River Axe (Lyme Bay)

River Axe, Axminster, Devon

The River Axe is a river in Dorset, Somerset and Devon, in the south-west of England. It rises near Beaminster in Dorset, flows west then south by Axminster and joins the English Channel at Axmouth near Seaton in Lyme Bay. During its 22-mile (35 km) course it is fed by various streams and by the tributary rivers Yarty and Coly.

It is a shallow, non-navigable river, although its mouth at Axmouth has some boating activity.^[1]

In 1999, a section of the river extending for 13 kilometres (8.1 mi)—from the confluence with the Blackwater River (ST325023) to Colyford Bridge (SY259927)—was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It was described as supporting "an exceptionally diverse aquatic and marginal flora".^[2] The river's diversity comes from its active geomorphology, which has created a number of natural features that support niche ecologies; it also comes from there being a limited number of trees on the river bank, allowing in light; and also the riverbed stability in the lower reaches of the river.^[2] A majority of the SSSI runs through Devon; only 150 metres runs through Dorset.^[2] The underlying geology of the riverbed is alluvium with areas of valley gravel, clay, shale and marl. The fish life in the river is considered of European interest;^[2] aquatic life more generally includes salmon, bullheads, otters, medicinal leeches and kingfishers; all are of particular value, as is the diverse aquatic and marginal plant life. The geomorphology of the meanders south of Axminster are the particular geological interest.^[2]

References

↑ "Parish Biodiversity Audit for Axmouth" (PDF). Devon County Council. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 "River Axe SSSI citation" (PDF).

External links

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

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Dorset

Abbotsbury Blind Lane Abbotsbury Castle Aunt Mary's Bottom River Axe Babylon Hill Batcombe Down Belle Vue Quarry Bere Stream Black Hill Down Black Hill Heath Blashenwell Farm Pit Blandford Camp Blue Pool Boulsbury Wood Bradford Abbas Railway Cutting Brenscombe Heath Bryanston Canford Heath Chalbury Hill And Quarry Chesil Beach Christchurch Harbour Conegar Road Cutting Corfe & Barrow Hills Corton Cutting Creech Grange Crookhill Brick Pit Cull-Peppers Dish Ebblake Bog Frogden Quarry River Frome, Dorset Giant Hill, Cerne Abbas Goathill Quarry Holnest Lambert's Castle Lions Hill Lodmoor Oakers Bog Pitcombe Down Poole Harbour Portland Poxwell Radipole Lake St Catherine's Hill Shillingstone Quarry Worgret Heath

Neighbouring areas Devon Hampshire Somerset Wiltshire

Coordinates: 50°42′44″N 3°03′25″W / 50.71222°N 3.05703°W / 50.71222; -3.05703

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, December 14, 2013. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

River Axe (Lyme Bay)

See also

References

External links