The Avon Gorge has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it supports some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to the gorge.
The river flows through the Devon villages of South Brent, Avonwick and Aveton Gifford and also forms part of the Avon Dam Resevoir, situated near South Brent, which was built in 1957. The river is renowned for it's stocks of salmon and trout.
The name Avon is derived from an ancient Celtic word 'Afon' which simply means 'river' [1]. There are five rivers in England named 'Avon', three in Scotland and one in Wales. The most famous of the English Avons is probably that associated with Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire.
"Avon" is a Celtic word for "river" (viz Welsh afon); "llama" is the third person singular of the Spanish verb "to be called or named"; "kangaroo" (I believe) is an Aborigine term meaning "I don't know".
The river hosts a wide variety of fish species, making it a favored spot for both recreational and professional anglers. Among the common fish species found in the Avon are brown trout, Australian grayling, short-finned and long-finned eel, European carp, redfin, and a thriving population of Australian bass.
"Yer da sells Avon" is definitely my favourite regional insult. And it means "Your dad sells Avon", Avon being a door-to-door selling multi-level-marketing makeup brand. Avon is quite prevalent in the US as well.
The River Severn is the UK's longest river. It runs for 220 miles from the Welsh mountains, through the beautiful Shropshire and Worcestershire countryside and down to the flatlands of the Severn estuary.
A body has been found near the Avon River in central Christchurch. Police were called to the intersection of Churchill Street and Cambridge Terrace at about 6.30am on Monday. A spokesperson said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
The river and its banks were home to a vast number of birds and aquatic animals. Shortfin and Longfin eels with Inanga, Kokopu (native trout) and different types of Bully's. The banks are occupied by Pukeko and other forest birds with Grey duck's and Brown teal.
What are some interesting facts about the Avon River?
The Avon is the 19th longest river in the United Kingdom, at 83 miles (134 km), although there are just 19 miles (31 km) as the crow flies between the source and its mouth in the Severn Estuary. The catchment area is 2,220 square kilometres (860 sq mi).
Foxes, grey squirrels, hedgehogs, weasels and a range of mice and vole species all live here. Endangered lesser and greater horseshoe bats also roost in the Gorge and roe deer are sometimes seen swimming across the river Avon when the tide is high.
Avon's founder, David H. McConnell, initially sold books as a door-to-door salesman to New York homes. In September 1886, he decided to sell perfumes rather than books. He started the new business in a small office at 126 Chambers Street, Manhattan, New York.
In Ireland, the term “meeting” or “shifting” is commonly used in casual slang to refer to kissing, usually in the context of a party or social event. If you hear someone say, “They were shifting at the pub last night,” it means they were kissing.
Pysgod (or pysgodyn) wibli wobli has unofficially become the Welsh favourite nickname for the Jellyfish. It's real translation is 'slefren-fôr and it is sometimes also referred to 'cont y môr'! Most of you will have also heard of 'popty-ping' as the microwave. What other Welsh nicknames make you chuckle?
Colloquially, a person from North Wales (especially one who speaks with this dialect or accent) is known as a North Walian, or a Gog (from the Welsh gogledd, meaning "north").
After almost being wiped out in the southern part of the UK in the 1970s, their numbers are now on the rise. Footage captured across Bath shows the creatures swimming through the waterways and exploring the banks of the River Avon, metres from some of the city's iconic sites.
Major tributaries of the Avon River include the Mortlock Rivers (North and East branches), the Dale River and the Salt River (made up of the paleo drainage lines of the Yilgarn and Lockhart Rivers in the east of the catchment).
If intending to use the river for recreational purposes, please be aware that the sewerage network discharges treated sewage and overflows of untreated sewage into the River Avon at Saltford. If entering the river avoid swallowing or splashing water into your mouth.
