAF activity reduced and fell further after 1993 when
186-494: Is built of flint with stone banding and is dedicated to St Mary. It was designated as Grade I listed in 1964. Domesday Book recorded a church, and land held by the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Wandrille , Normandy. A small priory was established in the 12th century, and the church was presumably rebuilt later in that century or early in the 13th, as the chancel and chancel arch are of that period. The substantial west tower
217-400: Is disputed. Responsibility for delivery was given to private undertakers in the names of Hodges, Bennett and Dennett, who were to fund the canalisation between the places. They were allowed to charge their investment at 10% interest rate and could take full commercial advantage, which tripartite agreements from 1684 and 1685 evidence. The House of Commons Journal of 31 January 1699 records that
248-679: Is in the south of England, rising in Wiltshire , flowing through that county's city of Salisbury and then west Hampshire , before reaching the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation of Dorset . It is sometimes known as the Salisbury Avon or the Hampshire Avon to distinguish it from namesakes across Great Britain. It is one of
279-757: The Bristol Avon and Severn Estuary ) and the North Sea (via the Kennet and Thames ). About half of the river is in Wiltshire; the rest is split between Hampshire and (since the 1974 boundary changes ) Dorset. As two Avons drain parts of Wiltshire, the river is popularly known as the Hampshire Avon or the Salisbury Avon (and the other as the Bristol Avon ). Construction of a navigation from Salisbury to Christchurch
310-563: The British Army . The grass airfield is still used by the RAF from time to time but is now most frequently associated with regular glider activity, with the only permanent RAF unit based there being No. 622 Volunteer Gliding Squadron , providing glider training to members of the Air Cadet Organisation . The Army Gliding Club also uses the airfield in co-operation with 622 VGS. The church
341-652: The Vale of Pewsey , and is joined by Etchilhampton Water which rises in the Bishops Cannings area and flows south past Etchilhampton and through Patney . The eastern arm rises at Easton Royal , east of Pewsey , and is joined by the Woodborough Stream which rises at Alton Priors and flows south through Woodborough and North Newnton . The two branches merge at Upavon , flowing southwards across Salisbury Plain through Durrington , Amesbury and Salisbury . To
SECTION 10
#1732845688277372-596: The Wylye joins from the north. After passing Harnham , the Nadder joins the Avon near Salisbury Cathedral . Including its headwaters, the river's length is about 55 km (34 mi). The Environment Agency measures the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
403-430: The county of Wiltshire , England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portion of the River Avon which runs from north to south through the village. It is on the north edge of Salisbury Plain about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Pewsey , 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the market town of Devizes , and 20 miles (32 km) north of the cathedral city of Salisbury . The A345 and A342 roads run through
434-775: The 2009 Thiess International Riverprize , competing against four other projects: the Yellow River in China, Lake Simcoe in Canada, the Polochic Basin in Guatemala and the Lower Owens River in the USA. The prize for 2009 was awarded to Lake Simcoe. [REDACTED] Media related to River Avon, Hampshire at Wikimedia Commons Upavon Upavon is a rural village and civil parish in
465-548: The Dissolution. Rushall became fully independent in 1395. The benefice of Upavon was combined with Rushall in 1924, but the parishes remained separate. Today the parish is part of the Vale of Pewsey benefice, a group of sixteen churches around Pewsey . Upavon Baptist Chapel, named for the Cave of Adullam , was built in 1838 of rendered brick, with a slate roof. A Methodist church
496-574: The downs above the valley. All significant local government services are provided by Wiltshire Council , a unitary authority with its headquarters in Trowbridge , and the parish is represented there by Paul Oatway. For Westminster elections, the parish is part of the East Wiltshire constituency. Upavon airfield , now called Trenchard Lines , and previously RAF Upavon , is situated about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Upavon village. The site
527-504: The five bells were recast and a sixth added. Pevsner attributes the design of the stained glass in the 1918 east window to Henry Holiday . The churches at Charlton St Peter and Rushall were dependent on Upavon. By the early 14th century the income from Charlton had been assigned to Upavon Priory, and in 1423 Upavon and Charlton were granted to the Augustinian canons of Ivychurch Priory , southeast of Salisbury, who held them until
558-453: The freeholders, inhabitants and residents of Ibsley and Fordingbridge petitioned the House on the fact that they could not comply with the 1664 Act and were never likely to do so. The House sided with them and effectively declared its view of the law, the finality of which, lacking royal assent , the law of rights of way is unclear on but makes more likely the view that the Act became voidable as
589-583: The harbour. All the significant direct and indirect tributaries of the Avon, including the Nadder , Wylye , Bourne and Ebble , converge within a short distance around Salisbury. A short distance north from the river's western source is Morgan's Hill , which marks the hydrological triple divide of Great Britain, where rainfall drains into the English Channel (via this River Avon), the Atlantic Ocean (via
620-505: The parish was acquired in 1898 for an army firing range, and in the west a military airfield and flying school were begun in 1912. Council houses were built in the Avon Square area, about half a mile southeast of the village centre, in stages from c.1920. Upavon village lies in the valley where the headwaters of the Avon leave the Vale of Pewsey and cut through the north scarp of Salisbury Plain . The parish extends both east and west onto
651-473: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. Water quality of the River Nadder in 2019: 51°03′N 1°48′W / 51.050°N 1.800°W / 51.050; -1.800 River Avon, Hampshire The River Avon ( / ˈ eɪ v ən / )
SECTION 20
#1732845688277682-637: The river, the largest being the World Heritage Site zone of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites , followed by the Old Sarum knoll fortification and the Thornham Down prehistoric and medieval landscape. The river's name is a tautology : Avon is the Proto-Brythonic word meaning "river". The Avon begins as two separate bodies of water. The western arm rises to the east of Devizes , draining
713-554: The rivers in Britain in which the phenomenon of anchor ice has been observed. The Avon is thought to contain more species of fish than any other river in Britain. Long-farmed pastures and planted, arable fields line much of the valley; an indication of the wealth these brought to landowners is in ten large listed houses with statutorily recognised and protected parks. Many prehistoric sites and broader "landscapes" are found on either side of
744-684: The south of Salisbury the river enters the Hampshire Basin , flowing along the western edge of the New Forest through Fordingbridge and Ringwood , meeting up with the River Stour at Christchurch , to flow into Christchurch Harbour . The harbour opens into the English Channel past a cluster of small mouths of brooks from the New Forest and a broad sandbank, which is all built up as the Mudeford part of
775-401: The village supported some 200 to 250 people. The village prospered during the 12th and 13th centuries and started to develop features that are recognisable today. A large Norman church replaced the previous Saxon one, a manor house was built in the south of the village and a market square developed west of the church, in the area that now lies between the two village pubs. Land in the west of
806-456: The village. Occupation of the area dates back to the Iron Age and Romano-British settlement at Casterley Camp , approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the current village, and to the southeast was the small Iron Age settlement of Chisenbury Camp . The first mention of Upavon is in the 1086 Domesday Book as Oppavrene ; although no population was recorded, it can be estimated that
837-427: The works to canalise the Avon were never implemented. Indecisive court cases were brought in 1737 and 1772 to enforce the alleged but not exercised right (to benefit barge owners). The valley from north to south has the following houses with large parks and gardens, significantly funded in their original form by the rich, mixed agriculture from the little-wooded upper valley plains and sides: The largest of this type
868-453: Was added in the late 13th. When foreign priories were expelled in 1378, there were only three monks. The octagonal font with elaborate carved decoration is from the 12th century but mounted on a 19th-century base. By the early 15th century the church was said to be ruinous, and the nave was re-roofed. The south aisle was removed sometime before 1859. Restoration in 1875 was by T.H. Wyatt (chancel) and J.P. Seddon (nave rebuilt). In 1910
899-483: Was authorised by the River Avon Navigation (Christchurch to New Sarum) Act 1664 ( 16 & 17 Cha. 2 . c. 12). Work began in 1675 and the route was completed in 1684, but it fell out of use around 1715. Canalised channels were dug to straighten sections of the river, including one through Britford parish just below Salisbury; a lock survives on this section near Longford Castle , having been rebuilt in brick as
930-512: Was built at Avon Square in 1966, replacing an earlier tin chapel . It closed around 2006. The High Street has several 18th-century buildings, many of them thatched. The Manor House, in grounds on the right bank of the river, began as a small 15th-century house which has been much altered and extended. The village has two public houses – the Antelope (1765) and the Ship (early 18th century). There
961-718: Was originally constructed around 1912 as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) base, and became the home of the RFC Central Flying School on 19 June 1912, later to be the RAF Central Flying School upon formation of the Royal Air Force . Upavon is referred to as the place where the Royal Air Force was formed. Since 1993 the main function of the military base has changed, and it is now largely an MoD administrative centre, and home to administrative headquarters of