River Taw

Barnstaple Longbridge

The River Taw is a 72 km long river which rises at Taw Head to the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It opens directly into the Bristol Channel on the north coast of Devon, after he has taken up the Torridge from his left side to the estuary.

Course

The river rises on the western slope of the 183 m high Hangingstone Hill at about 168 m and flows mainly north. At the beginning he is the village of South Tawton and later North Tawton and Taw Green its name. In its course he takes on a series of smaller tributaries, all in the headwaters of Dartmoor, further seaward also arise from the Exmoor, including Lapford Yeo, Little Dart River Mole. These tributaries all flow from the right, because the left side of the Taw Torridge flowing parallel allows no major inflows. From Newbridge, which is 19 kilometers away from the sea, it will be subject to the tides. Shortly after Barnstaple flows nor the nearly three -kilometer Yeo, who is also caused by the tides has different high water level.

On his way to the sea, the River Taw after 15 kilometers of the four-lane A30 and six miles later on a common bridge also crossed by the B3072 and B3124. Shortly after the village of Cold Ridge (km 28), the river then runs parallel to the A377 and the Tarka Line Railway to Barnstaple and is crossed several times by both.

Estuary

The estuary starts at Newbridge. There, the river is about 20 meters wide. In the mouth area, the distance from shore to shore is about 750 meters. The tidal range on his last section of about six meters.

Importance of the river

Except Barnstaple today around 34,000 inhabitants and its present suburb Newbridge there are no significant settlements along the river. Nevertheless, its valley is an important traffic route for both the road and the rail. Most of the time the River Taw is accompanied by two times on his right, sometimes on the left bank. On the river itself no shipping takes place above Barnstaple Longbridge.

Both a railway company, namely the " Taw Vale Railway and Dock Company " and the track " Taw Vale Railway", a branch of the " North Devon Railway ," owe their name to the Taw. The town of Barnstaple has always been an important trading center, but was enhanced by the integration of the railway in its appeal.

Meanwhile crosses next to the Long Bridge, which has its origins in the Middle Ages, yet another bridge over the River Taw in front of his mouth into the sea: the long - awaited " Downstream Bridge", part of the city bypass Barnstaple Western Bypass.

Even far out in the mouth region inhibits the long sandbar Braunton Burrows, the ship access to the ports of Barnstaple, Fremington, Instow and Bideford.

Fremington was especially in the mid-19th century, the main transit port between Bristol and Lands End, especially for Welsh coal that was transported in this way only a short distance across the Bristol Channel, and was conveyed from here by train. The last Taw - port against the sea is Yelland. Between 1955 and 1984 there was a coal-fired power plant, which was demolished in 1989, but today is the port for the transshipment of petrochemical goods, especially for crude oil, used. There are some oil tanks at this point.