River Evenlode

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Evenlode
River Blade (archaic)
River Evenlode.jpg
The Evenlode at Ascott-under-Wychwood
Location
Country England
Counties Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire
Towns/Villages Stow-on-the-Wold, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Charlbury, Cassington
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, Cotswold Hills
Mouth River Thames
  location
Above King's Lock
Length72 km (45 mi)
Discharge 
  locationCassington Mill
  average3.70 m3/s (131 cu ft/s)
  minimum0.12 m3/s (4.2 cu ft/s)25 August 1976
  maximum26.7 m3/s (940 cu ft/s)28 December 1979
Basin features
Tributaries 
  left River Glyme

The River Evenlode is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east to the Thames, its valley providing the route of the southern part of the Cotswold Line. The river flows for 45 miles (72 km) from source to the River Thames. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The name Evenlode is modern; until the late 1890s the river was called the River Blade, hence the name of Bladon, even though strictly Bladon is on the River Glyme, a tributary; [5] [6] the Ordnance Survey map of 1884 already uses the name Evenlode. [7]

The River Evenlode passes through Evenlode, Bledington, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Ascott-under-Wychwood and Charlbury. The river joins the Thames approximately one mile down river from Cassington on the reach above King's Lock, 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Oxford. Between Cassington and Eynsham, the Cassington Canal is fed by the river and joins the Thames 0.31 miles (0.5 km) upstream of the Evenlode. [4] [8]

The river is largely privately owned, used for fishing and other leisure activities. The Environment Agency has undertaken restoration work, as of 2008, to recover from the effects of excessive dredging. [9] Powered craft are not allowed on the river. [6] Hilaire Belloc commemorated the river in some of his poetry. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotswolds</span> Protected area in south central England

The Cotswolds is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxfordshire</span> County of England

Oxfordshire is a historic, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily due to the work of the University of Oxford. Oxfordshire is locally governed by Oxfordshire County Council, together with the lower tier councils of its five non-metropolitan districts: City of Oxford, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire. The ceremonial county is landlocked and bordered by Northamptonshire to the north-east, Warwickshire to the north-west, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, Wiltshire to the south-west, and Gloucestershire to the west. The areas of Oxfordshire south of the River Thames were part of the historic county of Berkshire, including the county's highest point, the 261-metre (856 ft) White Horse Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotswold District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region. Its main town is Cirencester. Other notable towns include Tetbury, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Campden. Notable villages in the district include Bourton-on-the-Water, Blockley, Kemble and Upper Rissington among other villages and hamlets in the district. Cotswold District Council is composed of 34 councillors elected from 32 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Oxfordshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

West Oxfordshire is a local government district in northwest Oxfordshire, England, including towns such as Woodstock, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Carterton and Witney, where the council is based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlbury</span> Town in Oxfordshire, England

Charlbury is a town and civil parish in the Evenlode valley, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Witney in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of Wychwood Forest and the Cotswolds. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,830.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock, Oxfordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Woodstock is a market town and civil parish, 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Oxford in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 3,100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combe, Oxfordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Combe is a village and civil parish about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire. It is bounded to the south and southwest by the River Evenlode, to the northwest partly by the course of the Akeman Street Roman road and partly by a road parallel with it, and to the east by the boundary of Blenheim Great Park. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 768.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotswold Line</span> Railway line between Oxford and Hereford

The Cotswold Line is an 86+12-mile (139.2 km) railway line between Oxford and Hereford in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Leach</span> River in England

The River Leach is a river tributary to the River Thames, in England which runs mostly in Gloucestershire. It is approximately 18 miles (29 km) long, springing from the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds. In parts of its course it becomes a seasonal bourn, only running above ground when there is sufficient rainfall. Despite its small size it gives its name to two towns and a pair of villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witney (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliament constituency since 1983

Witney is a county constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election, and was created for the 1983 general election. It has been a safe Conservative Party seat at recent elections. It is currently represented by Robert Courts of the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bledington</span> Human settlement in England

Bledington is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about four miles southeast of Stow-on-the-Wold and six miles southwest of Chipping Norton. The population of the civil parish in 2014 was estimated to be 490.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shipton-under-Wychwood</span> Human settlement in England

Shipton-under-Wychwood is an English village and civil parish in the Evenlode valley about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Burford, Oxfordshire. The village is one of three named after the ancient forest of Wychwood. The others are Milton-under-Wychwood immediately to the west of the village and Ascott-under-Wychwood about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east. The 2011 Census recorded Shipton-under-Wychwood's parish population as 1,244.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Lock</span> Lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England

King's Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England. It is in open country to the north of Oxford, Oxfordshire, on the southern bank of the river. The lock was one of the last pound locks built on the Thames, built by the Thames Conservancy in 1928 to replace the former flash lock. It has the smallest fall of any lock on the river, 0.77 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finstock</span> Human settlement in England

Finstock is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) south of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. The parish is bounded to the northeast by the River Evenlode, to the southeast partly by the course of Akeman Street Roman road, and on other sides by field boundaries. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 797. For most of its history Finstock was a township of the ancient parish of Charlbury. Finstock became a separate civil parish in the late 19th century.

The Oxfordshire Way is a long-distance walk in Oxfordshire, England, with 6 miles in Gloucestershire and very short sections in Buckinghamshire. The path links with the Heart of England Way and the Thames Path.

Fawler is a hamlet and civil parish in the valley of the River Evenlode, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. There are traces of a Roman villa at Oatlands Farm. The manor house was built in 1660. Finstock railway station on the Cotswold Line is closer to Fawler than to Finstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Glyme</span> River in Oxfordshire, England

The River Glyme is a river in Oxfordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Evenlode. It rises about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Chipping Norton, and flows southeast past Old Chalford, Enstone, Kiddington, Glympton and Wootton, Woodstock and through Blenheim Park. At Wootton the Glyme is joined by a tributary, the River Dorn. The Glyme joins the Evenlode just south of the park near Bladon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Shire Stone</span> Boundary marker in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, UK

The Four Shire Stone is a boundary marker that marks the place where the four historic English counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire once met. Since 1931, with a change to the boundaries of Worcestershire, only three of the counties meet at the stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassington Canal</span> Canal in Oxfordshire

The Cassington Canal was an early 19th-century canal near Eynsham, Oxfordshire. The canal was built by the 4th Duke of Marlborough to provide a link between the River Thames and Cassington Mill; it later provided alternative wharfage to that at Eynsham. The 0.75-mile (1.21 km) canal was in operation for less than 70 years, its use declining with the advent of rail transport.

References

  1. "Evenlode (Source to Four Shires S) and Longborough Stream". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  2. "Evenlode (Compton Bk to Bledington Bk) and 4 Shires". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  3. "Evenlode (Bledington to Glyme confluence)". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Evenlode (Glyme to Thames)". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  5. Mills, A.D. (2011). A dictionary of British place-names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 61. ISBN   978-0-19-960908-6.
  6. 1 2 Mills, Caroline (2011). Slow Cotswolds: including Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford (1 ed.). Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 132. ISBN   978-1-84162-344-3.
  7. Oxfordshire Sheet XXV (Map). 1:10560. OS Six-inch England and Wales. Ordnance Survey. 1884.
  8. Hughes, Simon; Killingbeck, Andy (1992). "Oxford Structures Fisheries Survey" (PDF). environmentdata.org. Environment Agency. p. 53. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. "Environment Agency Fish and their environment". Archived from the original on 11 January 2007.
  10. Bingham, Jane (2009). The Cotswolds : a cultural history. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 160. ISBN   978-0-19-539875-5.
Next confluence upstream River Thames Next confluence downstream
River Windrush (north)River Evenlode Dukes Cut (for Oxford Canal) (north)

Coordinates: 51°47′N1°20′W / 51.783°N 1.333°W / 51.783; -1.333