River Avon, Bristol
The
River Avon is a
river in the traditional
counties of
Gloucestershire,
Wiltshire,
Somerset and the City and County of
Bristol in the south west of
England. It is also known as the
Lower Avon or
Bristol Avon. It
rises near Chipping Sodbury in
Gloucestershire, runs east and then south through
Wiltshire, then turns north-west through
Bradford-on-Avon,
Bath and
Bristol and joins the
Severn estuary at Avonmouth near
Bristol. In central Bristol it is diverted from its original course onto the "New Cut"; the original course is held at a consistent level by lock gates (desgined by
Brunel) and is known as the "Floating Harbour". Downstream of central Bristol it passes through a deep gorge, which is spanned by Brunel's
Clifton Suspension Bridge. The
Kennet and Avon Canal is joined to the Avon in Bath.
See also