The River Blithe is a river in Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is a Tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the River Trent

River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...

 and runs for around 20 miles from source to its confluence with the River Trent.

Etymology

The Origins of the name Blithe probably come from the Old English for gentle,cheerful,quiet or merry. This is probably rooted in fact as the River runs as a gentle stream for most of its journey to the River Trent

River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...

.

Course

The Blithe rises in the Hills to the East of Stoke on Trent near to Heywood Grange Farm at around 800 feet above sea level..
It is joined by several smaller streams as it makes its way towards Caverswall

Caverswall

Caverswall is a village and parish in Staffordshire, to the south west of Staffordshire Moorlands.- Etymology :The name Caverswall is thought to have its origins in the Saxon words Cafhere, a personal noun, and Waelle, which meant spring or well.By the time of the Domesday Book the village was...

. The River though is still only a small stream at this stage.
It passes the village of Blythe Bridge

Blythe Bridge

Blythe Bridge is a village situated in the Staffordshire Moorlands District, although it is effectively a south-eastern suburb of the city of Stoke-on-Trent.-Etymology:...

 and roughly follows the Stoke

Stoke-upon-Trent

Stoke-upon-Trent, commonly called Stoke or Stoke town, is a component town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England....

 to Derby

Derby

Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...

 Railway line.The countryside is mainly agricultural and is intensively farmed.
The River passes through Uttoxeter and then flows into Blithfield Reservoir.
On Leaving the reservoir it flows for about another 5 miles until it reaches its confluence with the River Trent

River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...

 at King's Bromley.

Blithfield Reservoir

The River Blithe runs into the Blithfield Reservoir

Blithfield Reservoir

Blithfield Reservoir is a large drinking water reservoir in South Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water.Some 800 acres of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Company in the 1940s. Blithfield Reservoir was opened by H.M...

 between Stafford and Burton-upon-Trent. The reservoir was constructed by the South Staffordshire Water Company and was opened in 1953.
The reservoir is a major water source for South Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

 but is also utilised for a range of leisure activities from Angling

Angling

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...

 to Water Sports. There is also an educational centre on the site.

See also

• River Blythe
  River Blythe
  The Blythe is a river in the English Midlands which runs from Warwickshire, through the borough of Solihull and on to Coleshill. It runs along the Meriden Gap in the Midlands Plateau,...
  
  
• River Blyth
  River Blyth
  River Blyth is the name of several rivers in England.*River Blyth, Northumberland*River Blyth, Suffolk...
  
  
• Blithfield Reservoir
  Blithfield Reservoir
  Blithfield Reservoir is a large drinking water reservoir in South Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water.Some 800 acres of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Company in the 1940s. Blithfield Reservoir was opened by H.M...