The River Lew can refer to either of two short river

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...

s that lie close to each other in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, 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...

.

The more northerly of the two rises just south of the village of Beaworthy

Beaworthy

Beaworthy is a village and civil parish in the West Devon district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 236....

, and flows east, then turns north to run past Hatherleigh

Hatherleigh

Hatherleigh is a small market town in west Devon, England.It hosts an arts festival in July, and a carnival in November featuring two flaming tar barrel runs. The Walruses meet on New Year's Day to jump into the River Lew to raise money for local good causes...

 before joining the River Torridge

River Torridge

The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England. It was the home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson's book. The Torridge local government district is named after the river....

 about 1 km north of the town. Its name is incorporated into that of the village of Northlew

Northlew

Northlew is a village and civil parish in the West Devon district of the county of Devon, England, located at 50.77° N 4.12° W, UK National Grid reference SX5099...

.

The more southerly of the two rises on the northwest corner of Dartmoor

Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...

, near Sourton

Sourton

Sourton is a small village and civil parish in West Devon, England. It lies about south-west of Okehampton. It is at the north-western extremity of Dartmoor, a National Park of England and Wales and lies along the A386 road. Sourton Parish has a population of over 400.- References :...

, and flows west and somewhat south, through the Lew Valley past Lewtrenchard and south of Lewdown before joining the River Lyd

River Lyd

River Lyd may refer to:* River Lyd , a tributary that flows into the River Severn at Lydney, England* River Lyd , a river in Dartmoor, Devon, England...

 near Marystow

Marystow

Marystow or Stow-St. Mary was a village and parish in the Tavistock district of Devon....

. It has in earlier times also been known as Lew Water. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...

 records a battle in 825

825

Year 825 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Egbert of Wessex defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellandun. Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex submit to Wessex and East Anglia acknowledges Egbert as overlord.* Emperor Louis the Pious of the Franks wars against the Wends...

 in which Devon forces loyal to Egbert of Wessex

Egbert of Wessex

Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...

 defeated the Cornish

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

 at "Gafulford"; and this is thought to be Galford

Galford

Galford can refer to:* Galford, a place near Lewdown in Devon, England, the site of a battle between Cornish and Devonian forces in the early 9th century...

 on the banks of this river, though some translations render it as Camelford

Camelford

Camelford is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles north of Bodmin and is governed by Camelford Town Council....

, some 20 miles further west.

At their nearest point the two rivers are not much more than 10 km apart. Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

mentions a Lew Manor in this area, and it may be that both rivers take their name from it. Ekwall enters the southerly river as Lew Water and gives a derivation from British 'Lliw' for both (other river names are known to have the same origin). The manor cannot have been named any earlier than the Anglo-Saxon period