NRA Severn-Trent 68

HE TEME CATCHMENT

NRA National Rivers Authority The National Rivers Authority THE TEME CATCHMENT

The rises in the Kerry Hills THETEME'S COURSE and . in Mid-Wales from a small spring in The Teme rises as just a tiny trickle but Ten kilometres below Knighton, is Bryn Coch quarry at Cilfaesty Hill, 460 quickly it picks up more moorland , the first village in metres (1,510 feet) England on the Teme. above sea level and The here has a remains a top quality chequered history and river throughout its was besieged on a 1 22 kilometres (76 number of occasions miles), journey to the during the Civil War. . The River joins the A very rural river, it Teme at . passes through only Its river bridge has been three market towns - repaired and rebuilt Knighton, many times after and . suffering damage from Many tributaries join floods, it stands just the Teme, including upstream from the old the rivers Clun, Roman ford. Onny, Corve and Below Leintwardine, at Rea and larger brooks Knacklestone, is an Near the source of the Teme such as the Ledwyche, excellent example of a , Sapey, Leigh and Langherne. streams and has grown considerably by newly formed Ox-bow lake. The catchment area of 1,640 square the time it reaches the village of From Leintwardine to Ludlow the kilometres (633 square miles) is 12 kilometres downstream. Ieme passes through a wooded surrounded by hills and the Teme flows From here it flows six kilometres to limestone gorge between Tatteridge out of the Kerry Hills past the Knighton, a busy of about Hill and the Bringewood Chase. The , the , the Clee 3,000 inhabitants, the Welsh name Downton Gorge is now a National Hills, the Woodbury-Ankerdine Ridge, Tref-y-Clawdd meaning the ‘ Town on Nature Reserve and a Site of Special The Hills and finally under the the Dyke’. This is a reference to OfFa’s Scientific Interest. Malvern. Dyke, the historic border between * m '’■‘-‘o o q ! Qi\/ 0 r t A * * T’GTion C enrrc • , a c O f f i c e

t C IO * N o ------1 : sslon N o ..... j 7 he Na ti o n a I Rivers Authority THE TEME CATCHMENT

On leaving the gorge, the river passes trade with the Teme driving many mills Eight kilometres upstream of Tenbury below Downton Castle, below which in the town. Wells, above Little , are the the ornate Bringewood Forge bridge Downstream of Ludlow, the villages of remains of a three arched aqueduct crosses the Teme. It was designed and and Ashford which originally carried a canal that was built by Thomas Pritchard as a stone Carbonell face each other across the built to move coal, from the coalfields replica of that spans the Teme. At Ashford Bowdler, part of the at to . Completed River Severn. church of St Andrews fell into the in 1795, it was never used and the At Bromfield, north of Ludlow, the Teme in 1906, taking with it the altar, centre arch was blown up during the second world war. Just west of Tenbury Wells, the meets the Teme after a journey around the west of the Clee Hills. On Clee Hill are several radar aerials, one of which provides rainfall information for use by weather forecasters and the NRA in the issue of flood warnings. Tenbury is an ancient town which was granted a charter in 1249. In 1839 mineral water springs were accidentally

Bridge at Tenbury Wells discovered at Tenbury and were recommended for their healing joins the Teme and in the choir stalls and pulpit. There is a properties. The benefit of the waters town the joins from the working mill on the river here which were made available to the public but it west after draining the local beauty dates back to Domesday. was not until 1911 that any attempt spots of Corvedale and Wenlock Edge. Because Ashford weir is an obstacle to was made to popularise the spa. By Ludlow is a show piece am ong migrating salmon on their way then, spas had ceased to be fashionable towns and in the Middle upstream to spawn, a fish pass has been and the building finally closed for the Ages was the centre of the British wool built here. purpose in 1939.

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The ancient stone bridge spanning the The Teme meanders on through the the Osebury Gap, close the river was improved by Thomas , home to the world famous bridge. River flow is measured from a in 1814 and widened again in 1908. motor car hill climb, , cableway just downstream of the bridge. The bridge forms the boundary which was established in 1904 and is A perfect example of an old established between Shropshire and . the oldest motor car race circuit in and mature ox-bow lake can be found Tenbury Wells, ‘The Town in the Britain. at Catheridge, five kilometres from the O rchards’, was built across the The fertile valley of the Teme and the confluence of the River Severn. The floodplain of the Teme and as a result flat wide flood plain from Tenbury to river cut through the neck of the loop has suffered from severe flooding for made this major hop growing in the mid-1950 s, making it a valuable many centuries. A cableway used in area of Worcestershire. I he riverside and excellent wild life refuge, measuring the flow of the river can be meadows were hop yards until the late Interesting comparisons can be made seen a short distance downstream of the 1970’s. between the newly formed ox-bow at bridge. At , the Teme valley Knacklestone and the 40 year old ox- Six kilometres below Tenbury, at narrows as the river squeezes through bow here. , the River Rea enters the Teme draining the waters off the east side of the Clee Hills and the town of . Just beyond here at Eastham is a three arched brick bridge, build in 1793, it has roundels in the spandrels (the triangular surface between the arches). Two bridges span the river at Stanford Bridge. The modern concrete one replaced an old single span pre-cast concrete arched bridge build in 1906 and at the time at 28 metres, was the longest single span in the world at that date. The old bridge is a scheduled monument. Stamford Old Bridge at

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A further kilometre downstream the WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY Knighton has been burning since the Leigh Brook, one of the loveliest small Throughout its length the Teme is a end of October 1989, and gives cause tributaries enters the river after draining top quality river suitable for drinking for concern but has not affected the the . water supply and capable of supporting River Teme. However, the Ffrwdwen Further on, the Teme passes under the game or other high class fisheries. The Brook which flows under the site is main Hereford to Worcester trunk road Teme’s tributaries are mainly top contaminated for several hundred at . Here, the road floods most winters and the nearby Fox Inn, regularly gets cut off by flood waters making it probably the most flooded pub in Worcestershire. At Powick, near the confluence with the Severn, the river once had its power harnessed to general hydro electricity. On the banks of the Teme near the old Powick bridge stands the world's first hydro electric power station. Built in 1894 and closed in 1925, the power generated once lit the street lights of Worcester City. The new Powick bridge carries the on to the Malverns and Powick Bridge beyond. This ornate cast iron bridge built in 1837 has two gaily painted quality rivers with only the Leigh Brook metres downstream. The NRA coats-of-arms on either side of the and Laugherne Brook falling to Class 2 monitors the situation closely. parapets. (water suitable for drinking water after The Teme is little affected by A kilometre further on the Teme enters advanced treatment and capable of abstraction and sewage works effluent. the River Severn, downstream of supporting reasonably good coarse It is now unusual for the reaches above Worcester. fisheries) for part of their length. Knighton to dry up naturally in a Near the headwaters, a tyre dump at prolonged drought.

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Most abstraction licences are from ofhigh flow, surface water sources as much of the Floods are recorded catchment falls within a groundwater back to the 14th licence exemption area. The small century. The 1795 number of groundwater licences in flood is the highest ever existence draw on sand and gravel recorded and at its peak sources located in the valley bottoms. over 2 metres of water Welsh Water take a limited amount of swept through the town, water from the Teme at Whitbourne In 1886 Tenbury was for use in , the only place on again inundated and a the river where water is taken for public brass plaque near the use. Throughout its length however, altar in the parish the river is used by farmers for spray church records the event The weir and bridge at Ashford Carbonell irrigation. and height. Since the If the river flow drops below a set level turn of this century, houses in Tenbury at Tenbury, then to prevent it falling have been flooded at least eight times, further, upstream abstractions are The flood of 1924 is the highest this restricted in order to protect the fishery. century, more recently there were serious floods in 1960 and 1990. FLOOD DEFENCE However a protection scheme for the Flooding in the Teme Valley is natural town proposed in 1979 was rejected by and frequent, with the width of the local residents. flood plain varying considerably Flood alleviation work in and around between 2 kilometres and nothing Tenbury Wells consists of a three yearly when it runs through the Dowton removal of gravels that accumulate in Gorge. Tenbury Wells is badly affected the channel below the Teme bridge, being built in the floodplain. Water There is also periodic tree maintenance from the Kyre Brook entering the Teme work along the Teme and Kyre Brook makes water back up into the town and and the removal of blockages from the so flooding problems can arise at times channels as needed. The National Rivers Authority FISHERIES CONSERVATION AND RECREATION

The NRA operates a flood forecasting reaches near Powick, below Ashford downstream of Ashford Carbonell is and warning system for the River Teme Weir and downstream of Ludlow. The one the best coarse fisheries in the area, dow nstream of Ashford C arbonell. upper reaches of the river above Ludlow holding large stocks of chub, roach, This enables stock to be removed from are primarily preserved as high quality dace and some perch. Barbel are land liable to be cut off by flood waters trout fisheries. The construction of fish numerous and have been reported as and the residents or property at risk, particularly in Tenbury, to take precautionary measures. An NRA emergency workforce ensures that all flood control structures and defences are operating correctly during a flood and that bridges are kept clear of .... _ . ... „ Fishing at Tenbury Wells floating debris. passes at Ashford and Powick Weirs in high up the river as Ludlow. FISHERIES 1991 greatly improved access to the Historically, the Teme has also been The River Teme is one of the prime salmon spawning grounds upstream. one of the best grayling rivers in the river fisheries in the Severn Basin, Twaite shad also come into the lower region, but stocks declined dramatically providing a wide variety of excellent part of the river to breed, and the fish from the mid 1970’s onwards. There coarse, salmon and trout fishing. pass at Powick Weir has been designed have been some encouraging It is an EC designated salmon fishery to allow upstream passage for these fish improvements in numbers however, in throughout its length and carries good as well as for salmon. more recent years. runs of salmon, particularly in the lower The lower half of the Teme, especially

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T e m e ot Bromfield The National Rivers Authority FISHERIES CONSERVATION AND RECREATION

CONSERVATION kingfisher, dipper, grey wagtail, curlew, Riverside plants include monkshood, The Teme valley is rich in flora and snipe and goosander, while on the lesser teasel, tutsan, dark mullien and fauna, having many sites of special surrounding hills merlin, buzzard and figwort. OfF-river, unusual species like scientific interest along its length. red grouse often appear. During the wood saxifrage and wild lily of the The NRA carries out conservation and breeding season the common sandpiper valley can be found. enhancement work along the Teme including the planting of trees, creation of wetland or marshland habitats, instream fishery habitat improvements, creation of artificial otter holts and rest up sites and a nest box scheme under bridges to encourage dipper, grey wagtail and spotted flycatcher. Animal life is plentiful, Teme Valley from Nether Skyborry small numbers of otters, polecat and mink are common and yellow wagtail nest among the and in the Mortimer forest small herds shingle. Pied flycatcher, redstart and of fallow deer can often be seen. Water ring ouzel nest in the valley or hollows. shrew may be found, but the once Various species of butterflies and moths common water vole is now rare and can be found depending on the time of possibly even extinct in the valley. the year. Dragonflies and damselflies There is an abundance of birdlife, are common and the nationally rare amongst the many residents are club-tailed dragonfly has been recorded.

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Severn-Trent Region

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