Mythology

According to some sources, the name "Severn" is derived from the name Sabrina (or Hafren), based on the mythical story of a nymph who drowned in the river. Sabrina is also the goddess of the River Severn in Brythonic mythology. The story of Sabrina is featured in Milton's Comus. There is a statue of 'Sabrina' in the Dingle Gardens at the Quarry, Shrewsbury.

As the Severn becomes tidal the associated changes to Noadu (Romanized as Nodens), who is represented mounted on a seahorse, riding on the crest of the Severn bore.

Major settlements

Below is a list of major towns and cities that the Severn flows through (from north to south:

• Newtown

• Shrewsbury (county town)

• Bewdley

• Stourport

• Worcester (county town)

• Upton

• Gloucester (county town)

Transport

Bridges

The Severn is bridged at many places, and many of these bridges are notable in their c right, with several designed and built by the engineer Thomas Telford.

Disasters

There have been many disasters on the Severn, making it Britain's most dangerous river. It has claimed many lives (figures vary depending on how it is recorded, circa 300 people especially during the 20th century.

River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands (forming a oh significant boundary between the North and South of England) until it joins the River Ouse Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.

The name "Trent" comes from a Celtic word possibly meaning "strongly flooding". More specifically, the name may be a contraction of two Celtic words, tros ("over") and hynt ("way). This may indeed indicate a river that is prone to flooding. However, a more likely explanation may be that it was considered to be a river that could be crossed principally by means of fords, i.e. the river flowed over major road routes. This may explain the presence of the Celtic element rid (c.f. Welsh rhyd, "ford") in various placenames along the Trent, such as Hill Ridware, as well as the Saxon□ derived ford. Another translation is given as "the trespasser", referring to waters flooding over the land.

It is unusual amongst English rivers in that it flows north (for the second half of its route and is also unusual in exhibiting a tidal bore, the "Aegir". The area drained by the river inch most of the northern Midlands.

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 929