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One of the largest states in Europe is Great Britain, which was formed after the unification of England and Scotland. It occupies the island of the same name, part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islets. All this together – the British Isles.
Most of the land was used for pastures (46%), agriculture was also used here (25% of the territory), there is also a small area covered with forest (10%). Slightly more than half of the UK is occupied by England.
Slightly less than a third – Scotland. If the first consists of lowlands, the second is spread over 800 islands. The rest of the territory is Wales, a mountainous country. The longest rivers in the UK are not so long, because. and the territory itself is insignificant – 243.809 km², but they have their own interesting history.
10 Nin, 148 km
It originates from 3 springs, all located in Northamptonshire. It is still not known exactly why it received such a name. There is an assumption that this is a Celtic word. The river once gave its name to Nene College, a college of higher education founded in 1975. It was later renamed the University of Northampton.
On the river Nin there is almost no commercial navigation, but it is sometimes used by private vessels.
9. Tweed, 155 km
It is the border between England and Scotland. It is called not onlyTweed“, but also “Tweed“. Its source is located near the village of Tweedsmuir, among the hills. At the end it flows into the North Sea. It is considered the richest salmon river in the UK.
There are many cities along this river. Here you can admire the estate of Walter Scott. In 1811, he bought 100 acres of land on the banks of the River Tweed and began building a mansion there. He named it Abbotsford, in memory of the ford across the Tweed that lay nearby. He moved a collection of furniture, weapons and things, as well as his library to his estate. In 1824, construction was completed, and since 1826 the writer lived in his mansion. Now there is a museum there.
8. Clyde, 172 km
The river is located in the south of Scotland. Its source is on the slopes of the South Scottish Highlands, and ends near the Firth of Clyde. It was connected by canals to the North Sea.
River Clyde became navigable. The main activity of the local population was shipbuilding. More than 300 firms were involved in this, but the most famous was Scotts, which created more than 25 thousand ships. Soon this area became the center of shipbuilding in Great Britain, both prestigious ocean liners and warships appeared at the shipyards of the river.
The Clyde also had its own yacht clubs. The first yacht was also built by Scotts in 1803. But after the war, the number of orders for the production of ships declined significantly, and by the 1960s, shipbuilding had become an unprofitable occupation.
The Clyde River is famous for fishing enthusiasts, here you can catch trout. The fishing season starts on March 15th and ends on September 30th. Another attraction of the river is the city of Glasgow, one of the largest in the country.
7. Spey, 172 km
Located in Scotland, is the fastest in this country. Once they were engaged in shipbuilding, using wood from the surrounding forests. On Spey trout and salmon are fished commercially.
Near the river there are many distilleries that use its water to produce local whiskey. This region is called Speyside, it produces a lot more whiskey than other areas.
6. Tay, 188 km
River Tay considered the longest in Scotland. Its source is in the Ben Lui mountains, it flows into the North Sea. It also forms Loch Tay, which stretches for 24 km.
The bridge across the river Tey is widely known. The first bridge was designed by Thomas Bauch, it was made of cast iron and had a lattice structure. But then I had to change the project a little. In 1878, when construction was completed, it became the longest bridge in the world.
But a year later, due to strong tornadoes, the central spans of the bridge collapsed, all 75 people who were on the passing train at that moment died. The catastrophe caused the widest resonance, it occurred due to the fact that the construction of the bridge was not designed to withstand strong winds. Bouch could not survive what happened and died in 1880 from a heart attack.
In parallel to the old bridge, a new one was built, which was opened in 1887. The Tay is one of the richest salmon rivers in the UK.
5. Wye, 215 km
It flows on the border between Wales and England. The source of the river is in the mountains of Plinlimon, it flows into the Severen. There are many cities along the coast. Its waters are considered clean, so there are a lot of fish, especially salmon.
Before Wye was one of the richest salmon rivers in Britain, but gradually its number decreased. The river is suitable for outdoor activities. Fishing and canoeing enthusiasts gather here.
4. Great Uz, 230 km
River Great Ouse begins in the central part of England, near the village of Woppenham, and ends at the North Sea. It is often referred to simply as “With“. Most likely, the name comes from the Celtic word Udso-s, which translates as “water” or “slow current».
But in the district there are many other streams, which are also called “Uz”. To distinguish them and this major river, the prefix “Great“, which in English means “large“. In the lower reaches, the locals call it “Old West River».
3. Trent, 297 km
It starts at the Peniny Mountains and ends in the North Sea. The name comes from the Celtic words and means in translation “severe flood“. Beautiful views around the river. Its valley is rich in gravel.
Also the river Trent famous for its archaeological sites. Finding them in the river valley is not so easy, they are under a layer of earth. There are unique prehistoric ritual structures and Roman settlements. Scientists know exactly where to dig by looking at crop marks that can only be seen from the air.
If there was an ancient pit or canal, the thick soil level allows you to get more nutrients, the plants develop better. When a building or other elevation is located under a layer of soil, crops grow worse. But the excavations themselves have not yet been funded, but when we manage to raise money, we will learn a lot about the history of Trent.
2. Thames, 346 km
It starts in the Cotswold Hills and ends in the North Sea. Thames navigable throughout its length. The name of the river comes from a Celtic word, which supposedly translates as “dark».
Once the roads in London were bad, so most residents preferred to travel along the Thames. The boatmen called out to the people, offering to take them to the other side or up and down the river. Gradually, living near the Thames became fashionable and prestigious; palaces of members of the royal family were built here.
Until now, the most favorite pastime of Londoners and tourists is the riverboat rides with stops at famous sights, as well as walks along the National Trail along the river. So you can see Richmond Park, the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, etc.
1. Severn, 354 km
It starts in Wales and ends in Bristol Bay. The name of the river is supposedly Celtic in origin, but the meaning of this word is not clear. There is a legend that it came from the name of the nymph Sabrina, who drowned in this river.
Northern rarely covered with ice, tk. the temperature here in winter is not lower than 0-3 °C. If heavy rains begin, the water can rise up to 12 m, due to such floods, thousands of people are left without electricity and drinking water.