Avon, << AY vuhn, >> River, is the name of nine rivers in the United Kingdom. Four of the rivers are in England, three in Scotland, and two in Wales. Three of the English rivers have been designated for public navigation. They are described below.
The Upper Avon,
often called the Warwickshire Avon, rises near Naseby, in Northamptonshire. It flows about 95 miles (150 kilometers) through Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. The Upper Avon joins the River Severn at Tewkesbury. Towns on the river include Rugby, Warwick, and Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of the playwright William Shakespeare.
The Lower Avon,
also called the Bristol Avon, rises near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire. It flows about 60 miles (100 kilometers) through the picturesque countryside of Wiltshire and Somerset to the Bristol Channel. It passes through Bath and Bristol.
The East Avon,
or Hampshire Avon, rises near Devizes, in Wiltshire, and flows about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south through Hampshire and Dorset. It empties into the English Channel at Christchurch. Salisbury stands on its banks.
