River Wear facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wear
The Wear flows past Durham Castle and Cathedral, beneath Framwellgate Bridge and over a weir.
Map of the Wear
Country	England
Counties	County Durham
Metropolitan County	Tyne and Wear
Towns/Cities	Stanhope, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, Willington, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Sunderland
Physical characteristics
Main source	Wearhead, County Durham, UK 340 m (1,120 ft) 54°45′00″N 2°13′21″W / 54.750°N 2.2225°W / 54.750; -2.2225
River mouth	North Sea, UK 0 m (0 ft) 54°54′58″N 1°21′28″W / 54.916°N 1.3577°W / 54.916; -1.3577
Length	96 km (60 mi)

The Wear is a river in northeast England. It starts in a place called Wearhead in County Durham. The river then flows all the way to Sunderland, where it joins the North Sea.

The River's Industrial Story

The River Wear has a cool history. It shows how much things changed during the Industrial Revolution. Near its start, people used to dig for lead. Further down, they found lots of coal. This area was part of the Durham coalfield.

Because of all this digging for limestone, lead, and coal, the Wear valley was one of the first places to get railways. Trains helped move all these materials. Today, the Weardale Railway still runs trains sometimes. You can ride it between Stanhope and Wolsingham.

How the Valley Was Formed

The higher parts of the Wear valley, called Upper Weardale, have special plants. These plants have been there since the end of the last Ice Age. After the Ice Age, the Wear valley became covered in thick forests.

Later, during the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) and even more in the Bronze Age, people started clearing these forests. They needed more land for agriculture to grow food.

Places Along the Wear

The River Wear flows through many interesting towns and cities. These include Stanhope, Wolsingham, and Bishop Auckland. It also passes through Durham, which is famous for its castle and cathedral. Further along, it goes through Chester-le-Street and finally reaches Sunderland.

Bridges Over the Wear

Many bridges cross the River Wear. Some are very old, like the stone bridge at Shincliffe built in 1826. Others are more modern. These bridges help people and trains get across the river.

Some famous bridges include New Elvet Bridge and Elvet Bridge in Durham. There's also the Kingsgate Bridge and Prebends Bridge. Near Sunderland, you can see the Wearmouth Bridge.

Images for kids

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  The wooded riverbanks of the Wear as it flows from Stanhope to Frosterley

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  The wooded riverbanks of the Wear as it flows through Durham.

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  Finchale Priory on the banks of the River Wear between Durham and Chester-le-Street.

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  As the river approaches its outfall into the North Sea, it flows past St. Peter's Campus, University of Sunderland. Shadows in Another Light, a sculpture in which the shadow cast by a tree represents a hammerhead crane, unique to the Sunderland shipyards, can be seen at the left of this image.

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  Croxdale Viaduct carrying the East Coast Main Line

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  Sunderland Bridge

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  Sunderland Bridge

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  The 1826 stone bridge at Shincliffe

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  Maiden Castle footbridge

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  Baths Bridge

• River Wear New Elvet Bridge 20070701.JPG

  New Elvet Bridge

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  Elvet Bridge

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  looking towards Kingsgate Bridge

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  Kingsgate Bridge

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  Prebends Bridge

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  Prebends Bridge

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  Milburngate Bridge (foreground) and Framwellgate Bridge (background)

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  Pennyferry Bridge

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  Cocken Bridge

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  Fatfield Bridge

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  Victoria Viaduct

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  Hylton Viaduct

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  Wearmouth Bridge

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  Roker Pier lighthouse, where the river meets the sea

See also

In Spanish: Río Wear para niños