See also Mersey River (Tasmania) and Mersey River (Nova Scotia). There is also a Mersey River in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Mersey River, formerly known as Rivière Rossignol by the Acadians, is a River in Nova Scotia, Canada.

River Mersey
River
Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005.
Country	England
Counties	Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside
Cities	Manchester, Liverpool
Secondary source
- location	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Mouth
- location	Liverpool Bay
Length	112 km (70 mi)
Basin	4,680 km² (1,807 sq mi)

The River Mersey is a river in north west England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 Liverpool Bay is a Bay of the Irish Sea between north-east Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is 70 miles (113 km) long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 Liverpool Bay is a Bay of the Irish Sea between north-east Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England.

Course

The Mersey is formed from three tributaries: the River Etherow, the River Goyt and the River Tame. A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river The River Etherow is a River in the north west of England, and a Tributary of the River Mersey. The River Goyt is a River in north-west England. It is one of the tributaries of the River Mersey. The River Tame is a River in Greater Manchester, England. Source Rises on Denshaw Moor The modern accepted start of the Mersey is at the confluence of the Tame and Goyt, in central Stockport, Greater Manchester. Stockport ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers Goyt Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 However, older definitions, and many older maps, place its start a few miles up the Goyt; for example the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica states "It is formed by the junction of the Goyt and the Etherow a short distance below Marple in Cheshire on the first-named stream. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica Marple is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. "

The River Tame (left) and the River Goyt (right) meeting to form the Mersey in Stockport

Stockport to Warrington

From Stockport it flows near East Didsbury, Stretford, Urmston and Flixton, then at Irlam it flows into the Manchester Ship Canal, which canalised the River Irwell to this point. Stretford (pop 37500 is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England Urmston ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England with a population of around 46000 Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England Irlam is a town within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester Ship Canal is a wide long river navigation in North West England, opened on 21 May 1894 The River Irwell is a River flowing through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester The course of the Mersey has been obliterated by the Canal past Hollins Green to Rixton although the old river bed can be seen outside Irlam and also at Warburton; at Rixton the River Bollin enters the Canal from the south and the Mersey leaves the Canal to the north, meandering through Woolston, where the Ship Canal Company's dredgings have formed a nature reserve (Woolston Eyes), and Warrington. Hollins Green is a small village located on the eastern edge of Warrington, England close to the border of Salford, as designated by the River Glaze Hollins Green is a small village located on the eastern edge of Warrington, England close to the border of Salford, as designated by the River Glaze Irlam is a town within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Warburton is a village and Civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England The River Bollin is a river in the north-west of England and a major Tributary of the River Mersey. Woolston is a large urban modern parish in the English town of Warrington, Cheshire. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. It is tidal from Howley Weir in Warrington, although high spring tides often top the weir. A small bypass around Howley Weir, Howley Lock, was created before the ship canal existed, but is now redundant. The lock can still be seen to this day.

The Runcorn-Widnes bridges seen from the river

Runcorn Gap

West of Warrington the river widens, passing through the Runcorn Gap between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes, in Halton. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. The Manchester Ship Canal also lies in the Gap, along the southern bank of the river. The Manchester Ship Canal is a wide long river navigation in North West England, opened on 21 May 1894

The Runcorn Gap is bridged by the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Runcorn Railway Bridge, while a project known as Mersey Gateway to build a new road bridge over the Mersey east of the existing bridges is currently under consideration, and has received some government support. The Silver Jubilee Bridge is a Compression arch suspended-deck bridge bridge built in 1961 between Runcorn and Widnes (Widnes historically The Runcorn Railway Bridge crosses the River Mersey at Runcorn Gap from Runcorn to Widnes in Cheshire, England. ^[1]

Estuary

From the Runcorn Gap, the river widens into a large estuary, which is three miles (5 km) wide at its widest point near Ellesmere Port. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and cargo port in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire, England, situated in the south of the The course of the river then heads north, with Liverpool to the east and the Wirral Peninsula to the west. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Wirral or the Wirral (ˈwɪrəl is a Peninsula in the north west of England. The Manchester Ship Canal continues along the Cheshire bank of the river as far as Eastham Locks, where it enters the river. Eastham is a small town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. The eastern part of this estuary is much affected by silting, and part of it is marked on modern maps as dry land instead of as tidal. These wetlands are of importance to wildlife, and are listed as a Ramsar site. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i

The estuary then narrows to flow between Liverpool and Birkenhead, where it is constricted to a width of 1. Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. 2 kilometres (0. 7 mi), between Albert Dock and the Woodside ferry terminal. The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Woodside is a small riverside locality in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, situated almost It then flows into Liverpool Bay on the Irish Sea, after a total course of around 70 miles (110 km). Liverpool Bay is a Bay of the Irish Sea between north-east Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon,

The conurbation on both sides of the river in this area is known as Merseyside. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900

River crossings

Two road tunnels run under the Mersey at Liverpool: the older Queensway Tunnel (opened 1934) connecting with Birkenhead, and the Kingsway Tunnel (opened 1971) connecting with Wallasey. A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon The Queensway Tunnel is a Road Tunnel under the River Mersey, in the north west of England, between Liverpool and Birkenhead The Kingsway Tunnel is a road Tunnel under the River Mersey in Merseyside, northwest England, between Liverpool and Wallasey Wallasey is a large town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey There is also a railway tunnel dating back to the 1880s, which carries passenger services on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail franchise. The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. The Wirral Line is one of the two lines owned and operated by Merseyrail on Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line (the Merseyrail Merseyrail is the name given to the electric metro-style commuter Train network centred on Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside

The Mersey Ferry runs between the Pier Head at Liverpool, and the Wirral terminals at Seacombe, Wallasey and Woodside, Birkenhead. The Mersey Ferry is a Ferry service operating on the River Mersey in north west England, between Liverpool and the Wirral Peninsula The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. Seacombe is a district of the town of Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England.

Etymology

One explanation for the river's name comes from Anglo-Saxon Mǽres-ēa = "border river", likely because it was the border between Mercia and Northumbria. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy.

Another explanation is possible: Mære can also mean "lake, pond, mere, water basin, sea". The old Welsh name could be môr-afon (sea-river) or môr-dwfr (sea-water). Mære , môr and Latin mare are an old Indo-European word. It is possible that the Anglo-Saxons simply anglicized môrafon. Given the fact that the estuary resembles a mere, this interpretation is rational. The word Meuse was also used for a border river between the Romans and the Germans. The argument against "border river" as an original name, is that the river would have obtained its name after it became a border between kingdoms. In the old days, rivers were rarely borders, as they provided a means of transport. The same people would settle on both river banks. In addition, no British river is known to have obtained its name according to a political event.

Environment

Water quality in the River Mersey has been severely affected by industrialisation in the region, and in 1985, the Mersey Basin Campaign was established to improve water quality and encourage waterside regeneration. The Mersey Basin Campaign works within the catchments of the River Mersey and the River Ribble, in the counties of Lancashire, Merseyside, In 2002, oxygen levels that could support fish along the entire length were witnessed for the first time since industry began on the Mersey.

Salmon are now found in the river. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. They can be viewed on the Salmon Steps at Woolston between the months of September and November.

In popular culture

The river is now internationally famous thanks to the music of the 1960s known as Merseybeat and its strong association with Liverpool. The Mersey itself was popularized in the Merseybeat song Ferry Cross the Mersey by Gerry & The Pacemakers. For the film see Ferry Cross the Mersey (film, for the soundtrack album Ferry 'Cross the Mersey (album Ferry Cross the Mersey Gerry and The Pacemakers were a British Rock and roll group during the 1960s The group later recorded a follow-up, Mersey Lullaby, that is part of the 2007 children's CD/book Blue Moo: Jukebox Hits from Way Back Never, by Sandra Boynton. Sandra Keith Boynton (born April 3, 1953) is a popular American humorist songwriter Children's author and illustrator

Paul McCartney's 2007 song That Was Me, from his album Memory Almost Full mentions merseybeating with the band. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Memory Almost Full is a studio album by Paul McCartney released in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2007 and in the Mersey Paradise by The Stone Roses has the river in its title. The Stone Roses were an English Alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1984

Religious significance

The Mersey is considered sacred by British Hindus, and is even worshipped as equivalent to the River Ganges. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent ^[2] After a ceremony on the river in September 2007, plans are underway for a large-scale event in 2008 (the year Liverpool will hold the title of European Capital of Culture). ^[3]

Tributaries

Major tributaries of the Mersey include: -

• River Etherow
• River Goyt
• River Tame
• River Irwell
• River Bollin
• River Weaver
• River Gowy
• Glaze Brook
• River Fender
• Arrowe Brook

See also

• Mersey Ferry
• Arnold Dock
• Fenton Dock
• Rivers of the United Kingdom
• Mersey Sound/Merseybeat
• Mersey and Irwell Navigation
• Acting Conservator of the River Mersey

References

External links

• Liverpool Pictorial
• Mersey map - aisliverpool.org.uk
• River Mersey Information (PDF)
• Howley Lock
• Mersey Shipping