River Avon, Hampshire

This article is about the river flowing through Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. For the small river in the New Forest, see Avon Water. For other rivers called Avon, see River Avon.

51°20′56″N 1°56′53″W / 51.349°N 1.948°W / 51.349; -1.948

River Avon
The River Avon in Salisbury
The River Avon watershed (Interactive map)
EtymologyBrittonic Celtic meaning river
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Country within the UKEngland
CountiesWiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationVale of Pewsey, Wiltshire
 • coordinates51°20′56″N 1°56′53″W / 51.349°N 1.948°W / 51.349; -1.948
 • elevation124 metres (407 ft)
MouthEnglish Channel
 • location
Christchurch, Dorset
 • coordinates
51°20′56″N 1°56′53″W / 51.349°N 1.948°W / 51.349; -1.948
 • elevation
0 metres (0 ft)
Length96 km (60 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBourne, Linford Brook, Nine Mile River
 • rightNadder, Ebble, Turmer Brook, Sweatfords Water[1]
Designation
Official nameAvon Valley
Designated2 February 1998
Reference no.926[2]
Map

The River Avon (/ˈeɪvən/) 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 the rivers in Britain in which the phenomenon of anchor ice has been observed.[3] The Avon is thought to contain more species of fish than any other river in Britain.[4] 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 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.

  1. ^ "OpenStreetMap".
  2. ^ "Avon Valley". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ Hoodless, W.A. (2010). Christchurch Curiosities. The History Press Ltd. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7524-5670-6.
  4. ^ Wright, John (2003). Discover Dorset, Rivers and Streams. Wimborne, Dorset.: Dovecote Press. p. 41. ISBN 1-904349-10-2.