UK Bodies of Water Trivia

1. Which north flowing river does Newport, county town of the Isle of Wight, stand on?

From Quiz Flow North Young Stream

Answer: River Medina

All of these are north flowing rivers on the Isle of White, but the River Medina is the only one flowing through Newport. Due to the geography of the Isle of Wight, where the high ground is on the southern edge, most of the waters flow from south to north. Ferries from Hampshire sail to the mouths of all of these rivers except the Newtown River.

From Quiz River Lea

Answer: Bedfordshire

Like many rivers, the exact source of the River Lea is subject to some dispute, with some sources declaring it to begin at a Neolithic enclosure in Leagrave (a suburb of Luton) and others pointing to the fact that one of its tributaries, Houghton Brook, begins in the nearby town of Houghton Regis. However, both of these locations are within the county of Bedfordshire, so it is safe enough to declare that county as the source of the Lea (which is admittedly not such a grand claim as the much sought source of the Nile). The river initially flows south-east and east to Hertford, before heading south to the River Thames in East London - a route that covers approximately 68 km (42 miles). The incorrect options are all neighbouring counties to Bedfordshire but don't include any part of the course of the River Lea, which leaves the county via its southern neighbour, Hertfordshire.

From Quiz Rivers of Britain

Answer: Mersey

The River Mersey flows between Stockport in Greater Manchester and Liverpool, although the river course sometimes joins that of the Manchester Ship Canal. In the 1960s, Gerry and the Pacemakers released the song "Ferry Cross the Mersey", which reached number six in the USA charts, and number eight in the UK.

From Quiz River Severn

Answer: Plynlimon

The River Severn starts on Plynlimon. It is 610m above sea level.

From Quiz British Rivers

Answer: Great Ouse

The Great Ouse is navigable from Bedford. It reaches the sea as it flows into The Wash at the ancient town of King's Lynn,

From Quiz Surrounded By Water

Answer: The North Sea

The North Sea is about 625,000 km2 in size. The deepest part is a 600m deep trench off the coast of Norway. It has fishing grounds and oil and gas reserves situated in it.

From Quiz The English Channel

Answer: Portsmouth

In recent years, ferries can be taken from Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Le Havre.

From Quiz A Journey along the River Wye

Answer: Plynlimon

At 752 metres(2,468ft),the Plynlimon massif is not particularly high but five different streams rise on its slopes; the Gwy, Hafron, Rheidol, Severn and Wye. An old Welsh folk story tells the tale of these five 'daughters' and their journeys to the sea.

From Quiz British Rivers and Cities

Answer: Lincoln

The Witham runs through Lincoln before going through rural Lincolnshire, emptying into the River Haven at Boston. This flows into the North Sea.

From Quiz River Lea

Answer: To provide clean drinking water for London

Some consideration really ought to be given to giving the New River a more accurate name, not just because it is more than 400 years old but because, as a manmade waterway, it should really be described as a canal. Work on the 'river' began after a charter was granted for it by King James I in 1604 and it took nearly ten years to complete the 45 km (28 mile) route from the point in Hertfordshire where it was diverted from the River Lea to the Islington area of London. It was able to supply London with sufficient clean drinking water (taken both from the River Lea and from other wells and springs along its route) until the early 19th century when the growth in the city's population meant that additional sources had to be developed. The waters of the lower stretches of the River Lea in London have suffered significant pollution over the centuries from the heavy industries that developed on the riverbanks and surrounding land.

From Quiz Rivers of Britain

Answer: Nene

The River Nene is the main link between England's canal system and the waterways of the Fenlands, via the Northampton arm of The Grand Union Canal. Noteworthy places along the river include Hardwater Mill, where Thomas a Becket hid in 1164 after escaping from Northampton Castle.

From Quiz River Severn

Answer: 21

The River Severn has an amazing 21 tributaries, including Vyrnwy, Tern, and Stour. The point where two rivers meet is called a confluence.

From Quiz British Rivers

Answer: Thames

Spanning the River Thames between Newham on the north bank and Greenwich on the south, the barrier protects London from the risk of flooding in the event of a very high tide.

From Quiz Surrounded By Water

Answer: The Irish Sea

The Irish Sea is about 100,000 km2 in area and is relatively shallow being mostly less than 90m deep. The main island in the Irish Sea is the Isle of Man.

From Quiz British Rivers and Cities

Answer: Mersey

The Mersey starts in a small, Lancashire field and flows through Manchester before it reaches Liverpool. In length, it is approximately 113km long.

From Quiz Flow North Young Stream

Answer: River Thames

These rivers and many others are all tributaries of the River Thames, and further all originate to the south of the river. The River Mole has its headwaters close to Gatwick Airport deviating from its northward course to find a gap through the North Downs before heading north again to meet the Thames close to Hampton Court. The two branches of the River Wey meet in Surrey, flow east to Godalming then head north north-east joining the Thames at Weybridge. The River Wandle is about 10 miles long and rises in south London. As with many rivers in urban areas, sections of it are now covered over but once it leaves Wandle Park in Croydon it is almost all open to the air until it joins the Thames in Wandsworth. The Hogsmill River is even shorter at around 6 miles long from Ewell and meeting the Thames close to Teddington Lock. The final tributary listed is the River Darent which joins the Thames to the east of London. More precisely it joins the river adjacent to the Dartford Marshes having started its journey 20 miles to the south in Kent close to Winston Churchill's former home of Chartwell.

From Quiz River Lea

Answer: River Stort

The River Stort flows from the village of Langley in Essex to the River Lea at Hoddesdon. It was named after the Hertfordshire town of Bishop's Stortford, which is where the Stort Navigation - the canalised, navigable portion of the Stort - begins. The canalisation project for the River Stort was authorised by an Act of Parliament (granted in 1766) and privately funded in exchange for the right to levy tolls. It took three years to complete and records of the tolls charged show that goods transported along the newly improved river included grain, flour, coal, lime and pigeon dung! (The latter of which was levied at 1 shilling and sixpence a ton.) The rivers Chess, Colne and Gade are the three rivers that collectively gave their name to Hertfordshire's Three Rivers Local Authority District.

From Quiz Rivers of Britain

Answer: Taff

The River Taff is the name given to the river after the confluence of the Taf Fechan (Little Taff) and the Taf Fawr (Big Taff). The city of Cardiff probably derives its name from the castle (Caer) and the river (Dyf being a form of Taff), the whole thing meaning 'fort on the Taff'.

From Quiz River Severn

Answer: 4

The River Severn goes through Powys, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. It is found in England and Wales.

From Quiz British Rivers

Answer: Isis

The Oxford University rowing squad train on the Isis during their preparations for the world famous Boat Race. They have competed in this race with Cambridge University every year since 1856 (with gaps for the two World Wars).

From Quiz Surrounded By Water

Answer: Morecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is the second largest bay in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of 310km2. It is notorious for its quicksands and fast running tides which contributed to the deaths of 19 Chinese cocklers in February 2004.

From Quiz The English Channel

Answer: 30 miles (50 km)

The Channel Tunnel actually consists of three tunnels: two rail tunnels and a third (smaller) service tunnel. It is 31.35 miles long.

From Quiz Flow North Young Stream

Answer: Medway

The River Medway rises in Sussex and heads east all the way into Kent until it reaches Maidstone. From here it heads north until it flows in to the Thames estuary between the Isles of Grain and Sheppey. The Medway is not a tributary of the Thames but Edmund Spencer did describe it as the bride of the Thames in his poem "The Fairie Queen". The battle of Medway was a Roman victory, they surprised the Britons with a small force swimming across the river and launching an attack. The resulting commotion enabled the main attack to cross the river on rafts. That is at least the myth. It is not certain if this is the location or the river involved in the battle. It is however the site of the memorial.

From Quiz River Lea

Answer: Lee Navigation

The Lee Navigation is the name given to the navigable portion of the River Lea from Hertford to the River Thames. In general terms, the spelling 'Lee' is used for the sections of the river that have undergone major work to improve their navigability, along with any manmade cuts and canalised stretches. The spelling 'Lea' is reserved for natural features such as the 'unimproved' section upstream from Hertford. The work to create the Lee Navigation was carried out over several centuries. The first Act of Parliament for work to improve the navigability of the River Lea was passed in 1425 during the reign of King Henry VI, but early records of improvements to the river date back to the late 12th century. However, the most significant work, which produced the features of the navigation that can still be seen in the 21st century, took place during the period from 1750 to 1860. The New Lea Waterway and Hertford Ship Canal have never existed, but the Grand Union Canal is a major route on the English canal network.

From Quiz Rivers of Britain

Answer: Tamar

The River Tamar gets its name from a prehistoric word meaning 'dark flowing'; a similar meaning to the name of the River Thames. Traditional Cornish folklore says that the devil would never cross the River Tamar for fear of being baked in a pasty.

From Quiz River Severn

Answer: Sabrina

There is a myth about the River Severn involving a drowned shrew named Sabrina. A statue commemorates this myth at The Quarry in England.

From Quiz British Rivers

Answer: Exe Wye & Exe and Wye & Wye Exe & Wye and Exe

The Exe rises in Somerset, but flows through Devon to reach the English Channel at Exmouth. The Wye rises in the Welsh mountains, and in some sections forms the border between England and Wales before reaching the Severn Estuary. It passes through the ancient market town of Hay-on-Wye, famous for its many bookshops (reputedly one bookshop for every 60 members of its population).

From Quiz The English Channel

Answer: Louis Bleriot

The Daily Mail offered a prize of £1000 for the first heavier-than-air crossing of the channel. Louis Bleriot piloted a Bleriot XI monoplane from Les Barraques to Dover on 25th July 1909, the crossing of 22 miles taking 37 minutes to complete.

From Quiz What's the British River?

Answer: Avon

Stratford was Shakespeare's birthplace. He is often known as 'The Bard of the Avon'.

From Quiz Flow North Young Stream

Answer: Essex

Essex is one of the driest counties in England and Abberton Reservoir one of the largest reservoirs in England. The feeder stream for it doesn't provide anything like the amount of water required so since the creation of Abberton Reservoir, water has been extracted from elsewhere. Following the enlargement of the reservoir in the first decade of the 21st century, water is taken from the River Great Ouse and flows (or is pumped) through channels and pipes to the River Stour. Then it is abstracted again further downstream to feed reservoirs in Essex, including Abberton. The reservoir is also an important site for birds and when I visited I saw flocks of tufted ducks (several hundred) and coots (at least a hundred).

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Last Updated Jul 04 2026 9:45 AM

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