River Tone

River Tone
The River Tone near Burrowbridge
Location
Country	England
County	Somerset
Settlements	Taunton, Creech St Michael
Physical characteristics
Source	Brendon Hills
• location	Huish Champflower, West Somerset, Somerset, England
• coordinates	51°06′05″N 3°24′29″W / 51.10139°N 3.40806°W / 51.10139; -3.40806
Mouth	River Parrett
• location	Burrowbridge, Taunton Deane, Somerset, England
• coordinates	51°04′02″N 2°55′02″W / 51.06722°N 2.91722°W / 51.06722; -2.91722
Length	33 km (21 mi)
Basin size	414 km2 (160 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Bishops Hull
• average	3.02 m3/s (107 cu ft/s)[1]

source

mouth

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Map of Somerset — showing the source and mouth of the Tone

v t e River Tone
Legend
A361  Burrowbridge River Parrett Stanmoor Bridge Athelney Bridge Curry Moor Pumping Station Railway Bridge Hook Bridge New Bridge New Bridge (former gates) Knapp Bridge Ham mill and weir (former lock) Weir Bridgwater and Taunton Canal former mill Creech St Michael Bridge weir former lock Chard Canal Branch line to Chard  M5  bridge  A38  bridge, Bathpool Bathpool mill weir Bathpool (former lock) Obridge (former lock)  A358  Obridge viaduct Railway Bridge Firepool lock and weir Junction with canal Grand Western Canal Priory Bridge Road  A3027  North Bridge Gas Works basin French weir  A3065  Silk Mills Rd, Roughmoor Upcott Bridge Bradford on Tone Bridge Railway Bridge East Nynehead Bridge Clatworthy Reservoir source near Huish Champflower

The River Tone is a river in the English county of Somerset. The river is about 33 kilometres (21 mi) long. Its source is at Beverton Pond near Huish Champflower in the Brendon Hills, and is dammed at Clatworthy Reservoir. The reservoir outfall continues through Taunton and Curry and Hay Moors, which are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Finally, it flows into the River Parrett at Burrowbridge.

River Tone Navigation Act 1698
Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for makeing and keeping the River Tone navigable from Bridgwater to Taunton in the County of Somersett.
Citation	10 Will. 3. c. 8 (Ruffhead: 10 & 11 Will. 3. c. 8)
Dates
Royal assent	24 March 1699

An act of Parliament granted in 1699, the River Tone Navigation Act 1698 (10 Will. 3. c. 8) authorised work that made the river navigable as far as Taunton. The act specified that profits should be used to benefit the poor of Taunton, but the proprietors succeeded in avoiding their obligation until 1843, when they used the proceeds from the sale of the navigation to fund a wing of the Taunton and Somerset Hospital, and to aid the Taunton Market Trust.

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal opened in 1827, which provided an easier route than the river, and protracted legal battles followed over ownership of the river and water rights for the canal. These were not finally resolved until 1832, when the canal company formally took over the river navigation. The ability to navigate the river gradually deteriorated, not helped by the abandonment of the River Parrett as a navigation in 1878. Following flooding in Taunton in 1960, much of the river between there and its mouth was straightened, and the navigation locks were removed. That at Ham was blown up by the Territorial Army. Navigation rights were repealed in 1967.