- For the gorge in Scotland with the same name, see Avon Gorge, Falkirk
The Avon Gorge (grid reference ST560743) is a 1. The Avon Gorge Falkirk ( is a small wooded Gorge in Falkirk, Scotland. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude 5 mile (2. 5 km) long gorge on the River Avon in Bristol, South West England. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to The gorge runs south to north through a limestone ridge 1. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 5 miles (2. 4 km) west of Bristol city centre, and about 3 miles (5 km) from the mouth of the river at Avonmouth. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Avonmouth is a port and suburb on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon. The gorge forms the boundary between the unitary authorities of North Somerset and Bristol. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions North Somerset is a Unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered In the past, when Bristol was an important port, the gorge formed a spectacular defensive gateway to the city. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo
On the east of the gorge is the town of Clifton, part of Bristol city, and The Downs, a large public park. Clifton is the name of both one of the thirty-five council wards in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and of a suburb of the city that lies mostly The Downs are an area of public open Limestone Downland in Bristol, England. To the west of the gorge is Leigh Woods, the name of both a village and the National Trust forest it is situated in. Leigh Woods is a area of woodland on the south-west side of the Avon Gorge, opposite the English city of Bristol and north of the Ashton Court The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria There are three Iron Age hill forts overlooking the gorge, as well as a more recent observatory. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The Observatory ( is a former mill now used as an observatory located on Clifton Down, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England The Clifton Suspension Bridge, an icon of Bristol, crosses the gorge. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a Suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in
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Geology and formation
The gorge cuts through a ridge mainly of limestone, with some sandstone. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. This particular ridge runs from Clifton to Clevedon, 10 miles (16 km) away on the Bristol Channel coast, though limestone is found throughout the Bristol area. Clevedon is a town in North Somerset, England.The name derives from the Saxon, 'Cleve' meaning Cleave or Cleft and 'don' meaning hill the town being The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset The fossil shells and corals indicate that the limestone formed in shallow tropical seas in the Carboniferous, 350 million years ago. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian period about 359 For a long time it was unclear what caused the Avon to cut through the limestone ridge, rather than run south west through the Ashton Vale towards Weston-super-Mare. Bedminster is the name of both a council ward in Bristol, England, and an area of the city that falls mostly within that ward Weston-super-Mare is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in North Somerset, England. However, Bristol was at the southern edge of glaciation during the last ice age, and it has been suggested that ice blocked the river's natural route through Ashton Vale to the west. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets [1]
At various times the sides of the gorge have been quarried, leaving steep gorge walls. In the 18th century the gorge was quarried to produce building stone for the city. Stone was taken by boat into the floating harbour. In the 19th century celestine was discovered in Leigh Court estate (see Paradise Bottom), and the Wills family authorised quarrying. Celestine or celestite ( Sr[[Sulfur S]] O 4 is a Mineral consisting of Strontium Sulfate. Leigh Court is a Grade II* Listed building in Abbots Leigh, Somerset, England Leigh Woods is a area of woodland on the south-west side of the Avon Gorge, opposite the English city of Bristol and north of the Ashton Court Between 1880 and 1920 Bristol was producing 90% of the world's celestine, but the enterprise did not last long into the 20th century. [2] Quarries on the Bristol side of the gorge are now popular with climbers and are a habitat for Peregrine falcons and other wildlife. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a
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 Bristol and Wilmotts's whitebeams. The whitebeams are members of the Rosaceae family in genus Sorbus subgenus Aria. [3] Other notable plants include Bristol rock cress, Bristol onion, Spiked Speedwell, Autumn Squill and Honewort. Veronica spicata ( Spiked Speedwell; Syn Pseudolysimachion spsicatum) is a species of the genus Veronica. Because of its steep sides, there are many parts of the gorge on which trees cannot grow, making way for smaller plants. The gorge is also home to many rare invertebrate species. An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate [4] The gorge has a unique microclimate, around 1 degree warmer than the surrounding land. A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area [1] The steep south-west facing sides receive the afternoon sunlight, but are partially sheltered from the prevailing winds. When winds come from the Bristol Channel in the north west they may be funnelled into the gorge, creating harsh and wet conditions.
The steep gorge walls make an ideal habitat for peregrine falcons, with a plentiful supply of food nearby in the form of pigeons and sea gulls. The Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus) also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America is a Gulls (often informally Seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae Peregrines have a history of nesting in the gorge, but having become rare in the British Isles they did not breed and were rarely seen in the gorge after the 1930s. In 1990 Peregrines returned to the gorge, and have successfully bred in most of the following years. [5] On warm days a strong uplift forms in the gorge, on which birds of prey soar while hunting. The gorge also houses large populations of Jackdaw and horseshoe bats, both of which find homes in the caves and bridge buttresses. The Jackdaw ( Corvus monedula) sometimes known as the Eurasian Jackdaw, European Jackdaw or caddow, is one of the smallest species (34–39 Horseshoe bats (the Rhinolophidae family are a large family of bats including approximately 130 species grouped in 10 genera [3]
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 biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the original notification taking place in 1952. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. The site may in future be protected as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Habitats Directive. The Leigh Woods side of the gorge is largely owned by the National Trust. The Downs on the city side of the gorge are owned by Bristol City Council and managed as a large public park. The Downs are an area of public open Limestone Downland in Bristol, England. The actual gorge side is protected in partnership with Bristol Zoo, WWF and English Nature. Bristol Zoo is a Zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of Wildlife, Geology and wild places throughout England [4] The council's management of the gorge involves balancing the need to protect its ecology with recreational uses such as rock climbing.
History of human use
The gorge area was inhabited at least as early as the Iron Age, probably by the Dobunni tribe. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Dobunni were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands prior to the Roman invasion of Britain. In Leigh Woods above Nightingale Valley, a steep dry valley beside the suspension bridge, is Stokeleigh Camp, one of three Iron Age hill forts in the area. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Stokeleigh was occupied from 3BCE to 1CE, and was also used in the Middle Ages. The camp was protected on two sides by the cliff faces of the gorge and Nightingale Valley, and was also protected by earthworks, and is now a scheduled ancient monument. In the United Kingdom, a Scheduled Monument is a 'nationally important' Archaeological site or historic building given protection against unauthorised change A second hill fort was situated across Nightingale Valley, but has since been built on, and bridge road cuts through it. The third hill fort was situated on the opposite side of the gorge, in what is now observatory green. Archaeology, plus the configuration of the three forts, suggest they played a role in defending the gorge. [3]
During the Middle Ages and industrial revolution the area which now forms The Downs was used as common grazing land. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the It was mined for lead, calamine, iron and limestone, and became home to a windmill which produced snuff from the tobacco which had become one of the city's principal imports. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly This article is about calamine in mineralogy For calamine used in calamine lotion see Calamine, for other uses of the word see Calamine (disambiguation. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. In 1777 the windmill bunt out in a storm, and the building was converted into the observatory, which houses a camera obscura. The Observatory ( is a former mill now used as an observatory located on Clifton Down, close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England The camera obscura (Latin dark chamber) is an optical device used for example in drawing or for entertainment In the 18th and 19th centuries Bristol's economy boomed and Clifton became a desirable place to live. Mansion houses were built over looking the gorge, but after grazing was stopped, trees grew and obscured the view from these mansions. In the Victorian era, with houses creeping further onto the Downs, an Act of Parliament was passed to protect them as a park for the people of Bristol. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. In 1754 a bridge to span the gorge was proposed, but it was nearly 80 years before work began on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge, and a further 30 years of delays before it was completed. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a Suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in Today the bridge is perhaps the best known landmark in Bristol. Originally a landmark literally meant a Geographic Feature used by explorers and
Throughout Bristol's history the gorge has been an important transport route. It is the gateway to Bristol Harbour, and provided protection against storms or attack. Bristol Harbour is the Harbour in the city of Bristol, England The Bristol Channel and Avon estuary have a very high tidal range, and the gorge is relatively narrow and meandering, making it notoriously difficult to navigate and giving rise to the phrase ship shape and Bristol fashion.
Today Bristol Harbour is no longer an important port, but the gorge is still a transport route. The A4 road runs through the gorge, linking Bristol city centre to the M5 motorway, which bypasses the city near Avonmouth. This article is about the M5 motorway in England See M5 for other roads numbered "M5" Avonmouth is a port and suburb on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon. Two railways run through the gorge, on the east side the passenger railway to Avonmouth and Severn Beach runs through part of the gorge, and through a tunnel under the Downs, while on the west side is the former Portishead Railway, which was closed by the Beeching Axe in the 1960s, but has now been reopened for freight traffic as far as Royal Portbury Dock, 2. Severn Beach is a Village on the mouth of the river Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. 5 miles (4 km) downstream. Between 1893 and 1934, the Clifton Rocks Railway linked the passenger steamer pier at Hotwells with Clifton on the rim of the gorge. The Clifton Rocks Railway was an underground funicular railway in Bristol, linking Clifton at the top to Hotwells and Bristol Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the Clifton is the name of both one of the thirty-five council wards in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and of a suburb of the city that lies mostly
A footpath and National Cycle Network cycleway run alongside the Portishead Railway and along the old towpath. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.
Mythology
The formation of the Avon Gorge is the subject of mediaeval mythology. The myths tell tales of two giant brothers, Goram and Vincent, who constructed the gorge. Goram and Vincent (or Ghyston are legendary giants in the folklore of the Bristol area UK. One variation holds that Vincent and Goram were constructing the gorge together and Goram fell asleep, to be accidentally killed by Vincent's pickaxe. Another variation tells of the brothers falling for Avona, a girl from Wiltshire, who instructs the giants to drain a lake which stretches from Rownham Hill to Bradford-on-Avon (i. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Bradford on Avon (sometimes Bradford-on-Avon) is a Town in west Wiltshire, England with a Population of about 9326 e. the Avon valley). Goram began digging the nearby Hazel Brook Gorge in Blaise Castle estate, but consumed too much beer and fell asleep. Blaise Castle is an 18th century mansion house and estate near Henbury in Bristol (formerly in Gloucestershire) England Vincent dug the Avon Gorge and drained the lake, winning the affection of Avona. Upon waking Goram stamped his foot, creating "The Giant's Footprint" in the Blaise Castle estate, and threw himself into the Bristol Channel, turning to stone and leaving head and shoulder above water as the islands Flat Holm and Steep Holm. Flat Holm (Ynys Echni is a limestone Island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately from Lavernock Point in Glamorgan. Steep Holm ( is an English Island lying in the Bristol Channel. [6]
References
- ^ a b River Avon Trail, 'Avon Gorge'. Accessed 2006-05-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ C. G. Down, 1968. "Paradise Bottom. " The Industrial Railway Record No. 22 - p352-354
- ^ a b c BBC Bristol, "The Avon Gorge - Bristol's Great Glacier?" Accessed 2006-05-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ a b Avon Wildlife Trust, "The wildlife and habitats of Avon. " Accessed 2006-05-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ Bristol Ornithological Club, "Peregrine Falcon History In The Avon Gorge. " Accessed 2006-05-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ Eugene Byrne & Simon Gurr, 2002. "Bristol Myths and Legends. " Bristol 2008: St Vincent's Rock.
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