River Mole, Devon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River Mole |
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The River Mole below its confluence
with the River Yeo. |
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 Location within Devon
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| Country | England |
| Counties | Devon |
| District | North Devon |
| Towns | North Molton, South Molton |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | North Molton Ridge Twitchen, North Devon, Devon 360 m (1,180 ft) 51°5′6.5″N 3°44′25″W / 51.085139°N 3.74028°W |
| River mouth | River Taw Junction Pool, Devon 6 m (20 ft) 50°56′30″N 03°54′24″W / 50.94167°N 3.90667°W |
The River Mole is a river in Devon, England. It's a smaller river that flows into the bigger River Taw. It starts on the southwestern edge of Exmoor National Park. The river is named after the market towns of North Molton and South Molton, which it flows near. Long ago, people called this river the Nymet.
The River Mole's Journey
The River Mole begins its journey high up on the North Molton Ridge. This is near a place called Twitchen in North Devon. It starts at an elevation of about 360 meters (1,180 feet) above sea level.
From its source, the river flows through the beautiful Devon countryside. It passes by the towns of North Molton and South Molton. The river eventually joins the River Taw at a spot called Junction Pool. This meeting point is much lower, only about 6 meters (20 feet) above sea level.
Rivers Joining the Mole
Many smaller rivers and streams flow into the River Mole. These are called tributaries. They add more water to the Mole as it travels towards the River Taw.
Here are some of the main rivers that join the River Mole:
- River Yeo
- Crooked Oak
- River Bray
- Little Silver Stream
These tributaries help to create the wider river system. They also bring water from a larger area of land.
River Flow and Water Levels
The amount of water flowing in the River Mole can change a lot. This depends on the weather and how much rain has fallen. At a place called Woodleigh, experts measure the river's flow.
- On a very dry day, like August 27, 1976, the flow was very low. It was only about 0.20 cubic meters per second.
- On average, the river flows at about 8.70 cubic meters per second.
- During big floods, the flow can be much higher. On January 9, 1968, it reached a huge 188.0 cubic meters per second! This shows how powerful rivers can be after heavy rain.
