| River Exe | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Counties | Devon,Somerset |
| Settlements | Exeter,Tiverton,Exmouth |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Exe Head |
| • location | nearSimonsbath,Somerset,England |
| • coordinates | 51°09′33″N3°47′12″W / 51.15917°N 3.78667°W /51.15917; -3.78667 |
| • elevation | 440 m (1,440 ft) |
| Mouth | Lyme Bay |
• location | English Channel |
• coordinates | 50°36′53″N3°25′30″W / 50.61472°N 3.42500°W /50.61472; -3.42500 |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 96 km (60 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Thorverton |
| • average | 15.89 m3/s (561 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 0.44 m3/s (16 cu ft/s)27 August 1976 |
| • maximum | 492.6 m3/s (17,400 cu ft/s)4 December 1960 |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Stoodleigh |
| • average | 12.41 m3/s (438 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Pixton |
| • average | 4.47 m3/s (158 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | River Haddeo,River Culm,River Clyst |
| • right | River Barle,River Creedy |
TheRiver Exe (/ˈɛks/EKS) is ariver in England thatrises at Exe Head, near the village ofSimonsbath, onExmoor inSomerset, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) from theBristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies inDevon. It flows for 60 miles (96 km)[1] and reaches the sea at a substantialria, theExe Estuary, on the south (English Channel) coast of Devon. Historically, itslowest bridging point was theOld Exe Bridge inExeter, the largest settlement on the river, but there is now a viaduct for theM5 motorway about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city centre.
The river's name derives from *uɨsk, aCommon Brittonic root meaning "abounding in fish", and acognate of both theIrishiasc, meaning "fish", andpysg, the plural word for "fish" inWelsh.[2][3] The same root separately developed into theEnglishAxe andEsk, theWelshUsk, though not, as some have claimed, the wordwhisky, this latter being from theClassical Irish/Gaelicuisgi "water" (the fuller phrase beinguisgi betha;Irish:uisce beatha;Scottish Gaelic:uisge beatha; "aqua vitae" ("water of life")).
The river's name occurs inExeter ("fortress on the Exe") and many other settlements along its course, includingExford,Up Exe,Nether Exe,Exwick,Exton,Exminster, andExebridge,[4] where it is joined by theRiver Barle. The seaside town ofExmouth is at the east side of the estuary mouth, andDawlish Warren is at the west, with its long sand spit extending across the mouth.
The river fuelled Exeter's growth and relative importance in medieval times. The city's first industrial area was developed atExe Island, which was created in the 10th century by digging a series ofleats into the sandy and marshy land bordering the river. The island became home to numerouswatermills producing paper and textiles.[5]
Tides on the river are limited at Trews Weir in Exeter, two kilometres upstream ofCountess Wear, the site of a formerweir commissioned by theCountess of Devon in the 13th century.[6] TheExeter Canal bypassed this weir to enable ships to reach ExeterQuay. At high tide, the estuary forms a large body of water that is heavily used for water sports, especially sailing, windsurfing and water skiing.
Railways run along both sides of the estuary. TheAvocet Line from Exeter to Exmouth on the eastern side, and theSouth Devon main line on the western. The latter is on a causeway, theSouth Devon Railway sea wall fromPowderham to Dawlish Warren. TheExmouth to Starcross Ferry carries passengers across the mouth of the estuary during the summer months, linking the harbour at Exmouth with a pier adjacent toStarcross railway station on the South Devon main line.
At low tide, extensivemud flats are exposed, and these are an important feeding source for wading birds. Along with otherrias inSouth West England, the Exe estuary is an important site for wintering waders. Dawlish Warren is a favoured site for birdwatching. The river has a low pH but does not suffer from a seriousacid rain problem. It is populated with wildbrown trout, and in the lower reaches coarse fish including dace, chub, perch, roach, pike and bream and somegrayling, the average size being 8–10 ounces (230–280 g). There is a run ofAtlantic salmon and a sparse run of sea trout. Just 150 metres (490 ft) below the union of the River Barle is Black Pool, which is one of the best, and highest salmon pools on the river. The smaller fish species present include stone loach and there are good reasons to assume others are present.
In 2008 theEnvironment Agency embarked on a project to clear vegetation from the river in Exeter as well as make way for flood defence work. In order to do the former the water level was lowered further than during the worst droughts that Exeter had seen.[7]
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