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SEVERN BORE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND
The River Severn is the longest river in Britain. From its source at Plynlimon, six hundred metres above sea level in the mountains of Wales, the river flows for 350km, draining into the Bristol Channel. The Atlantic Ocean is the source for the second largest tide range in the world, which can exceed 15m in the estuary at Avonmouth.
The moving tide may be visible in the estuary below Chepstow, on the Welsh border, but the bore head forms ahead of Awre Point. The wave then travels, in irregular patterns, around the estuarine Horseshoe Bend for 10 miles before entering the river above Longney.
From here it adopts a more regular form, travelling the final 14 miles of its journey upriver and past Gloucester. Finally, with an unnerving silence, the bore is halted in its charge by the weir at Maisemore. Under exceptional conditions, the relics of the tide may be observed another 50km in land at Worcester.
STATISTICS
 LOCATION: 51º30'N, 002º45'W
MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 2.8 m
AVERAGE SPEED: 16 km h-1
BEST TIME OF YEAR: Around the equinoxes
TERRAINE: Estuarine and fluvial
FEAR FACTOR: **
MAPS
NOTABLE INTERNET SITES
The Severn Bore Page by Russell Higgins
The Striguil Zone Severn Bore page was probably the first comprehensive Severn Bore website. Based on the book by Fred
Rowbotham, the site also includes video archive, and updated tide tables with a downloadable .exe file.
The Severn Bore Riders Club
The most comprehensive and varied collection of photographs and stories from the River Severn surfers. Regular diaries give
a lighthearted taste of the bore experience, plus a broad history of the sport.
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SEVERN BORE PLATE 1
SEVERN BORE PLATE 2
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