River Chew: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 51°25′29″N 2°30′26″W / 51.42472°N 2.50722°W / 51.42472; -2.50722
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{{Short description|River in Somerset, United Kingdom}}
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The '''River Chew''' is a small river in England. It merges with the [[River Avon, Bristol|River Avon]] after {{convert|17|mi|km}} forming the [[Chew Valley]].
The '''River Chew''' is a small river in [[England]] that flows for some {{convert|17|mi|km}} through the [[North Somerset]] countryside to form the [[Chew Valley]] before merging with the [[River Avon, Bristol|River Avon]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=River Chew – Somerset Rivers|url=https://somersetrivers.uk/somerset-rivers/mendips/river-chew/|access-date=2020-10-19|language=en-GB}}</ref>


The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from [[Chewton Mendip]]. The river flows North West from Chewton Mendip through [[Litton, Somerset|Litton]], [[Chew Valley Lake]], [[Chew Stoke]], [[Chew Magna]] and [[Stanton Drew (village)|Stanton Drew]]. The river passes under the [[A37 road|A37]] at [[Pensford]] almost making the old church and pub garden into an island. The river then flows through the villages of [[Publow]], [[Woollard]], [[Compton Dando]] and [[Chewton Keynsham]] before joining the River Avon at [[Keynsham]]. For much of the Chew's route the [[Two Rivers Way]] footpath is alongside, the same route for part of its length is also part of the [[Monarch's Way]] long distance footpath. In total the Chew flows for some {{convert|17|mi|km}} through the North Somerset countryside.
The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from [[Chewton Mendip]]. The river flows northwest from Chewton Mendip through [[Litton, Somerset|Litton]], [[Chew Valley Lake]], [[Chew Stoke]], [[Chew Magna]], and [[Stanton Drew (village)|Stanton Drew]]. The river passes under the [[A37 road|A37]] at [[Pensford]]; flows through the villages of [[Publow]], [[Woollard]], [[Compton Dando]], and [[Chewton Keynsham]]; and joins the River Avon at [[Keynsham]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} The [[Two Rivers Way]] runs alongside the Chew for much of its distance, forming part of the [[Monarch's Way]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}


==The name "Chew"==
==The name "Chew"==


The name "Chew" has Celtic origins, cognate with the River Chwefru, ''cliwyf-ffrenwy'', "the moving, gushing water"; ancient forms are ''Estoca'' ([[Chew Stoke]]), ''Chiu'' ([[Chew Magna]]), and ''Ciwetune'' ([[Chewton Mendip]]).<ref>"Notes on the names of parishes in the county of Somerset", ''Notes and Queries'' 15 September 1883:204, drawing upon Eyton, ''Domesday Studies'' and Collinson, ''Somerset''.</ref> Its exact meaning admits of several possible explanations, including "winding water",<ref>{{cite web | title=History of the River Chew | work=River Chew Web Site | url=http://www.riverchew.co.uk/history.htm | accessdate=3 July 2006}}</ref> the ''ew'' being a variant of the French ''eau'', "water". The word ''chewer'' is western dialect for "narrow passage" and ''chare'' is [[Old English]] for "turning."
The name "Chew" may have Celtic origins, cognate with the River Chwefru, ''cliwyf-ffrenwy'', "the moving, gushing water"; ancient forms are ''Estoca'' ([[Chew Stoke]]), ''Chiu'' ([[Chew Magna]]), and ''Ciwetune'' ([[Chewton Mendip]]).<ref>"Notes on the names of parishes in the county of Somerset", ''Notes and Queries'' 15 September 1883:204, drawing upon Eyton, ''Domesday Studies'' and Collinson, ''Somerset''.</ref> Its exact meaning admits of several possible explanations, including "winding water",<ref>{{cite web | title=History of the River Chew | work=River Chew Web Site | url=http://www.riverchew.co.uk/history.htm | access-date=3 July 2006}}</ref> the ''ew'' being a variant of the French ''eau'', "water". The word ''chewer'' is western dialect for "narrow passage" and ''chare'' is [[Old English]] for "turning."


Another theory is that the name derives from the Welsh ''cyw'', "the young of an animal, or chicken", such that ''Afon Cyw'' would have meant "the river of the chickens".<ref>{{cite book | author=Ekwall, Eilert | year = 1928 | title=English River-Names | publisher= Oxford University Press | isbn =0-19-869119-X}}</ref>
Another theory is that the name derives from the Welsh ''cyw'', "the young of an animal, or chicken", such that ''Afon Cyw'' would have meant "the river of the chickens".<ref>{{cite book | author=Ekwall, Eilert | year = 1928 | title=English River-Names | publisher= Oxford University Press | isbn =0-19-869119-X}}</ref>


Other possible explanations are it comes from the Old English word ''cēo'' ("fish gill"), used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to [[Old Norse]] ''gil'', or possibly a derogatory nickname from [[Middle English]] ''chowe'', "chough", Old English ''cēo'', a bird closely related to the [[crow]] and the [[jackdaw]], notorious for its chattering and thieving.<ref>{{cite web | title=What we know about the Chew Family | url=http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?html=b&ln=Chew&sourcecode=13304 | accessdate=3 July 2006}}</ref> Still another suggestion is that the river is named after the [[Viking mythology|Viking]] war god [[Týr|Tiw]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Stephen |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Somerset Place Names |year=1992 |publisher=The Dovecote Press Ltd |location=Wimbourne |isbn=1-874336-03-2}}</ref><!-- Edit note: The book on Somerset place-names by Robinson is utterly discredited as a reliable source and should ''not'' be taken as in any way authoritative. For a more academically reliable account, see the article by Dr Michael Costen, "Place-Name Evidence in South Avon", ''Avon Past'', Vol. 1, 1979, p14. -->
Other possible explanations are it comes from the Old English word ''cēo'' ("fish gill"), used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to [[Old Norse]] ''gil'', or possibly a derogatory nickname from [[Middle English]] ''chowe'', "chough", Old English ''cēo'', a bird closely related to the [[crow]] and the [[jackdaw]], notorious for its chattering and thieving.<ref>{{cite web | title=What we know about the Chew Family | url=http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?html=b&ln=Chew&sourcecode=13304 | access-date=3 July 2006}}</ref> Still another suggestion is that the river is named after the [[Viking mythology|Viking]] war god [[Týr|Tiw]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Stephen |title=Somerset Place Names |year=1992 |publisher=The Dovecote Press Ltd |location=Wimbourne |isbn=1-874336-03-2}}</ref><!-- Edit note: The book on Somerset place-names by Robinson is utterly discredited as a reliable source and should ''not'' be taken as in any way authoritative. For a more academically reliable account, see the article by Dr Michael Costen, "Place-Name Evidence in South Avon", ''Avon Past'', Vol. 1, 1979, p14. -->


==Course==
==Course==
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==Roman use==
==Roman use==


"Pigs" (ingots) of lead from the [[Charterhouse Roman Town]] on the [[Mendips]] were brought to the river to be transported to [[Sea Mills, Bristol|Sea Mills]] on the Avon for shipment overseas.<ref name="havinden">{{cite book|last=Havinden|first=Michael|title=The Somerset Landscape|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|series=The making of the English landscape|page=71|isbn=0-340-20116-9}}</ref>
"Pigs" (ingots) of lead from the [[Charterhouse Roman Town]] on [[Mendip Hills|Mendip]] were brought to the river to be transported to [[Sea Mills, Bristol|Sea Mills]] on the Avon for shipment overseas.<ref name="havinden">{{cite book|last=Havinden|first=Michael|title=The Somerset Landscape|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|series=The making of the English landscape|page=71|isbn=0-340-20116-9}}</ref>


==Flood of 1968==
==Flood of 1968==
[[File:Church of St Peter, Marksbury glass commemorating Chew Valley Flood.JPG|thumb|Memorial stained glass window in the [[Church of St Peter, Marksbury]] to a resident who lost her life when the Pensford Bridge was swept away.]]
[[File:Church of St Peter, Marksbury glass commemorating Chew Valley Flood.JPG|thumb|Memorial stained glass window in the [[Church of St Peter, Marksbury]] to a resident who lost her life when the Pensford Bridge was swept away.]]
The [[Chew Stoke flood of 1968]] caused serious damage to towns and villages along its path, sweeping away the bridge at [[Pensford]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The great flood of 1968 |work=Memories of Bristol |url=http://weldgen.tripod.com/the-great-flood-1968/index.html |accessdate=4 January 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502142132/http://weldgen.tripod.com/the-great-flood-1968/index.html |archivedate= 2 May 2006 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref><ref name="ea">{{cite book| url= http://www.publow-with-pensford-pc.gov.uk/pub/backlook/env_agency_leaflet.pdf | last=Richley|first=Rob|title=The Chew Valley floods of 1968|publisher=Environment Agency|location=Exeter|date=June 2008}}</ref>
The [[Chew Stoke flood of 1968]] caused serious damage to towns and villages along its path, sweeping away the bridge at [[Pensford]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The great flood of 1968 |work=Memories of Bristol |url=http://weldgen.tripod.com/the-great-flood-1968/index.html |access-date=4 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502142132/http://weldgen.tripod.com/the-great-flood-1968/index.html |archive-date= 2 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ea">{{cite book| url= http://www.publow-with-pensford-pc.gov.uk/pub/backlook/env_agency_leaflet.pdf | last=Richley|first=Rob|title=The Chew Valley floods of 1968|publisher=Environment Agency|location=Exeter|date=June 2008}}</ref>


==Fishing==
==Fishing==


[[Fish ladder]]s have been installed at three [[weir]]s in Keynsham and Chewton Keynsham to allow fish to travel upstream. Fishing rights for the Millground and Chewton sections of the river are owned by Keynsham Angling Club.<ref>{{cite web|title=River Chew|url=http://www.keynsham-angling.co.uk/chew.htm|publisher=Keynsham Angling Club|accessdate=5 June 2014}}</ref> The Mill Ground stretch of the River Chew consists of the six left-bank fields (looking downstream) from Chewton Place at Chewton Keynsham to the Albert Mill, [[Keynsham]]. The water is home to numerous species of fish, including [[European chub|chub]], [[Common Roach|roach]], [[European perch]], [[rudd]], [[Gudgeon (fish)|gudgeon]], [[Common dace|dace]], [[Grayling (species)|grayling]], [[Brown trout|trout]], and [[European eel|eel]].{{Citation needed}}
[[Fish ladder]]s have been installed at three [[weir]]s in Keynsham and Chewton Keynsham to allow fish to travel upstream. Fishing rights for the Millground and Chewton sections of the river are owned by Keynsham Angling Club.<ref>{{cite web|title=River Chew|url=http://www.keynsham-angling.co.uk/chew.htm|publisher=Keynsham Angling Club|access-date=5 June 2014}}</ref> The Mill Ground stretch of the River Chew consists of the six left-bank fields (looking downstream) from Chewton Place at Chewton Keynsham to the Albert Mill, [[Keynsham]]. The water is home to numerous species of fish, including [[European chub|chub]], [[Common Roach|roach]], [[European perch]], [[rudd]], [[Gudgeon (fish)|gudgeon]], [[Common dace|dace]], [[Thymallus thymallus|grayling]], [[Brown trout|trout]], and [[European eel|eel]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}


==References==
==References==
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{{Mendip Hills}}
{{Mendip Hills}}
{{Somerset}}
{{Somerset}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Bath and North East Somerset]]
[[Category:Bath and North East Somerset]]

Revision as of 16:59, 29 January 2024

River Chew
River Chew between Stanton Drew and Pensford
Topographical map of the Chew Valley
Location
CountryEngland
CountySomerset
DistrictChew Valley
Physical characteristics
SourceChewton Mendip
 • locationMendip Hills, Somerset, England
 • coordinates51°16′34″N 2°34′42″W / 51.27611°N 2.57833°W / 51.27611; -2.57833
 • elevation305 m (1,001 ft)
MouthRiver Avon, Bristol
 • location
Keynsham, Somerset, England
 • coordinates
51°25′29″N 2°30′26″W / 51.42472°N 2.50722°W / 51.42472; -2.50722
 • elevation
10 m (33 ft)
Length27 km (17 mi)
Basin size145 km2 (56 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationKeynsham
 • average1.18 m3/s (42 cu ft/s)
 • minimum0.5 m3/s (18 cu ft/s)
 • maximum20 m3/s (710 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftStrode Brook, Winford Brook

The River Chew is a small river in England that flows for some 17 miles (27 km) through the North Somerset countryside to form the Chew Valley before merging with the River Avon.[1]

The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from Chewton Mendip. The river flows northwest from Chewton Mendip through Litton, Chew Valley Lake, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna, and Stanton Drew. The river passes under the A37 at Pensford; flows through the villages of Publow, Woollard, Compton Dando, and Chewton Keynsham; and joins the River Avon at Keynsham.[citation needed] The Two Rivers Way runs alongside the Chew for much of its distance, forming part of the Monarch's Way.[citation needed]

The name "Chew"

The name "Chew" may have Celtic origins, cognate with the River Chwefru, cliwyf-ffrenwy, "the moving, gushing water"; ancient forms are Estoca (Chew Stoke), Chiu (Chew Magna), and Ciwetune (Chewton Mendip).[2] Its exact meaning admits of several possible explanations, including "winding water",[3] the ew being a variant of the French eau, "water". The word chewer is western dialect for "narrow passage" and chare is Old English for "turning."

Another theory is that the name derives from the Welsh cyw, "the young of an animal, or chicken", such that Afon Cyw would have meant "the river of the chickens".[4]

Other possible explanations are it comes from the Old English word cēo ("fish gill"), used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse gil, or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English chowe, "chough", Old English cēo, a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw, notorious for its chattering and thieving.[5] Still another suggestion is that the river is named after the Viking war god Tiw.[6]

Course

The current course of the river was likely established after the last ice age, before which the river had probably followed the course of the Congresbury Yeo to the Bristol Channel. Ice blocking the Bristol Channel would have diverted the Chew such that it flowed north rather than west through Compton Martin to join the Avon.[7]

Roman use

"Pigs" (ingots) of lead from the Charterhouse Roman Town on Mendip were brought to the river to be transported to Sea Mills on the Avon for shipment overseas.[8]

Flood of 1968

Memorial stained glass window in the Church of St Peter, Marksbury to a resident who lost her life when the Pensford Bridge was swept away.

The Chew Stoke flood of 1968 caused serious damage to towns and villages along its path, sweeping away the bridge at Pensford.[9][10]

Fishing

Fish ladders have been installed at three weirs in Keynsham and Chewton Keynsham to allow fish to travel upstream. Fishing rights for the Millground and Chewton sections of the river are owned by Keynsham Angling Club.[11] The Mill Ground stretch of the River Chew consists of the six left-bank fields (looking downstream) from Chewton Place at Chewton Keynsham to the Albert Mill, Keynsham. The water is home to numerous species of fish, including chub, roach, European perch, rudd, gudgeon, dace, grayling, trout, and eel.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "River Chew – Somerset Rivers". Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Notes on the names of parishes in the county of Somerset", Notes and Queries 15 September 1883:204, drawing upon Eyton, Domesday Studies and Collinson, Somerset.
  3. ^ "History of the River Chew". River Chew Web Site. Retrieved 3 July 2006.
  4. ^ Ekwall, Eilert (1928). English River-Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-869119-X.
  5. ^ "What we know about the Chew Family". Retrieved 3 July 2006.
  6. ^ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1-874336-03-2.
  7. ^ Haslett, Simon K. (2010). Somerset Landscapes: Geology and landforms. Usk: Blackbarn Books. pp. 116–118. ISBN 9781456416317.
  8. ^ Havinden, Michael. The Somerset Landscape. The making of the English landscape. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 71. ISBN 0-340-20116-9.
  9. ^ "The great flood of 1968". Memories of Bristol. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2006.
  10. ^ Richley, Rob (June 2008). The Chew Valley floods of 1968 (PDF). Exeter: Environment Agency.
  11. ^ "River Chew". Keynsham Angling Club. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

External links

For further information, visit the dedicated River Chew website at www.riverchew.co.uk.

Gallery

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=River_Chew&oldid=1200500857"