What are the longest rivers in the UK?
The longest rivers in each of the four UK countries are:
- River Severn in England
- River Tay in Scotland
- River Bann in Northern Ireland
- River Tywi in Wales
Watch: Learn about the longest rivers in the UK
Discover more about the longest river in the UK - the River Severn.
Have you ever looked at a river and wondered where all the water has come from? Or where it is going to?
My name is Seren and today I'm investigating the UK's longest rivers.
This is the River Severn, and at 354km long, it's the longest river in the UK. It starts here in Wales, where we call it Afon Hafren.The place where a river starts is called its source. The source of the Severn is at a place called Pumlumon or Plynlimon in English.
When rain falls on the mountains, and it rains a lot in Wales, it flows down to the valley below and becomes a river. The River Severn then flows into England and goes in a big curve through three counties and then out into the sea. This is called the river mouth.
The UK's second longest river is the Thames, which is 346km long, and you'll probably know it as the river that flows through London. The source of the Thames is different to the Severn.
It begins as a tiny trickle of water, called a spring, in the middle of a field.
Rivers are often used as boundaries. So where I am standing is in Wales, but over there on the other side of the Severn, that's England.
In the past, people liked to live nearby a river, because that is where they got their water from and they could use the river's flow to turn machinery like water mills.
And before there were motorways and railways, people used the rivers as the main way of getting the things they've bought and sold from place to place.
But, the downside of living near a river is that it can flood and you might end up with a home full of water. So a lot of money is spent on flood defences to keep people and their houses safe, like the barrier at the River Thames mouth.
What river is nearest to where you live? Where does it start? Where does it end? Go exploring!
Since it's well over 300km to the source of the River Severn from here, I think I'll get a lift. Bye!
What is a river?
A river is a natural body of water that flows over land.
- Rivers often begin in mountains and hills.
- They flow downhill.
- Rivers shape land, because they carve out valleys and carry rocks with them.
- Usually, rivers flow into a sea or ocean.
Rivers in the UK
Many of the first villages were built near rivers, because the rivers provided people with fresh water, fish and transport.
For example, England's capital city, London, was built on the River Thames.
When the Romans founded London, they chose that point on the River Thames because it was easy to build a bridge there. Plus the river allowed them to move supplies to and from Britain.
Rivers and people
Rivers are still essential for people because:
- they provide us with water.
- farmers use the rich soils near rivers to grow their crops.
- they are used for travelling and the transportation of materials and goods.
- they are visited for Activities people do in their free time to relax. such as fishing, boating and swimming.
In the past, people used to live near rivers. Because of this, they got used to expecting seasonal flooding. The floods left Sediment can be small pieces of rocks, minerals and the remains of plants., which was good for growing food.
Over time, people have learned ways to control the rivers to stop flooding. One example of this is building dams.
How people use rivers
Image caption, To supply water to towns
This is Ladybower Reservoir, one of three dams supplying drinking water to the cities of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby. The River Ashop and the River Derwent flow into this reservoir and fill it with water.
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Activities
Quiz: Where are the longest rivers?
Quiz: River features
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