List of main rivers of England

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This is a list of rivers of England. It includes all the main rivers, but usually not the tributaries.

Rivers discharging into the Irish Sea

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This section includes all rivers entering the Irish Sea from England between the Scottish border and the Welsh border.

Cumbrian coast

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All rivers going into the Solway Firth, Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay from the Scottish border south to Silverdale on the Cumbria/Lancashire border.

Flowing into the Solway Firth

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Border Esk catchment

The lowest reaches of the Esk are in England but most of the river is in Scotland whilst a short section is followed by the England/Scotland border. Tributaries of the Esk which are wholly in Scotland are omitted from this list but may be found at List of rivers of Scotland.

Most upstream tributaries of the Esk are wholly in Scotland.

Eden catchment

Wampool catchment

Flowing into the Irish Sea

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Derwent catchment

Ehen catchment

Calder catchment

Cumbrian Esk catchment

Duddon catchment

Flowing into Morecambe Bay

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Leven catchment

Kent catchment

Lancashire and Cheshire Coast

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All rivers discharging into the Irish Sea from Silverdale on the Cumbria/Lancashire border south to the Dee Estuary.

Keer catchment

Lune catchment

Alt catchment

Mersey catchment

The Dee and most of its tributaries arise in Wales. Though a section of it passes through England, it passes into Wales once again before discharging into the Irish Sea via the Dee estuary. For other rivers entering the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay from Wales, see List of rivers of Wales. Only those tributaries of the River Dee which flow wholly or partly in England are listed here - for a complete list of the rivers and watercourses of the Dee catchment see List of rivers of Wales.

Dee catchment

All further upstream tributaries of the Dee are wholly in Wales.

Rivers discharging into the Bristol Channel and Southwest Approaches

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This section includes all rivers entering the Bristol Channel and the sea off the northern coasts of Devon and Cornwall which is referred to variously as the Southwest Approaches or Celtic Sea.

Rivers Severn and Wye

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The lowermost Wye forms the boundary between England and Wales. Only those tributaries of the River Wye which flow wholly or partly in England are listed here - for a complete list of the rivers and watercourses of the Wye catchment and for other rivers entering the Bristol Channel from Wales see List of rivers of Wales.

Wye catchment

All further upstream tributaries of the Wye are wholly in Wales.

The River Severn upstream of the M48 Severn Bridge. This section includes all tributaries of the Severn which lie wholly or partly in England. For tributaries of the Severn which lie partly or wholly within Wales, see List of rivers of Wales.

Severn catchment

With the exception of the Morda and parts of the Camlad, Tanat and Cynllaith all tributaries of the Severn and Vyrnwy upstream of their confluence are in Wales. They can be found here.

Bristol Channel

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All English rivers discharging into the Mouth of the Severn and the Bristol Channel from the M48 Severn Bridge south and west to Morte Point, North Devon.

Bristol Avon catchment

Axe catchment

Brue catchment

Parrett catchment

Lyn catchment

Heddon, Umber & Wilder catchments

Atlantic Coast of Devon and North Cornwall

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Rivers discharging into the Atlantic Ocean between Morte Point in North Devon and Land's End.

Taw catchment

Torridge catchment

Camel catchment

Rivers discharging into the English Channel

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This section includes all rivers entering the sea along England's south coast.

South Coast of Cornwall and Devon

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All rivers discharging into the Atlantic Ocean between Land's End, Cornwall and Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border.

Note that there are no watercourses named on either the 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey maps of the Isles of Scilly.

Helford catchment

Restronguet catchment

Fal catchment

St Austell River catchment

Par catchment

Fowey catchment

Looe catchment

Tamar catchment

Plym catchment

Erme & Avon catchments etc.

Dart catchment

Teign catchment

Exe catchment

Otter catchment

Sid catchment

Axe catchment

Coast of Dorset and Hampshire

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All rivers discharging into the English Channel between Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border and Hayling Island on the Hampshire/Sussex border but excluding the Isle of Wight.

Brit catchment

Frome catchment

Piddle catchment etc.

Dorset Stour catchment

Hampshire Avon catchment

Test catchment

Itchen catchment

Isle of Wight

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All rivers in the Isle of Wight - list taken anticlockwise from Cowes

Medina catchment etc.

Newtown River catchment

Western Yar catchment

Eastern Yar catchment etc.

Wootton Creek catchment etc.

Coast of South East England

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All rivers discharging into the English Channel and Straits of Dover between Hayling Island on the Hampshire/Sussex border and Foreness Point at the northeast corner of Kent. This section includes the entire coast of Sussex and the south and east coasts of Kent.

Arun catchment

Adur catchment

Ouse catchment

Cuckmere catchment

Pevensey Haven catchment

Wallers Haven catchment

Combe Haven catchment

Rother catchment

Dour catchment

Stour catchment

Rivers discharging into the North Sea

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This section includes all of the rivers along England's east coast.

Thames Estuary

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All rivers discharging into the Thames and Medway and their estuaries. This section includes the coast of Kent west of Foreness Point at the northeast corner of Kent and the south coast of Essex, west of Shoeburyness. But see also

Medway catchment

Thames catchment

East Anglian Coast

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All rivers discharging into the North Sea along the coast of East Anglia, including the counties of Essex (north and east of Shoeburyness), Suffolk and Norfolk as far as King's Lynn.

Crouch catchment

Blackwater catchment

Colne catchment

Stour catchment

Orwell catchment

Yare catchment

Great Ouse catchment

Lincolnshire Coast and The Wash

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All rivers discharging into The Wash and the North Sea between King's Lynn and Cleethorpes at the mouth of The Humber.

Nene catchment

Welland catchment

The Haven catchment

Steeping catchment

Saltfleet catchment

Grainthorpe catchment

Tetney Haven catchment

Humber catchment

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This section includes all rivers entering the Humber, defined as the estuary west of a line between Spurn Head and Cleethorpes. The Humber is often referred to as the River Humber though the name is unusual insofar as it is an entirely tidal stretch of water formed as the Rivers Ouse and Trent combine at Trent Falls.

Ancholme catchment

Trent catchment

Yorkshire Ouse catchment

Hull catchment

Sands Drain catchment

Yorkshire Coast

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All rivers entering the North Sea between Spurn Point at the mouth of the Humber and Redcar, Cleveland. This section includes the entire North Sea coast of the traditional county of Yorkshire.

Barmston Main Drain catchment

Yorkshire Esk catchment

Skelton Beck catchment

North East England

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All rivers entering the North Sea from Redcar north to the Scottish border. This section includes the rivers of County Durham and Northumberland.

Tees catchment

Wear catchment

Tyne catchment

Blyth catchment

Wansbeck catchment

Lyne catchment

Coquet catchment

Aln catchment

Tweed catchment

Tributaries of the Tweed which are wholly in Scotland are omitted from this list but may be found in the List of rivers of Scotland.

All further upstream tributaries of the Tweed are wholly in Scotland.