Hundreds of years ago, the River Severn was actually the second busiest river in the whole of Europe.ĭe-Graft: That is cool. Maisie: I think coal and flour to make bread and dough.ĭe-Graft: You’re absolutely right. So, what kind of things do you think were transported on this river in the past? They were swimming really fast.ĭe-Graft: Well historically, people used rivers to transport goods and bring trade to different areas. Maisie: Really small ripples in the river and because of the Sun, it's been reflecting onto it and making it all gold. They’re studying the river by taking photos of all the different things they can spot.Ĭan you see that tree that's got like that?ĭe-Graft: Yeah, like an arch! What has been the most interesting thing you two have taken a picture of today? Ryley and Maisie are joining me on the bank, or the side of the river. The majority of rivers then eventually join the sea at what is called it’s mouth, often forming an estuary. This forms what is called an ox-bow lake.Īs all rivers continue they become deeper and wider. Sometimes a river becomes so bendy it creates an easier route straight across and cuts off the meander. The river carves its own path out to the sea and creates bends called ‘meanders’. Some streams and smaller rivers feed into it and they are called tributaries. The middle part of a river is on lower ground. At this stage the water is fast flowing and can create rapids, waterfalls, gorges and valleys. Several of these small streams join together to form a river. Water collects and starts to flow down as a stream. But how do rivers like this begin?Įvery river has a starting point called a ‘source’, most are on mountains because that is where rain often falls. And also because rivers have acted as easy transport routes for boats to move people and goods from place to place.
This is because historically people built settlements near rivers for easy access to fresh water for homes and for farming. When you look at rivers like the River Severn or the Thames, you can see how there are major towns and cities along the route of the river. The second longest river in the UK after the River Severn is the Thames, which stretches right across here and all the way through London. But the river actually starts up in the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales here, and runs all the way into the Bristol Channel down here. I’m on the River Severn at this point here on the map. And later locals Riley and Maisie will be joining me on the riverbank to explore. I’m in a place called Ironbridge where the River Severn runs through. This is the River Severn, the longest river in the UK. Some rivers flow into lakes or other larger rivers.įinally, I’ve reached the mouth of the river, which in this case flows out to the sea.ĭe-Graft: There are hundreds of rivers and streams all across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Rivers like the Amazon and Nile are nearly 7,000 kilometres long and can be several kilometres wide in some places. The water looks quite flat here, but in other places it can be much steeper, like waterfalls!
My kayak is being pushed along by the water as it gradually flows downhill. Over time, they erode or wear away soil and rock to create canyons and gorges! Rivers always flow downhill because of gravity, going where there is the least resistance, so they meander or move around obstacles like large rocks and hills. Rivers often start in upland areas like this, from lakes, marshes and glaciers or even springs that bubble out of the ground.Ī river has a channel with banks on both sides and a bed.Īround the main channel of the river is the flood plain where the river expands when it floods. I’m starting from the beginning of the river which we call the source, here in the mountains. I’m in Sweden, following the route of a river that flows across the country, and out to the sea.
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