The variation in these factors is also reflected in the contrasting runoff characteristics and subsequent inflows of the principal tributaries. [11], Downstream of Nottingham it passes Radcliffe on Trent, Stoke Bardolph and Burton Joyce before reaching Gunthorpe with its bridge, lock and weir. the river flowed over major road routes. Brian/CC BY-SA 2.0. The National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, near Nottingham combines facilities for many of these sports, including rowing, sailing and whitewater canoeing. [40] Once worked out, the remaining gravel pits which are usually flooded by the relatively high water table have been reused for a wide variety of purposes. This combined with the nearby supplies of fuel in the form of coal from the Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire coalfields, and the existing railway infrastructure meant that a string of twelve large power stations were originally constructed along its banks. The central arches of the medieval Swarkestone bridge were knocked out by the great flood of 1795 and rebuilt, but the bridge's more rural location allowed large portions of the medieval bridge to survive and remain in use today. Livestock was badly affected, 72 sheep drowned in Wilford and ten cows were lost in Bridgford. Its source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. The river starts life at Wooley Moor near Bude in Cornwall, just four miles south of the Bristol Sea coast. Underlying the upper reaches of the Trent, are formations of Millstone Grit and Carboniferous Coal Measures which include layers of sandstones, marls and coal seams. [177], The primary reason for locating so many generating stations beside the Trent was the availability of sufficient amounts of cooling water from the river. There were also negotiations with the London and North Eastern Railway, who were responsible for the Nottingham Canal between Trent Lock and Lenton. Sir Ernest Jardine, who as vice-chairman had partly funded the first lock at Cromwell in 1908, died in 1947, and the company ceased to exist in 1948 when the waterways were nationalised. Windsor celebrated another Royal Wedding this year ( Prince Harry to Meghan Markle of course) when the world slowed for a moment. [18][19] Researchers using aerial photographs and historical maps have identified many of these palaeochannel features, a well-documented example being the meander cutoff at Sawley. Many of the connecting waterways were bought by railway companies, and gradually fell into disrepair. These fording points only allowed passage across the river when water levels were low; when the river was in flood a long detour could be required. River Trent, courtesy of Richard Croft Free guides for fun days out Looking for a perfect place to picnic, relax, think, run, walk your dog and more, all for free? This proposal formed the basis for an Act of Parliament obtained in 1783, which also allowed a horse towing path to be built. [80] The vulnerable flood bank at Spalford was breached again, floodwaters spreading out across the low-lying land, even reaching the River Witham and flooding Lincoln. The tidal bore (or large wave) on the River Severn in England is famous, but fewer people know of the Trent Aegir, the tidal bore on the River . The UK's third longest river, the Trent, touches the lives of more than six million people. These levels extend across the Trent valley, and include the lower reaches of the Eau, Torne and Idle. There is a canoe slalom course at Stone, a purpose built 700m (2,300ft) artificial course at Holme Pierrepont, and various weirs including those at Newark and Sawley are all used for whitewater paddling. The current state of knowledge and proposals for future research", "Cavendish Bridge Conservation Area Appraisal and Study", "Coal-Fired Power Plants in East England & the Midlands", "Strategic Priorities for Water Related Recreation in the Midlands", "Burton-upon-Trent: Social and cultural activities", "Tom Milner swims 139 miles in nine days", "Tom Milner completes River Trent Challenge", "National Water Sports Centre About Us", "Report on the investigation of Nottingham Princess striking Trent Bridge Nottingham", "Water Framework Directive Surface Water Classification Status and Objectives 2012 csv file", Photographs along the Trent in Nottingham from Nottingham21, Predictive Modelling of Multi-Period Geoarchaeological Resources at a River Confluence. Similar facilities were present in 1870 on the water meadows at Burton-on-Trent, which also had its own swimming club. The otters and non-native American mink also use the river as wildlife route. He reported that they could be treacherous to the unwary, since there were few gauges to show if the river had become too deep to cross, and that they were rarely used except by locals. The river frontage in the town is lined with warehouses, that were once used when the town was an inland port, many of which have been renovated for modern use. The company also considered a plan to reopen the river to Burton, which would have involved the rebuilding of Kings Mills lock, and the construction of four new locks. [83] In Newark the water was deep enough to allow four grammar school boys to row across the countryside to Kelham. Due to the size of the flood and the ice entrained in the flow, nearly every bridge along the Trent was badly damaged or washed away. Navigation was then extended to Wilden Ferry, near to the more recent Cavendish Bridge, as a result of the efforts of the Fosbrooke family of Shardlow. Facts about the River Trent 5: the native and migrant species. [128] The improvements that have taken place mean that the Trent can be used for public water consumption. [109][110] This divide was also described in Michael Drayton's epic topographical poem, Poly-Olbion, The Sixe and Twentieth Song, 1622: And of the British floods, though but the third I be, [193][194][195], Both whitewater and flat water canoeing is possible on the Trent, with published guides and touring routes being listed for the river. Key information about Oxford, Royal Windsor, London and Southend and all the other towns 200+ miles along the River Thames. [11], At Shardlow, where the Trent and Mersey Canal begins, the river also meets the Derwent at Derwent Mouth. [166] King Edward fortified the Nottingham bridge in 920, while a notable battle took place at Burton's bridge in 1322, and another in 1643. [112] The collapse of the fishery was due to the rapid population increase of the towns that developed following the Industrial Revolution. "[10], The Trent rises within the Staffordshire Moorlands district, near the village of Biddulph Moor, from a number of sources including the Trent Head Well. During the 1950s, however, the same problem of effluent dilution that occurred in Stoke began to become significant in Birmingham and the Black Country. [94], The aim of the improvements was to increase the minimum depth from 2 feet (0.6m) to 3 feet (0.9m). Other changes, such as the replacement of town gas with natural gas, saw the end of the polluting and toxic coal tar emissions to rivers in 1963. The most recent occurrence involved the Celtic Endeavour being aground near Gunness for ten days, finally being lifted off by a high tide.[102][103][104]. The Newark Navigation Commissioners financed improvements to Newark Town lock at the same time, and dredging of the channel was largely funded by selling the 400,000 tonnes of gravel removed from the river bed. [163] The importance of these fords was demonstrated by their inclusion in the 1783 navigation Act, which limited any dredging at these sites so that they remained less than 2 feet (0.61m) deep. [143], Improvements in water quality and subsequent fish stocks, in combination with the ban on the use of certain persistent pesticides have meant that otters have now returned to the Trent system, having been absent as recently as the 1980s. [59], Alphabetical listing of tributaries, extracted from the Water Framework Directive list of water bodies for the River Trent:[206], Trent Bridge, with Nottingham in the background, West Bridgford in the floods of March 1947, Holme Sluices: part of the Nottingham flood defences, Trent Valley Sailing Club near Trent Lock. [57][84][85] Two days later, in the lower tidal reaches of the river, the peak of the flood combined with a high spring tide to flood villages and 2,000 properties in Gainsborough. There were, however, over thirty ferries that operated along its course, and numerous fords, where passage was possible, their locations indicated by the suffix ford in many riverside place-names such as Hanford, Bridgford, and Wilford. The Aegir cannot travel much beyond Gainsborough as the shape of the river reduces the Aegir to little more than a ripple, and weirs north of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, stop its path completely. Trento was founded, according to the classical savant Pliny the Elder and the geographer Strabo of Amaseia, by the Raetians, and it became a Roman colony and military base on the road north to the Reschen (Resia) and . In places, however the mudstones do form river cliffs, most notably at Gunthorpe and Stoke Lock near Radcliffe on Trent, the village being named after the distinctive red coloured strata. [54][55][56], Another meteorological risk, although one that occurs less often, is that related to the rapid melting of snow lying in the catchment. The most important in terms of the river are the extensive sandstone and limestone aquifers that underlie many of the tributary catchments. The largest of these is the River Tame, which contributes nearly a quarter of the total flow for the Trent, with the other significant tributaries being the Derwent at 18%, Soar 17%, the Dove 13%, and the Sow 8%. (Until the late 18th century, a long period of stagnation for economic and technical reasons limited the number of bridges over the Trent; it has been noted that relatively few bridges were constructed in England on new sites anywhere between around 12501300 and 1750. [11] To the north-east of Burton the river is joined by the River Dove at Newton Solney and enters Derbyshire, before passing between the villages of Willington and Repton where it turns directly east to reach Swarkestone Bridge. "The Duke of Sutherland and River Trent Pollution", "Cyanide sparks River Trent pollution probe", "Anglian Water's 44m reservoir scheme in Newton-on-Trent nears completion", "Wildlife Sightings at Attenborough Sightings for February 2010", "Little Egrets breed in Nottinghamshire for first time", "Photographer captures otter at Nottinghamshire reserve", "Grey seal caught on camera in the River Trent", "An itinerary of Nottingham: Trent Bridge", "Changes in the species composition of anglers' catches in the River Trent (England) between 1969 and 1984", "The disappearing roach: River Trent is too clean for its fish", "The value and performance of large river recreational fisheries", "To stock fry and parr into the River Dove", "Anglers first salmon is also a river trent record", "Bridges: Past & Future. The work was completed by September 1787, and dividends of 5 per cent were paid on the capital during 1786 and 1787, increasing to 7 per cent, the maximum allowed by the Act, after that. The major proposals included a cut and lock at Cranfleet, where the River Soar joins the Trent, a cut, locks and weirs at Beeston, which would connect with the Nottingham Canal at Lenton, and a cut and lock at Holme Pierrepont. [203][204], Although Spenser endowed 'The beauteous Trent' with 'thirty different streams'[d] the river is joined by more than twice that number of different tributaries,[206] of which the largest in terms of flow is the Tame which drains most of the West Midlands, including Birmingham and the Black Country. [154], By the 1970s the Trent was regarded as 'one of the most productive rivers in the British Isles'. [37][39], The low range of hills, which have been formed into a steep set of cliffs overlooking the Trent between Scunthorpe and Alkborough are also made up of mudstones, but are of the younger Rhaetic Penarth Group. Much of the river's route, with the exception of the city of Derby, is rural. When this retreated, the Trent adopted its current course into the Humber. These lower reaches are protected from tidal flooding by a series of floodbanks and defences. [59], In terms of rainfall the Derwent receives the highest annual average rainfall, whereas the Devon, which has the lowest average rainfall is the driest catchment of those tabulated. [47], Rainfall in the catchment generally follows topography[48] with the highest annual rainfall of 1,450mm (57in) and above occurring over the high moorland uplands of the Derwent headwaters to the north and west, with the lowest of 580mm (23in), in the lowland areas to the north and east. He suggested that dredging, deepening, and restricting the width of the channel could make significant improvements to the navigable depth, although cuts would be required at Wilford, Nottingham bridge and Holme. [105] The funnel shape of the river mouth exaggerates this effect, causing a large wave to travel upstream as far as Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, and sometimes beyond. The river flows in a southerly direction for fifty miles before reaching it's estuary on the Hamoaze, situated on Plymouth Sound in the English Channel. The River Trent was a major working river until after the Second World War. Some 20,000 acres (81km2; 31sqmi) were flooded for a period of over three weeks.[23][81][82]. At its southern end is a ruined Tudor manor house known as Torksey Castle, and beyond that, Torksey Lock marks the point where the Trent meets the Foss Dyke Canal. [126][127], Although now considered cleaner, there are still problems with diffuse pollution from agricultural runoff and urban areas, as well as point source contamination from sewage works. [34] To bring clean water to the West Midlands, Birmingham Corporation created a large reservoir chain and aqueduct system to bring water from the Elan Valley. The river then continues south through the market town of Stone, and after passing the village of Salt, it reaches Great Haywood, where it is spanned by the 16th-century Essex Bridge near Shugborough Hall. The Dadfords, who were engineers on the Trent and Mersey Canal, estimated the cost at 20,000, but the proposal was opposed by landowners and merchants on the river, while the Navigator, published in 1788, estimated that around 500 men who were employed to bow-haul boats would have lost their jobs. [69][70][71], In the lower tidal reaches the Trent has a high sediment load, this fine silt which is also known as warp', was used to improve the soil by a process known as warping, whereby river water was allowed to flood into adjacent fields through a series of warping drains, enabling the silt to settle out across the land. Recorded at 1230hrs on 8 November 2000 highest discharge since 1 September 1958. Pictures & slide show. [2] Throughout its course, the river mostly flows through the Peak District and its foothills. The river continues north-east, passing the village of Walton-on-Trent until it reaches the large town of Burton upon Trent. oregon rainfall totals 2021 / tatum ranch golf membership cost / key towns of river bann. Contained within these terraces is evidence of the mega fauna that once lived along the river, the bones and teeth of animals such as the woolly mammoth, bison and wolves that existed during colder periods have all been identified. In quantity equals not one of yours: The lower river occupies a peaty depression in the . The suburbs of Long Eaton, West Bridgford and Beeston all suffered particularly badly. As it enters the city, it passes the suburbs of Beeston, Clifton and Wilford; where it is joined by the Leen. Riverside lakes near Shardlow act as a reserve water source for Nottingham and Derby, and water is also abstracted at Torksey and Newton-on-Trent for supplies in Lincolnshire. The residents of the town wanted to increase the use of the branch nearest to them, and so an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1772 to authorise the work. The river originates from Staffordshire, west Midlands of England, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. What is the River Trent used for? [177], Once these early stations reached the end of their functional life, they were usually demolished, although in some cases the sites have been retained and redeveloped as gas fired power stations. Tolls were reduced to retain the traffic, wages were increased to retain the workforce, and they sought amalgamation with a railway company. [92], The first improvement of the lower river was at Newark, where the channel splits into two. William Jessop performed the survey, assisted by Robert Whitworth, and they published their report on 8 July 1793. [58], The river's flow is measured at several points along its course, at a number of gauging stations. [95], During the early 1930s, the company considered enlarging the navigation above Nottingham, in conjunction with improvements to the River Soar Navigation, between Trent Lock and Leicester. Crossing a wide flood plain, the bridge is almost one mile (1.6km) long, a laborious project to allow flood waters to pass under it. [153], The effluent and industrial pollution of the early 20th century, led to a rapid decline in fish stocks, large stretches of the river became fishless and species such as salmon almost disappeared. It flows through and drains the North Midlands. [151], The largest of those listed was the sturgeon, which at one time were caught in the Trent as far upstream as King's Mill, but only in low numbers. [142], One of the more unusual ecological sites is Pasturefields nature reserve near Hixon, an inland saltmarsh, which is a rare habitat for the UK. members of the crew were seized with pains in the chest. The transport of petroleum provided a welcome increase to trade on the river, but little more work was performed before the beginning of the First World War. Write by: . Up to 0.3 metres (1ft) of deposition could occur in a single season, and depths of 1.5 metres (5ft) have been accumulated over time at some locations. At certain times of the year, the lower tidal reaches of the Trent experience a moderately large tidal bore (up to 5 feet [1.5m] high), commonly known as the Trent Aegir (named after the Norse sea god). Further north at Littleborough is the site of the Roman town of Segelocum, where a Roman road once crossed the river. [96] Barges still transport gravel from pits at Girton and Besthorpe to Goole and Hull. 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