River Till, Wiltshire

River Till
River Till at Shrewton
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Country within the UKEngland
CountiesWiltshire
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationTilshead
 • coordinates51°13′49″N 1°57′21″W / 51.23028°N 1.95583°W / 51.23028; -1.95583
Mouth 
 • location
Stapleford, Wiltshire
 • coordinates
51°08′09″N 1°54′07″W / 51.13583°N 1.90194°W / 51.13583; -1.90194
Length14km

The River Till rises near Tilshead on Salisbury Plain in the English county of Wiltshire. It flows for about 14 km (9 miles) south and south-east, through Orcheston, Maddington, Shrewton, Winterbourne Stoke, Berwick St James and Stapleford, to join the River Wylye.[1]

The upper part of the river is a winterbourne, flowing only in winter and early spring.[2] The whole length of the Till has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as its vegetation includes water crowfoot which provides habitat for fish and snails.[3]

Although Tilshead village appears to be named from the river, the opposite applies. The village name was first used in the 16th century, and comes from older names based on "Theodwulf's hide" (recorded in Domesday Book as Tidolthide).[4] The river was called the Winterbourne until around the start of the 20th century, when the name River Till began to be used on Ordnance Survey maps.[5]

  1. ^ "Till (Hampshire Avon)". Catchment Data Explorer. Environment Agency. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Notification: River Till SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. August 2000. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  3. ^ "River Till SSSI". Natural England. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  4. ^ Tilshead in the Domesday Book
  5. ^ Baggs, A.P.; Freeman, Jane; Stevenson, Janet H (1995). Crowley, D.A. (ed.). "Victoria County History: Wiltshire: Vol 15 pp263-275 – Parishes: Tilshead". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 20 May 2021.