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  • Rivers

    5 Amazing River Facts!

  • Living LandscapesFact 1 - Fact 1

    Fact 1

    Until the 16th Century the river could be accessed by tall ships from the sea up to Otterton. This was stopped after the great storm when the shingle bar at Budleigh Salterton was formed blocking the river mouth.

    Living LandscapesFact 2 - Fact 2

    Fact 2

    Brown and Sea Trout can be seen towards the Estuary end of the river, Salmon can also be spotted higher up.

    Living LandscapesFact 3 - Fact 3

    Fact 3

    The red sandstone that borders the river in the lower Otter Valley owes its deep colour to the presence of iron.

    Living LandscapesFact 4 - Fact 4

    Fact 4

    The Meadowsweet plant found in the Estuary has been used since mediaeval times to flavour drinks, reduce fevers and settle children’s stomachs.

    Living LandscapesFact 5 - Fact 5

    Fact 5

    Otters have five forward facing claws, can you see their paw prints in the mud banks of the river?

Rivers

The river project area is based on the Lower Otter Valley, owned by the Estate from Newton Poppleford down to the Otter Estuary and Budleigh Salterton beach.

The River Otter in East Devon gets it name from the creatures which once thrived in the waterway - that's how the story goes, anyway.  The past century, however, has been disastrous for otters - not just in the River Otter, but everywhere.  The good news is that after decades of decline, the otters are now making a comeback to the river as a result of conservation efforts.

The river actually starts just over the border near Otterford in Somerset.  It flows south-westerly, passing through villages and towns including Ottery St Mary before reaching the sea at Budleigh Salterton. The route of the river has been controlled by the geology in the area.  Faults and fractures in the rock layers run inland and the river has used the weak rocks to carve out the river formation you see today

The river is tidal from White Bridge down to the sea mouth at Budleigh Salterton, forming salt marshes which now form a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).