River Barle

River Barle
River
Tarr Steps viewed downstream
Country	England
Counties	Devon, Somerset

Tributaries
- left	Little River
- right	Sherdon Water
Cities	Withypool, Simonsbath
Landmark	Tarr Steps


Source
- location	Near Simonsbath, Exmoor, Somerset
- elevation	400 m (1,312 ft)
- coordinates	51°08′30″N 3°48′38″W / 51.14167°N 3.81056°W / 51.14167; -3.81056
Mouth	River Exe
- location	Exebridge, Devon
- coordinates	51°00′37″N 3°31′55″W / 51.01028°N 3.53194°W / 51.01028; -3.53194Coordinates: 51°00′37″N 3°31′55″W / 51.01028°N 3.53194°W / 51.01028; -3.53194

Length	7 mi (11 km)

The River Barle runs from the Chains on northern Exmoor, in Somerset, England to join the River Exe at Exebridge, Devon. The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

On the Chains above Simonsbath is a 3 acres (1.2 ha) reservoir known as Pinkery Pond. It was formed by damming the River Barle, in the 19th century by John Knight and his son, and was originally intended to be 7 acres (2.8 ha). The purpose is unknown but close to the pond is the remains of a small canal.^[1] Wheal Eliza Mine was an unsuccessful copper and iron mine on the river near Simonsbath.

The river passes under a late medieval six arch stone Landacre Bridge in Withypool,^[2] and the Tarr Steps a prehistoric clapper bridge possibly dating from 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans.^[3] It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.^[4] In Dulverton the river is crossed by the Barle Bridge.

Ecology

The river flows through the Somerset Wildlife Trust's Mounsey Wood Nature Reserve and Knaplock and North Barton SSSI notified in 1954. The site is within Exmoor National Park.

The Barle Valley contains extensive tracts of ancient upland sessile oak ancient woodland which exhibit variations in structure and species composition as a result of difference in past management, geology and topography. The diversity of the site is increased substantially by areas of valley mire, heathland and acid grassland. Eighty five woodland vascular plant species have been recorded including thirty one ancient woodland indicators from a single compartment. The meadows are one of the few sites for great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) on Exmoor. Springs emerging from the base of sandstone slopes generate nutrient poor acid mires dominated by Sphagnum and Polytrichum moss carpets. The lichen flora is exceptional both for its luxuriance and in the number of rare species. One hundred and sixty five taxa of epiphytic lichens are present containing a remarkably large proportion of ancient woodland indicators giving the Barle a very high index of ecological continuity. The site contains an outstanding assemblage of woodland breeding birds including particularly high densities of wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). The River Barle provides an important habitat for kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), while scrub and heath have breeding stonechat (Saxicola torquata) and whinchat (Saxicola rubetra). Twenty species of butterfly have been recorded in the valley including the nationally scarce marsh fritillary (Eurodryas aurinia) and nationally vulnerable high brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe). Both roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) graze areas of wood pasture. The presence of otters (Lutra lutra) on the Barle has been regularly recorded. A colony of dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) inhabits at least one of the hazel coppices.^[5]

Recreation

water flowing through a green valley with numerous trees.

The Barle at Simonsbath

Angling

Salmon and trout are regularly fished from the Barle.^[6]

Walking

For much of its route the river's banks are the path of the Two Moors Way footpath.^[7]

Kayaking and canoeing

The upper reaches of the Barle produced favourable rapids which appeal to whitewater kayakers. The rapids are Graded at 2 (3-) which beginner to intermediate kayakers and canoeists paddle.^[8]^[9]

References

↑ Warren, Derrick (2005). Curious Somerset. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-0-7509-4057-3.
↑ "Landacre Bridge". Images of England. English Heritage. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
↑ Leete-Hodge, Lornie (1985). Curiosities of Somerset. Bodmin: Bossiney Books. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0-906456-98-3.
↑ "Tarr Steps". Images of England. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
↑ "Barle Valley" (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
↑ "River Barle". Everything Exmoor. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
↑ "Walk 1860 - The River Barle and Withypool from Tarr Steps". Walking Britain. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
↑ "Guide to the River Barle". UK Rivers Guidebook. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
↑ "River Barle". British Canoe Union South West. Retrieved 2008-10-18.

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)

Aller and Beer Woods Aller Hill Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Babcary Meadows Barle Valley Barrington Hill Meadows Berrow Dunes Black Down and Sampford Commons Brean Down Bridgwater Bay Briggins Moor Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Cleeve Hill Cogley Wood Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Curry and Hay Moors Deadman Draycott Sleights Dunster Park and Heathlands East Polden Grasslands Ebbor Gorge Edford Woods and Meadows Exmoor Coastal Heaths Fivehead Woods and Meadow Freshmoor Friar's Oven Ge-mare Farm Fields Great Breach and Copley Woods Grove Farm Hardington Moor Hestercombe House Holme Moor & Clean Moor King's Sedgemoor Kingdown and Middledown Kingweston Meadows Lang's Farm Langford Heathfield Langmead and Weston Level Long Lye Long Lye Meadow Longleat Woods Millwater Moorlinch Nettlecombe Park North Brewham Meadows North Curry Meadow North Exmoor North Moor Old Iron Works, Mells Perch Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Postlebury Wood Priddy Pools Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Quantock Hills Quants Ringdown River Barle Rodney Stoke Roebuck Meadows Ruttersleigh Severn Estuary Shapwick Heath Sharpham Moor Plot South Exmoor Southey and Gotleigh Moors Southlake Moor Sparkford Wood St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stowell Meadow Street Heath Tealham and Tadham Moors Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Twinhills Woods and Meadows Vallis Vale Walton and Ivythorn Hills West Moor West Sedgemoor Westhay Heath Westhay Moor Wet Moor Whitevine Meadows Windsor Hill Marsh Wookey Hole Woolhayes Farm

Neighbouring areas Avon Devon Dorset Wiltshire

Rivers of Exmoor, England

Rivers	Aller Avill Barle Bray East Lyn Exe Hoar Oak Water Haddeo Horner Heddon West Lyn

Ceremonial county of Somerset

Somerset Portal

Unitary authorities	Bath and North East Somerset North Somerset

Boroughs or districts	Mendip Sedgemoor South Somerset Taunton Deane West Somerset

Major settlements	Axbridge Bath Bridgwater Bruton Burnham-on-Sea Castle Cary Chard Clevedon Crewkerne Dulverton Frome Glastonbury Highbridge Ilminster Keynsham Langport Midsomer Norton Minehead Nailsea North Petherton Portishead Radstock Shepton Mallet Somerton Taunton Watchet Wellington Wells Weston-super-Mare Wincanton Wiveliscombe Yeovil See also: List of civil parishes in Somerset

Rivers	Alham Aller Avill Avon Axe (Bristol Channel) Axe (Lyme Bay) Badgworthy Water Banwell Barle Brue Cam Brook Cary Chew East Lyn Exe Fivehead Frome Haddeo Hoar Oak Water Holford Horner Huntspill Isle Land Yeo Mells Midford Brook Oare Water Parret Severn Estuary Sheppey Somer Sowy Tone Washford Wellow Brook West Lyn Whitelake Yeo (Congresbury) Yeo (South Somerset)

Topics	Country houses County Council Culture of Somerset Economy of Somerset Flag Geography of Somerset Geology of Somerset Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings High Sheriff of Somerset History of Somerset Local nature reserves Lord Lieutenant of Somerset Museums National nature reserves Parliamentary constituencies Places Scheduled monuments Schools SSSIs Transport in Somerset Geographic areas: Blackdown Hills Brendon Hills Chew Valley Exmoor Mendip Hills Polden Hills Quantock Hills Somerset Levels South West Coast Path West Somerset Coast Path

Ceremonial county of Devon

Devon Portal

Unitary authorities	Plymouth Torbay

Boroughs or districts	Exeter East Devon Mid Devon North Devon Torridge West Devon South Hams Teignbridge

Major settlements	Ashburton Axminster Bampton Barnstaple Bideford Bovey Tracey Bradninch Brixham Buckfastleigh Budleigh Salterton Chagford Chudleigh Chulmleigh Colyton Crediton Cullompton Dartmouth Dawlish Exeter Exmouth Great Torrington Hartland Hatherleigh Holsworthy Honiton Ilfracombe Ivybridge Kingsbridge Kingsteignton Lynton Modbury Moretonhampstead Newton Abbot North Tawton Northam Okehampton Ottery St Mary Paignton Plymouth Plympton Salcombe Seaton Sidmouth South Brent South Molton Tavistock Teignmouth Tiverton Torquay Totnes See also: List of civil parishes in Devon

Rivers	Ashburn Avon Axe Barle Bovey Bray Burn Clyst Creedy Culm Dart East Dart West Dart Erme Exe Heddon Lemon Lew Lumburn Lyd East Lyn West Lyn Meavy Mole Okement East Okement West Okement Otter Plym Sid Swincombe Tamar Tavy Taw Teign Thrushel Torridge Walkham Wallabrooke East Webburn West Webburn Wolf Yealm

Topics	Flag Devon County Council Parliamentary constituencies Economy Places Towns by population SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Bridges History Schools Museums Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Notable people Dartmoor Exmoor Jurassic Coast South West Coast Path North Devon's Biosphere Reserve

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