10 Interesting Bristol Channel Facts

A channel is a body of water between two land masses. Channels are mainly formed by erosion of land by glaciation. In this article, we will discuss some key facts about the Bristol Channel, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the island of Great Britain.

The Bristol Channel separates the southern part of Wales from South West England. It is named after the city of Bristol, South West England’s most populated city. Till the Tudor era, it was called the Severn Sea and is still known by this name in Welsh and Cornish.

The Bristol Channel stretches from the Severn Estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a principal shipping route and holiday destination, home to several seaside resorts, industrial cities, and dockland facilities.

1. Has protected areas and national nature reserves

The waters of the Bristol Channel contain many species of porpoises, dolphins, porbeagles, blue sharks and grey seals. Several fish species, like whiting bass, ling, conger eels and pollock, are also found here, along with crabs, cockles, etc. The region has a large commercial shellfish industry. Rare species like cup corals, branching sponges, seaweeds, and sea fans are also abundant in the Bristol Channel.

Along the channel are protected areas and national nature reserves like the Bridgwater Bay at the mouth of Parrett River. The islands of the channel have unique species of wildflowers and also serve as nesting areas for garnets, guillemots, shorebirds and puffins.

2. Bristol Channel has high tides

The channel sees high tides and tidal surges that can generate over 40-foot-high waves that crash on the tide at over 8 miles an hour. These surges generate a phenomenon called the Severn Bore that sends waves surging along the Severn River, leading to this river having the highest tidal bore in the UK and the second-highest tidal bore in the world. During low tide, the channel becomes a vast mudflat expanse attracting wading birds.

Many development schemes were proposed, such as constructing an airport and a tidal barrier along the channel for generating electricity; however, conservation issues have blocked these schemes.

3. Home to six uninhabited islands

The Bristol Channel has six islands: Steepholm, Caldey Island, Lundy Island, Sully Island, Skokholm, and Flatholm. All these islands are protected areas. The waters around these islands serve as sanctuaries for several rare and unusual species of marine life.

The proposal for the establishment of a marine reserve was made by the Lundy Field Society in 1071. The provision for establishing a statutory Marine Nature Reserves was included in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and in 1986, a statutory reserve at Lundy was announced.

4. Site of spectacular beaches

Bristol Channel has stunning beaches and beautiful scenery, especially on the coasts of Exmoor and Bideford Bay in North Devon and Vale of Glamorgan and Gower Peninsula. At the western end of Gower Peninsula lies Worms Head, a headland of carboniferous limestone that can be reached on foot only at low tide.

The western expanse of Exmoor has Hangman Cliffs, the highest cliffs in mainland U.K. The Great Hangman is 318 m, and the Little Hangman has a cliff face of 218 m.

Gower and North Devon beaches, like Croyde and Woolacombe, have won awards for their water quality and surfing. In 2004, Times ‘Travel’ Magazine selected Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire as one of the 12 best beaches in the world.

5. Place of England’s only recorded Tsunami

England’s only recorded Tsunami hit the Bristol Channel in 1607. Another tsunami in the Mesolithic period on England and Scotland’s eastern coast led to the separation of Great Britain from Europe.

A massive earthquake occurred in January 1607 in Lisbon, Portugal. Three hours later, the coast of the Bristol Channel was struck by a 12-foot wave. This tsunami flooded the areas in and around the Channel and killed more than 3000 people, destroying everything in its path, from agricultural fields, houses and livestock. The most badly affected town was Cardiff.

6. UK’s largest natural inlet

The Bristol Channel is the UK’s largest natural inlet. It is 70 miles long and 5 to 43 miles wide with a depth of 30 to 240 feet and a 219-mile long, award-winning coastline, the site of the UK’s highest and the world’s second-highest tidal bore.

11 major rivers feed the channel, including the rivers Avon, Usk, Taff, Severn, and Wye, all of which run into the 346 square miles of the River Severn Estuary located at the easternmost edge of the Bristol Channel.

The coastline features stunning landscapes and has five award-winning coasts, namely the South Pembrokeshire Coast, the Gower Peninsular and Exmoor, Bideford Bay and Hartland Point. The region has 3 National Walking Trails of the South West Coast, the Pembroke Coast and the Gower.

7. Has many large bays and river estuaries

Many popular bays lie in the Bristol Channel, including Bideford Bay on England’s north Devon coast, Swansea Bay and Carmarthen Bay on the South Wales Coast, Bridgewater Bay on England’s north Somerset coast and Cardiff Bay at the mouth of the River Severn estuary.

8. The Bristol Channel coast is heavily industrialised

Bristol Channel’s northern coastline along the South Wales coast is heavily industrialised. It has the ports of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. Oil refiners are situated at Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock.

Being a busy commercial route, the region is also the site of around 24 known shipwrecks, of which 10 still remain. The channel witnessed three significant oil spill incidents and a major fire in 1960.

The Christas Bitas spilt 4000 tonnes of crude oil into the waters 10 miles off the coast of Pembroke in 1978. Sea Empress spilt around 73,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Channel at the mouth of Milford Haven Waterway in 1996, causing the UK’s third-biggest oil spill and the world’s 12th-biggest oil spill. It took a year to clean it up and cost more than 120 million pounds.

9. 42 lighthouses along its coastline

The Bristol Channel has 42 lighthouses along the coastline between St Govan’s Head and Harland Point at its easternmost point and from Sand Point and Lavernock Point at its westernmost point. The region has many lighthouses that do not aid in navigation and have been converted into guest houses.

10. Famous for surfing, yachting, diving

The coastline of the Bristol Channel is famous for surfing, yachting, diving and cliff jumping. Many holiday resorts are in Bideford, Burham on Sea, Western Supermare and Ilfracombe, Barry Island, Penarth and Tenby.

The heritage coasts of Vale of Glamorgan, Gower and Bideford Bay, and the Atlantic coasts of Pembrokeshire and Cornwall are the key regions for surfing in Britain. These coasts are known for their golden beaches, blue waters, excellent water quality and great facilities near the main surf breaks.

Swansea is the biggest settlement on the Welsh Coast of the Bristol Channel. Other regions include Barry, Llanelli, and Port Talbot, and smaller resort towns are Mumbles, Porthcawl, and Saundersfoot. Cardiff and Newport lie upstream of the Bristol Channel. The Port of Bristol was established on the Avon River but now has deeper water docks on the Severn Estuary, making it a key port in Britain.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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