Course River Avon, Bristol

the town bridge @ bradford on avon

after 2 rivers merge, avon turns south east away cotswolds , south clay dauntsey vale, joined river marden, until reaches biggest town far, chippenham. wide vale known avon vale, , river flows on via lacock melksham, turns north-west through bradford on avon, centre of town grew around ford across river avon, hence origin of town s name ( broad-ford ). supplemented in norman times stone bridge still stands today. norman side upstream, , has pointed arches; newer side has curved arches. town bridge , chapel grade listed building. packhorse bridge, widened in 17th century rebuilding western side. on bridge stands small building chapel later used town lock-up.

the avon valley between bradford on avon , bath classic geographical example of valley 4 forms of ground transport found: road, rail, river, canal. river passes under avoncliff , dundas aqueducts , @ freshford joined somerset river frome. avoncliff aqueduct built john rennie , chief engineer john thomas, between 1797 , 1801. aqueduct consists of 3 arches , 110 yards (100 m) long central elliptical arch of 60 ft (18 m) span 2 side arches each semicircular , 34 ft (10 m) across, v-jointed arch stones. spandrel , wing walls built in alternate courses of ashlar masonry, , rock-faced blocks. central span sagged after built , has been repaired many times. dundas aqueduct built same team between 1797 , 1801 , completed in 1805. james mcilquham appointed contractor. aqueduct 150 yards (137.2 m) long 3 arches built of bath stone, doric pilasters, , balustrades @ each end. central semicircular arch spans 64 feet (19.5 m); 2 oval side arches span 20 feet (6.1 m). grade listed building, , first canal structure designated scheduled ancient monument in 1951. stretch of river below , above aqueduct, joined midford brook, used bluefriars of monkton combe school boat club 6 days week since @ least 1960s.

claverton pumping station

it flows past claverton pumping station, pumped water river avon canal, using power flow of river. pumping station located in pump house built of bath stone, located @ river level. water diverted river warleigh weir, 200 yd (180 m) upstream. water flows down leat pumping station, powers water wheel, 24 ft (7.3 m) wide , 17 ft (5.2 m) in diameter, 48 wooden slats. @ full power wheel uses 2 tons (2 tonnes) of water per second , rotates 5 times minute. water wheel drives gearing increases speed 16 rpm. here, cranks drive vertical connecting rods transfer energy 2 18 ft (5.5 m) long cast iron rocking beams. each rocking beam in turn drives 18 in (0.5 m) diameter lift pump, take supply mill leat. each pump stroke raises 50 imperial gallons (230 l; 60 us gal) of water canal. in 1981, british waterways installed 2 75 horsepower (56 kw) electric pumps upstream station.

palladian pulteney bridge , weir @ bath

the avon flows through bathford, joined bybrook river, , bathampton passes under bathampton toll bridge. joined lam brook @ lambridge in bath , passes under cleveland , pulteney bridges , on weir. cleveland bridge built in 1826 william hazledine, owner of coalbrookdale ironworks, henry goodridge architect, on site of roman ferry crossing. named after 3rd duke of cleveland, spans river avon @ bathwick, , enabled further development of georgian bath take place on south side of river. designed architect henry goodridge take traffic of day, horse-drawn vehicles , pedestrians, , constructed using bath stone , cast iron arched span. pulteney bridge completed in 1773 , designated english heritage grade listed building. bridge designed robert adam, working drawings preserved in sir john soane s museum, , 1 of 4 bridges in world shops across full span on both sides. named after frances pulteney, heiress in 1767 of bathwick estate across river bath. pulteney approached brothers robert , james adam new town in mind, robert adam became involved in design of bridge. in hands simple construction envisaged pulteney became elegant structure lined shops. adam had visited both florence , venice, have seen ponte vecchio , ponte di rialto. adam s design more closely followed andrea palladio s rejected design rialto. pulteney bridge stood less 20 years in form adam created. in 1792 alterations enlarge shops marred elegance of façades. floods in 1799 , 1800 wrecked north side of bridge, had been constructed inadequate support. rebuilt john pinch elder, surveyor pulteney estate, in less ambitious version of adam s design. 19th century shopkeepers altered windows, or cantilevered out on river fancy took them. western end pavilion on south side demolished in 1903 road widening , replacement not exact match. in 1936 bridge became scheduled national monument, plans being made restoration of original façade. restoration completed in time festival of britain in 1951, further work being carried out in 1975. bath , north east somerset council have discussed plans ban vehicles bridge , turn pedestrianised zone, remains open buses , taxis.

some 700 metres below pulteney weir, river joined kennet , avon canal connects through bath locks. kennet navigation joins river thames @ reading, provides through route canal boats bristol london. point downstream river known avon navigation.

navigation

weir @ swineford lock.

the avon above bath remains navigable far bathampton there remains of flash lock . however, lock past weir below pulteney bridge demolished when weir reconstructed, passage between sections possible dinghies , canoes using roller slipway on side of weir.

beyond junction kennet , avon canal, avon flows through keynsham towards bristol. of course after leaving wiltshire, marks traditional boundary between somerset , gloucestershire. of distance navigation makes use of natural river bed, 6 locks overcoming rise of 30 feet (9 m). bath netham lock divides new cut , floating harbour 12 miles (19 km). stretch made navigable use of locks , weirs.

in city centre of bath passes under various bridges including midland bridge built midland railway company allow somerset , dorset joint railway access , green park terminus station. in november 2011 navigation between bath , bristol closed because of safety concerns victoria bridge. weston lock on outskirts of bath in forms newbridge. weston cut man made channel, opened in 1727, boats approach , pass through weston lock, created island between cut , river weir, became known dutch island after owner of brass mill established on riverside in 18th century.

kelston brass mill overlooking saltford lock.

kelston lock , weir have permanent moorings above , below them. riverside inn , saltford marina close by. saltford lock , weir overlooked remains of kelston brass mill, working until 1925. grade ii listed building. alongside lock pub, garden extends on lock small island between lock , weir. lock opened in 1727 , destroyed in 1738 rival coal dealers stop use of river transportation. in heyday, between 1709 , 1859 swineford had active brass , copper industry around swineford lock served river provided water power cloth industry, did river boyd, tributary flows avon near bitton. keynsham lock opened in 1727. above lock visitor moorings , pub, on island between lock , weir. weir side of island mouth of river chew. hanham last tidal lock, after river joined brislington brook.

netham lock point @ netham in bristol @ boats river avon, gain access bristol s floating harbour. construction started in 1804 build tidal new cut, joined river malago, , divert avon along feeder canal harbour; system designed , built william jessop , later improved isambard kingdom brunel. weir carries river new cut , boats use adjacent lock. access harbour possible during day when lock keeper open gates unless water level in river between netham , hanham above or below level of harbour. netham lock , weir form part of bristol s flood defence mechanisms , announced in december 2008 upgraded part of £11 million city docks capital project.

bristol bridge castle park



the river avon in bristol, looking towards bristol bridge welsh on left. boats of bristol ferry boat company moored in foreground, , spires of st nicholas, saints , st mary le port churches can seen in distance.

in central bristol, river tidal, diverted original course new cut, channel dug between 1804 , 1809 @ cost of £600,000. original course held @ constant level lock gates (designed jessop) , known floating harbour. floating harbour protected 1870s replacement jessop s locks. unusual dock has tentacled plan resulting origins natural river course of avon , tributaries, river frome , siston brook, , intimately entwined bristol s city centre few docks are. result of this, floating harbour 1 of more successful pieces of dockland regeneration, of dockside occupied residential, office , cultural premises, , water area heavily used leisure craft. floating harbour gave port advantage enabling shipping stay afloat rather grounding when tide went down. downstream of central bristol river passes through deep avon gorge, spanned brunel s clifton suspension bridge, river tidal , navigable seagoing vessels @ high tide drying steep sided muddy channel @ low tide. largely challenge of navigating section sealed fate of floating harbour commercial docks , saw them replaced docks @ avonmouth avon joins severn estuary.

before reaching mouth joined river trym @ sea mills site of portus abonae roman port. shortly after passes village of pill on south bank pill hobblers based in order tow ships river bristol , yachts , other boats still have moorings in chapel pill , crockern pill. passes under avonmouth bridge carries m5 motorway. main span 538 ft (164 m) long, , bridge 4,554 ft (1,388 m) long, air draught above mean high water level of 98.4 ft (30 m). river serves 2 major dock areas. royal portbury dock located on southern side of mouth of river. deepwater dock constructed between 1972 , 1977, , major port import of motor vehicles. royal portbury dock has largest entrance lock uk port, accommodating vessels 41 m (135 ft) beam, 290 m (951 ft) length , 14.5 m (48 ft) draft. avonmouth docks on north side of river , 1 of uk s major ports chilled foods, fruit , vegetables. first dock @ avonmouth, avonmouth old dock, opened in 1877 , acquired bristol corporation in 1884. in 1907, larger dock, royal edward dock, opened. docks form part of port of bristol , operated port of bristol authority, part of bristol city council, until 1991 when council granted 150-year lease bristol port company. currently, pilotage provided bristol pilots llp supply authorised pilots river avon , bristol city docks, severn estuary , bristol channel. based @ avonmouth docks in bristol.