River Chew
Encyclopedia
The River Chew is a small river
in England
. It merges with the River Avon
after 17 miles (27.4 km) forming the Chew Valley
.
The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from Chewton Mendip
. The river flows North West from Chewton Mendip through Litton
, Chew Valley Lake
, Chew Stoke
, Chew Magna
and Stanton Drew. The river passes under the A37
at Pensford
almost making the old church and pub garden into an island. The river then flows through the villages of Publow
, Woollard
, Compton Dando
and Chewton Keynsham
before joining the River Avon at Keynsham
. For much of the Chew's route the Two Rivers Way footpath is alongside, the same route for part of its length is also part of the Monarch's Way
long distance footpath. In total the Chew flows for some 17 miles (27.4 km) through the North Somerset countryside.
However, some people agree with Ekwall’s interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh "cyw" meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that "afon Cyw" would have been "the river of the chickens".
Other possible explanations suggest it comes from the Old English word cēo ‘fish gill’, used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse gil, or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English chowe ‘chough’, Old English cēo, a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw, notorious for its chattering and thieving. According to Robinson it is named after the Viking war god Tiw.
from the Charterhouse Roman Town
on the Mendips were brought to the river to be transported to Sea Mills
on the Avon for transshipment overseas.
.
On 10-11 July a storm brought heavy rainfall to the Valley, with 175 millimetres (7 in) falling in 18 hours on Chew Stoke, double the areas average rainfall for the whole of July.
. The water is home to a good stock of sizeable Chub
, Roach, European perch
and Rudd
, along with good numbers of Gudgeon
, Dace
and Trout
. In the Chewton section waters are much more 'wild' than the Mill Ground, with overhanging trees and fast-flowing runs, leading to deeper eddies and pools. Not all swims are fishable and some will need hacking out before angling, but this is a classic roving river. Trout, Grayling
and Chub lurk in the shady, meandering stream, along with a good showing of Dace, Roach and Eel
.
Any Flood alerts for this river are available from the Environment Agency River Chew from Chewstoke to Keynsham page
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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 merges with the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
after 17 miles (27.4 km) forming the Chew Valley
Chew Valley
The Chew Valley is an area in North Somerset, England, named after the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon at Keynsham...
.
The spring from which the Chew rises is just upstream from Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip is a village and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England. It is situated north of Wells, south of Bristol on the Mendip Hills and is the source of the River Chew. The parish includes the hamlet of Bathway.- History :...
. The river flows North West from Chewton Mendip through Litton
Litton, Somerset
Litton is a small village and civil parish between Chewton Mendip and West Harptree in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Sherborne. Very close to the village are the Litton Reservoirs.- History :...
, Chew Valley Lake
Chew Valley Lake
Chew Valley Lake is a large reservoir in the Chew Valley, Somerset, England, and the fifth-largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom , with an area of 1,200 acres...
, Chew Stoke
Chew Stoke
Chew Stoke is a small village and civil parish in the Chew Valley, in Somerset, England, about south of Bristol. It is at the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, a region designated by the United Kingdom as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is within the Bristol/Bath green belt...
, Chew Magna
Chew Magna
Chew Magna is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley in the Unitary Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, in the Ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,161.To the south of the village is Chew Valley Lake...
and Stanton Drew. The river passes under the A37
A37 road
The A37 is a major road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through Yeovil and Shepton Mallet before terminating at the Three Lamps junction with the A4 in central Bristol...
at Pensford
Pensford
Pensford is a village in the civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Somerset, England. It lies in the Chew Valley south of Bristol and west of Bath...
almost making the old church and pub garden into an island. The river then flows through the villages of Publow
Publow
Publow is a small village in the civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Bath and North East Somerset, England. It lies beside the River Chew in the Chew Valley. It is 7 miles from Bristol, 9 miles from Bath, and 4 miles from Keynsham.- History :...
, Woollard
Woollard
Woollard is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley in England. It is in the District of Bath and North East Somerset and the ceremonial county of Somerset, and is from Bristol, from Bath, and from Keynsham....
, Compton Dando
Compton Dando
Compton Dando is a small village and civil parish on the River Chew in the Chew Valley in England. It is in the District of Bath and North East Somerset and ceremonial county of Somerset, and lies from Bristol, from Bath, and from Keynsham...
and Chewton Keynsham
Chewton Keynsham
Chewton Keynsham is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley, Somerset. It is 7 miles from Bristol, 7 miles from Bath, and 2 miles from Keynsham.The village lies on the Monarch's Way long distance footpath.- Government and politics :...
before joining the River Avon at Keynsham
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
. For much of the Chew's route the Two Rivers Way footpath is alongside, the same route for part of its length is also part of the Monarch's Way
Monarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
long distance footpath. In total the Chew flows for some 17 miles (27.4 km) through the North Somerset countryside.
The name 'Chew'
The name 'Chew' has Celtic origins, but its exact meaning isn't certain, however there have been several explanations, including "winding water", the EW being a variant of the French EAU meaning water. The word CHEWER is a western dialect for a narrow passage and CHARE is Old English for turning. Many believe that the name CHEW began in Normandy as CHEUX, and came to England with the Norman Conquest during the 11th century.However, some people agree with Ekwall’s interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh "cyw" meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that "afon Cyw" would have been "the river of the chickens".
Other possible explanations suggest it comes from the Old English word cēo ‘fish gill’, used in the transferred sense of a ravine, in a similar way to Old Norse gil, or possibly a derogatory nickname from Middle English chowe ‘chough’, Old English cēo, a bird closely related to the crow and the jackdaw, notorious for its chattering and thieving. According to Robinson it is named after the Viking war god Tiw.
Roman use
"Pigs" (ingots) of leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
from the Charterhouse Roman Town
Charterhouse Roman Town
Charterhouse Roman Town was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Its site is located just to the west of the village of Charterhouse-on-Mendip in the English county of Somerset....
on the Mendips were brought to the river to be transported to Sea Mills
Sea Mills, Bristol
Sea Mills is a suburb of the English port city of Bristol. It is situated some 3.5 miles north-west of the city centre, towards the seaward end of the Avon Gorge. Nearby suburbs are Shirehampton, Sneyd Park, Combe Dingle and Stoke Bishop...
on the Avon for transshipment overseas.
Floods of 1968
The river suffered a major flood in 1968 with serious damage to towns and villages along its route, including sweeping away the bridge at PensfordPensford
Pensford is a village in the civil parish of Publow and Pensford in Somerset, England. It lies in the Chew Valley south of Bristol and west of Bath...
.
On 10-11 July a storm brought heavy rainfall to the Valley, with 175 millimetres (7 in) falling in 18 hours on Chew Stoke, double the areas average rainfall for the whole of July.
Fishing
Fishing rights for the Millground and Chewton sections of the river are owned by Keynsham Angling Club. The Mill Ground stretch of the River Chew consists of the six left-bank fields (looking downstream) from Chewton Place at Chewton Keynsham to the Albert Mill, KeynshamKeynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
. The water is home to a good stock of sizeable Chub
European chub
The European chub , sometimes called the round chub, fat chub, chevin, pollard or simply "the" chub, is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae...
, Roach, European perch
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
and Rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
, along with good numbers of Gudgeon
Gudgeon (fish)
Gudgeon is a common name for a number of small freshwater fishes of the families Cyprinidae, Eleotridae or Ptereleotridae. Most gudgeons are elongate, bottom-dwelling fish, many of which live in rapids and other fast moving water....
, Dace
Common dace
The common dace , also known as the dace or the Eurasian dace, is a fresh- or brackish-water fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams of Europe north of the Alps as well as in Asia. It is most abundant in France and Germany, and has also spread to...
and Trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. In the Chewton section waters are much more 'wild' than the Mill Ground, with overhanging trees and fast-flowing runs, leading to deeper eddies and pools. Not all swims are fishable and some will need hacking out before angling, but this is a classic roving river. Trout, Grayling
Grayling (species)
The grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus. Native to the Palearctic ecozone, the grayling is widespread throughout northern Europe, from the United Kingdom and France to the Ural Mountains in Russia...
and Chub lurk in the shady, meandering stream, along with a good showing of Dace, Roach and Eel
European eel
The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They can reach in exceptional cases a length of 1½ m, but are normally much smaller, about 60–80 cm, and rarely more than 1 m....
.
Any Flood alerts for this river are available from the Environment Agency River Chew from Chewstoke to Keynsham page