The River Parrett has its source in the springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset in England and flows west through the Somerset Levels to its mouth in the Bristol Channel at Burnham on Sea a town on the edge of Bridgwater Bay, an important Nature Reserve.

During winter, the Parrett is prone to frequent flooding.

In common with the lower reaches of the River Severn, the Parrett exhibits a tidal phenomenon known as the bore. At certain combinations of the tides, the rising water is funneled up the river into a wave that travels rapidly upstream against the river current. The bore is a natural example of a self-reinforcing solitary wave or soliton.

During January through to May, the Parrett provides a source of eels (Anguilla anguilla) and the young elvers, caught by hand netting - the only legal means of catching them. The 2003 BBC Radio 4 play Glass Eels by Nell Leyshon was set on a river in the Levels, very probably the Parrett.

Historically, the main port on the river was at Bridgwater, although by trans-shipping into barges at the town bridge it was navigable as far as Langport and (via the River Yeo) to Ilchester. After 1827, it was also possible to transfer goods to Taunton via the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. Nowadays, the wharf at Dunball is the only part of the Port of Bridgwater still handling bulk cargoes, mainly sand and gravel.

In May 2006 a stream at Wembdon leading to the river was coloured yellow due to an leak of juice. Around 8,000 litres of concentrate to make drinks (Sunny D) leaked into the stream causing fish to die. It is too early to determine the full extent of the ecological damage sustained.

Tourism

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The River Parrett Trail (47 miles / 75km) long-distance footpath follows the Parrett from its source to the sea.

The "Langport & River Parrett Visitor Centre" ^* located at Langport details local life, history and wildlife.

Linked Waterways

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• Bridgwater and Taunton Canal
• Ivelchester and Langport Navigation
• River Brue
• River Isle and Westport Canal
• River Tone
• River Yeo

External links

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• The River Parrett Trail

See also

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• Rivers of the United Kingdom
• Taunton Stop Line
• North Petherton and South Petherton (named after the river)

Rivers in Somerset | Somerset Levels | Sedgemoor