River Blyth, Suffolk
| Blyth | |
|---|---|
 The River Blyth near Wenhaston. | |
  Location of the river mouth within Suffolk | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Region | Suffolk |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Laxfield |
| • coordinates | 52°17′58″N 1°20′23″E / 52.2995°N 1.3398°E |
| • elevation | 58 m (190 ft) |
| Mouth | North Sea near Walberswick |
• coordinates | 52°18′48″N 1°40′30″E / 52.3133°N 1.675°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 30.5 km (19.0 mi) |
The River Blyth is a river in east Suffolk, England. Its source is near Laxfield[1] and it reaches a tidal estuary between Southwold and Walberswick on the North Sea coast.[2]
Course
The course of the river passes through agricultural land between Laxfield and
The estuary mouth forms the main harbour area of Southwold and is still an active fishing harbour. The estuary is central to the plot of
The Blyth Navigation canal was opened in 1761 running 7 miles (11 km) from Halesworth to the Blyth estuary, leading to the canalisation of the river east of Halesworth. It was insolvent by 1884, partly due to attempts to reclaim saltings at Blythburgh, which resulted in the estuary silting up and partly due to the opening of the Southwold Railway in 1879. The navigation was used sporadically until 1911, and was not formally abandoned until 1934.
History
The river gives its name to the settlements of Blyford, indicating a formerly important ford over the river, and Blythburgh. The river's name itself comes from an Old English word blithe meaning "gentle or pleasant".[3]
References
- ^ "blythweb.co.uk - Source". Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "blythburgh.net - Tidal". Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ A. D. Mills. A Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford University Press.
 Rivers and watercourses of Suffolk | |
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