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TheRiver Plym is ariver inDevon, England. It runs fromDartmoor in the centre of the county southwest to meet theRiver Meavy, then south towardsPlymouth Sound. The river is popular with canoeists, and thePlym Valley Railway runs alongside a section of the river.
The river'ssource is around 450 metres (1,480 ft) abovesea level onDartmoor, in an upland marshy area calledPlym Head.[1][2] From theupper reaches, which containantiquities andmining remains, the river flows roughly southwest past clay workings atShaugh before theDewerstone, where it meets theRiver Meavy. The course then changes to run southwards, betweenPlymouth andPlympton passing through theNationalPlymbridge Woods and under the ancient Plym Bridge. Its upper tidal estuary is known as theLaira and the lower part is calledCattewater, which isnavigable and leads towardsPlymouth Sound.[3][4] It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) long.[3][1]
The name Plym is thought to have its origins inOld English and means the "plum tree" (Cornish:ploumenn), from a back-formation from the name ofPlympton. The port ofPlymouth took its name from the river.[5]
HMS Plym, aRiver-class antisubmarine frigate, was named after the river duringWorld War II. It carried outconvoy escort duties in theNorth Atlantic and was later destroyed in the UK's first nuclear explosion.[6]
When it was in operation, theCann Quarry Canal left the river at Marsh Mills.[7]
ThePlym Valley Railway runs alongside the River Plym. It opened in 1856 as a section of theSouth Devon and Tavistock Railway, which followed the river as far as the tributary with the River Meavy. The line closed to passengers in 1962, and goods services stopped four years later. The new railway is a volunteer-run railway that operates steam and diesel-hauled train rides. The first section from Plym Valley from Marsh Mills station opened in 2001, with an extension to Lee Moor Crossing in 2008.[8] In 2013, the line was extended to Plymbridge.[9] The remainder of the line forms part of the Plym Valley Trail, a cycle route from Plymouth toIlfracombe.[10]
The River Plym is popular forcanoeing. The upper section ofDartmoor from Cadover Bridge to Shaugh Bridge is considered challenging and has been described by theBritish Canoe Union as the hardest section of the river to navigate. It is often the first river to fill during heavy rain and one of the first to drop afterward. Experienced canoeists judge the water level carefully around the weather. This section has some pool drops, which are not recommended for novices. Lower sections beyond Shaugh Bridge to Bickleigh Bridge are easier to navigate past the first rapid, provided the river is at a sufficient water level.[11]
In addition, the Plym is rich with brown trout, sea trout, and salmon. Angling is allowed in both lower and upper areas with much of the water being managed by Plymouth & District Freshwater Angling Association.[12]
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