List of main rivers of England
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
changeThis section includes all rivers entering the Irish Sea from England between the Scottish border and the Welsh border.
Cumbrian coast
changeAll 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
changeBorder 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
changeDerwent catchment
Ehen catchment
Calder catchment
Cumbrian Esk catchment
Duddon catchment
Flowing into Morecambe Bay
changeLeven catchment
Kent catchment
Lancashire and Cheshire Coast
changeAll 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
changeThis 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
changeThe 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
- River Severn (Afon Hafren)
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
changeAll 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
changeRivers 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
changeThis section includes all rivers entering the sea along England's south coast.
South Coast of Cornwall and Devon
changeAll 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.
- River Erme (MS)
- River Avon
- The Gara (enters Slapton Ley)
Dart catchment
Teign catchment
Exe catchment
Otter catchment
Sid catchment
Axe catchment
Coast of Dorset and Hampshire
changeAll 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
- River Brit (or Britt)
Frome catchment
Piddle catchment etc.
- River Piddle (also known as River Trent)
- River Sherford (enters Lytchett Bay as Rock Lea River)
Dorset Stour catchment
Hampshire Avon catchment
- River Avon (Also known as the Salisbury Avon)
Test catchment
Itchen catchment
- River Itchen (and Barton River)
Isle of Wight
changeAll rivers in the Isle of Wight - list taken anticlockwise from Cowes
Medina catchment etc.
Newtown River catchment
- Newtown River (MS)
Western Yar catchment
Eastern Yar catchment etc.
Wootton Creek catchment etc.
Coast of South East England
changeAll 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
changeThis section includes all of the rivers along England's east coast.
Thames Estuary
changeAll 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
- River Medway (shares the Thames estuary)
Thames catchment
- River Thames (In Oxford, the Thames is also known as the River Isis)
- River Darent
- Lea or Lee (L)
- River Ravensbourne (tidal reach known as Deptford Creek) (R)
- Walbrook (subterranean) (L)
- River Fleet (subterranean, also known as the Holbourne) (L)
- River Tyburn (subterranean) (L)
- River Wey (R)
East Anglian Coast
changeAll 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
- River Blackwater (MS) (known as River Pant upstream)
Colne catchment
Stour catchment
Orwell catchment
- River Orwell (MS) (known as River Gipping above tidal limit)
Yare catchment
Great Ouse catchment
Lincolnshire Coast and The Wash
changeAll 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
changeThis 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
- River Ouse (assumes name of River Ure upstream of Linton-on-Ouse)
Hull catchment
Sands Drain catchment
Yorkshire Coast
changeAll 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
changeAll 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.