Avon Gorge
The Avon Gorge (
On the east of the gorge is the Bristol suburb of
51°27′18″N 2°37′40″W / 51.4549°N 2.6279°W
Geology and formation
The gorge cuts through a ridge mainly of limestone, with some sandstone. This particular ridge runs from Clifton to Clevedon, 10 miles (16 km) away on the Bristol Channel coast, although limestone is found throughout the Bristol area. The fossil shells and corals indicate that the limestone formed in shallow tropical seas in the Carboniferous, 350 million years ago.[1] For a long time it was unclear what caused the Avon to cut through the limestone ridge, rather than run southwest through the Ashton Vale towards Weston-super-Mare. However, Bristol was at the southern edge of glaciation during the Anglian ice age, and it has been suggested that ice blocked the river's natural route through Ashton Vale to the west.[2][3] At the Clifton Suspension Bridge the Gorge is more than 700 feet (213 m) wide and 300 feet (91 m) deep.[4]
In the 18th century the gorge was quarried to produce building stone for the city. Stone was taken by boat into the
Ecology
The steep walls of the gorge support some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to the gorge. There are a total of 24 rare plant species and two unique trees: the
The steep gorge walls make an ideal habitat for
Due to its geology and ecology, an area of 155.4 hectares (384.0 acres) of the gorge and surrounding woodland has been protected as a
History of human use
The gorge area was inhabited at least as early as the
During the
Throughout Bristol's history the gorge has been an important transport route, carrying the River Avon, major roads and two railways. It is the gateway to Bristol Harbour, and provided protection against storms or attack. The Bristol Channel and Avon estuary have a very high tidal range of 15 metres (49 ft),[28] second only to Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada;[29][30] and the gorge is relatively narrow and meandering, making it notoriously difficult to navigate. Several vessels have grounded in the gorge including the SS Demerara soon after her launch in 1851, the schooner Gipsy in 1878, the steam tug Black Eagle in 1861 and the Llandaff City.[31] The phrase "ship shape and Bristol fashion" arises from when the main harbour in Bristol was tidal, the bottom of which was rocky. If ships were not of stout construction then they would simply break up as the tide receded, hence the phrase.[32]
A railway, the
Two railways still run through the gorge. On the east side the
A footpath and National Cycle Network cycleway run alongside the Portishead Railway and along the old towpath.
The gorge's proximity to the urban population of Bristol made it a popular venue for rock climbing from the 1940s[37] – a time when most UK climbing was centred in mountain areas. The first guide to climbing routes in Avon Gorge was published in 1955 by the University of Bristol Mountaineering Club. The same year, British mountaineer Chris Bonington climbed Main Wall putting up Mercavity.[38] The 2017 edition of The Climbers' Club Guide to Avon Gorge by Martin Crocker[39] lists 400 pages of routes and guidance. Avon Gorge is often criticised as being so over-climbed many of the routes are "polished".[40]
Mythology
The formation of the Avon Gorge is the subject of mediaeval mythology. The myths tell tales of two giant brothers,
References
Notes
- ^ "Geology and biodiversitymaking the links" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ a b c River Avon Trail, 'Avon Gorge'. Accessed 5 May 2006.
- ISBN 978-1-4564-1631-7.
- ^ "Geology". Avon Gorge and Downs. Archived from the original on 18 September 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ^ C.G. Down, 1968. "Paradise Bottom." The Industrial Railway Record No. 22 – p352-354
- JSTOR 1586914.
- ^ Hutton, Stanley (1907). Bristol and its famous associations. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith.
- ^ a b c BBC Bristol, "The Avon Gorge – Bristol's Great Glacier?" Accessed 5 May 2006.
- ^ a b c d Avon Wildlife Trust, "The wildlife and habitats of Avon Archived 12 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Accessed 24 March 2009.
- ^ a b Leivers, Mandy. "Discover the wildlife of the Avon Gorge & Downs". Bristol Zoo. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ Myles (2000), page 161
- ^ "Woldlife and Geology". Avon Gorge and Downs. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ^ Myles (2000) page 249
- ^ Myles (2000) page 251
- ^ Myles (2000) page 252
- ^ Myles (2000) page 68
- ^ Myles (2000), page 101
- ^ Myles (2000), page 102
- ^ Myles (2000), page 155
- ^ Myles (2000), page 156
- ^ Myles (2000), page 186
- ^ a b "Avon Gorge". BBC Bristol — Nature. BBC. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ "Stokeleigh Camp". Pastscape. English Nature. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ "The Downs". Environment — Parks and Open spaces. Bristol City Council. Archived from the original on 7 November 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ "The Observatory". Bristol link. Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
- ISBN 0-7195-5748-8.
- ^ Beckett (1980). Chapter 6: "Bridges".
- ^ "Severn Estuary Barrage". UK Environment Agency. 31 May 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- ISBN 0-8137-2370-1.
- ^ "Coast: Bristol Channel". BBC. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
- ^ "Wrecks on the River Avon". Bristol Radical History Group. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ Ship-shape and Bristol fashion on www.phrases.org.uk (retrieved 20 August 2007)
- ^ Portishead Railway Group, 2006. "History of the Portishead Railway Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine." Accessed 15 April 2006
- ^ "Money for Portishead". Railfuture. 17 April 2019.
- ^ Wilson, Kate (26 June 2019). "Plans to reopen Bristol to Portishead railway ready to be submitted and line could open in 2023". Bristol Live.
- ^ "Clifton Rocks Railway — History". Subterranea Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 June 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2007.
- ^ "THE HISTORY OF CLIMBING IN THE AVON GORGE". Climb Bristol. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ Bonnington, Chris (1957). "Three Climbs at Avon" (PDF). Climbers Club Journal: 36–37.
- OCLC 1023538943.
- ^ "Gronk – My favourite route at Avon! | Dick's Climbing". www.dicksclimbing.com. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ Eugene Byrne & Simon Gurr, 2002. "Bristol Myths and Legends." Bristol 2008: St Vincent's Rock.
Bibliography
- Beckett, Derrick (1980). Brunel's Britain. Newton Abbot: ISBN 0-7153-7973-9.
- Hussey, David (2000). Coastal and River Trade in Pre-industrial England: Bristol and its Region 1680–1730. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. ISBN 0-9674826-4-X.
- Myles, Sarah (2000) The Flora of the Bristol Region ISBN 1-874357-18-8
External links