River Devon, Nottinghamshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids River Devon
The River Devon looking downstream from Hawton bridge
Country	England
Physical characteristics
Main source	Several springs near Eastwell, Leicestershire 490 feet (150 m)
River mouth	River Trent, Newark-on-Trent 50 feet (15 m)
Basin features
Tributaries	Left: River Smite

The River Devon is a river in England. It flows into the River Trent. The river starts in Leicestershire and joins the Trent near Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Near its start, the Devon fills Knipton Reservoir. This reservoir was built to provide water for the Grantham Canal. The river also flows through Belvoir Lakes, which were designed by a famous landscape artist named Capability Brown.

The River Devon goes under the Grantham Canal. It then flows through Bottesford, where it passes under five railway bridges. Only one of these bridges is still used by trains today. Close to Newark, the river flows past two old buildings from the English Civil War. Just before it meets the River Trent, the Devon becomes wide enough for boats. There is even a marina for boats on its west bank. The name of the river is pronounced "Deevon," not like it looks when spelled.

How Much Water Does the River Devon Carry?

The area of land that drains into the River Devon is about 109.8 square miles (284.4 square kilometers). In the past, people measured how much water flowed in the river at a place called Cotham. On average, about 29.8 million gallons (135.6 million liters) of water flowed each day.

However, the measuring station was closed in 1978 because the readings were not always reliable. So, we don't have current measurements for the river's flow. On average, the area around the river gets about 23.28 inches (591 millimeters) of rain each year.

Where Does the River Devon Flow?

The River Devon begins as many small springs and streams. These are found near the villages of Eastwell, Bottesford (in Leicestershire), and Eaton. These villages are in north-east Leicestershire, about 490 feet (150 meters) above sea level. The river generally flows north.

Knipton Reservoir and Belvoir Lakes

The river flows past Branston and into Knipton Reservoir. This reservoir was built in the 1790s to supply water to the Grantham Canal. The reservoir covers about 52 acres (21 hectares). It sends water to the canal through a channel called The Carrier. This channel has open parts and also runs through a tunnel for about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).

In 2006, the dam and spillway at Knipton Reservoir were repaired. This work cost £170,000. The village of Knipton is a bit further north, on the east side of the river. A small stream from the village joins the river there. After this, the river enters a wooded area. Here, another stream from a small lake called Frog Hollow joins it.

Next, the river flows through Belvoir Upper Lake and Belvoir Lower Lake. Each of these lakes covers about 12 acres (4.9 hectares). They were created by Capability Brown in the grounds of Belvoir Castle. People use these lakes for fishing. Between the two lakes, there is an old bridge from the early 1800s. It has five arches and long walls. This bridge, made of ironstone and limestone, also acts as a small dam.

Through Villages and Under Bridges

After the lakes, the river flows east of Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir and a small group of houses called Stenwith. It then goes under the Grantham Canal through a pipe. By this point, the river is below 160 feet (49 meters) above sea level. The border between Leicestershire and Lincolnshire follows the river for a short distance near the lower lake. Beyond Woolsthorpe, the river is in Lincolnshire.

The river then goes back into Leicestershire. It flows through Muston and Bottesford. In Bottesford, there are several bridges. Fleming's Bridge, at the end of Church Street, is a very old stone bridge. It has two arches and was built a long time ago for Samuel Fleming, who was a church leader there. Now, only people walking can use it.

At Devon Lane, there is a place where cars can drive through the river (a ford). Next to it is a brick bridge with one arch. It was built in the early 1800s. After Bottesford, the river goes under four railway bridges. Only one of these is still used by trains going from Grantham to Nottingham. A fifth bridge, with three brick arches, carried a railway line over the river north of the village. It opened in 1860 but stopped being used for trains in 1960. Part of this bridge fell down after heavy rain in 2007. Now, a new steel bridge has replaced it.

Joining the River Trent

The river forms the county border again until it reaches Staunton in the Vale, which is in Nottinghamshire. The Winter Beck stream joins the Devon from the west. Soon after, the River Smite also joins it. The river flows past Cotham to the east. It also runs close to an old fort from the English Civil War at Hawton.

Finally, the River Devon reaches the edge of Newark-on-Trent. Here, it passes another Civil War defense called the Queen's Sconce. This fort was built in 1644 at an important spot overlooking the Devon, the Trent, and a main road. The land was bought in 1912 and became part of Devon Park, which has grown larger over time. The Devon then flows under the B6166 road, which follows the old Roman road called Fosse Way. After this, the River Devon joins the River Trent. Below the bridge, boats can moor on the river, and there is a marina on the western bank. The mouth of the river is about 50 feet (15 meters) above sea level.

How Clean is the River Devon's Water?

The Environment Agency checks the water quality of rivers in England. They give each river an overall "ecological status." This status can be high, good, moderate, poor, or bad. To decide this, they look at things like the number and types of small animals (invertebrates), plants, and fish in the water. They also check the "chemical status," which compares how much of certain chemicals are in the water to safe levels. Chemical status is either good or fail.

Here's how the water quality of the River Devon was in 2015:

In 2019, the chemical status of many rivers in the UK, including the Devon, changed from good to fail. This was because new chemicals were included in the tests, like PBDE and mercury. These chemicals had not been tested for before. However, the ecological status of the upper part of the river improved from poor to moderate. The lower part of the river got worse, changing from moderate to poor.

Interesting Places Along the River Devon