River Rea

This article is about the river in Birmingham. For the river in Shropshire, see River Rea, Shropshire. For the river in New Zealand, see Rea River.

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River in England

Rea

The River Rea at Belgrave Middleway (Birmingham)

Etymology| "to flow" (Old English)
Location
Country| England
Physical characteristics
Source|
• location| Waseley Hills Country Park, Worcestershire
Mouth|

• location

| Confluence with the Tame

• coordinates

| 52°30′15″N 1°50′37″W﻿ / ﻿52.50417°N 1.84361°W﻿ / 52.50417; -1.84361
Length| 14 miles (23 km)
Basin features
Progression| Rea → Tame → Trent → Humber → North Sea

The River Rea (pronounced "ray") is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. It is the river on which Birmingham was founded by the Beorma tribe in the 7th century.

## Name

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The name of the Rea derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow".

## Course

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The Rea rises in Waseley Hills Country Park, with the source well signposted from the car park there. The river drops about 70 metres (230 ft) in its first mile, but from then on has a very gentle slope. The river's tributaries include Callow Brook, the Bourne (which begins as Merritts Brook before joining Griffins Brook) and Bourne Brook. From Rubery, the river flows into Birmingham near the former Rover works at Longbridge, then flows through a tunnel under the A38. In Northfield, one of the river's few remaining fords is at The Mill Walk, near Hawkesley Mill Lane. After this, the river valley is also used by the railway to Kings Norton.

A floodgate on the river at Vaughton's Hole (now Vaughton St), Highgate, Birmingham, drawn in 1831 by Henry Harris Lines One of the Gooch Street Bridge arches

Wychall Reservoir, near the river at Kings Norton, was built in the early 19th century by the Worcester Canal Company after mill owners claimed that water was being taken from the river to fill the canal and reducing the working effectiveness of their mills. Following Kings Norton, the river flows through Stirchley. It is now culverted for much of its course through Birmingham, during which it passes through the Pebble Mill area and Cannon Hill Park then Calthorpe Park. A pair of decorative arches on the bridge where Gooch Street crosses the river mark the first settlement of Birmingham. The medieval hamlet of Birmingham was built on a crossing on the Rea in what is now Digbeth. Many of the street names in the area refer to the river or its mills. These include Rea Street, Floodgate Street, River Street and Duddeston Mill Road. There are proposals to include a riverside walk and new bridge over the Rea at Digbeth's Custard Factory media and arts complex (now complete). There are also proposals for the river to be uncovered at the Warwick Bar area of Digbeth.

Near Gravelly Hill Interchange, about 14 miles (23 kilometres) from its source, the Rea merges with the River Tame, with its waters eventually reaching the North Sea via the Trent and the Humber Estuary.

## Flood prevention measures

[edit]

The Rea frequently bursts its banks after heavy rain. A £2.7 million scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 200 homes and businesses in the south of Selly Park was completed in January 2018.[1]

## See also

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* Rivers of the United Kingdom

## References

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1. ^ "New multi-million pound flood scheme in Birmingham opened - GOV.UK". UK Government. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

## Further reading

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* Stephens, W B, ed. (1964), "Economic and Social History: Mills", A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7, the City of Birmingham, London: Victoria County History, pp. 253–269

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to River Rea, West Midlands.

* Photo of the Rea at Fazeley St., Birmingham
* Map of the River Rea, Street Map.

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Ceremonial county of West Midlands

Metropolitan districts|

* City of Birmingham
* City of Coventry
* Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
* Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell
* Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
* Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
* City of Wolverhampton

Major settlements
(cities in italics)|

* Aldridge
* Bilston
* Birmingham
* Blackheath
* Bloxwich
* Bournville
* Brierley Hill
* Brownhills
* Chelmsley Wood
* Coseley
* Coventry
* Cradley Heath
* Darlaston
* Dorridge
* Dudley
* Edgbaston
* Erdington
* Gornal
* Halesowen
* Kingswinford
* Knowle
* Longbridge
* Netherton
* Oldbury
* Pelsall
* Pensnett
* Quarry Bank
* Rowley Regis
* Sedgley
* Selly Oak
* Shirley
* Smethwick
* Solihull
* Stourbridge
* Streetly
* Sutton Coldfield
* Tipton
* Tividale
* Walsall
* Wednesbury
* Wednesfield
* West Bromwich
* Willenhall
* Wolverhampton
* Wordsley
See also: West Midlands

Rivers|

* River Blythe
* River Cole
* River Penk
* River Rea
* Saredon Brook
* Smestow Brook
* River Sherbourne
* River Sow
* River Sowe
* River Stour
* River Tame

Canals|

* Birmingham Canal Navigations
* Shropshire Union Canal
* Staffordshire & Worcestershire
* Worcester & Birmingham

Topics|

* Places
* Population of major settlements
* Parliamentary constituencies
* SSSIs
* Country houses
* Grade I listed buildings
* Grade II* listed buildings
* Scheduled monuments
* Conservation areas
* History
* Lord Lieutenants
* High Sheriffs
* Museums

Black Country
* Birmingham Airport
* Coventry/Bedworth Urban Area
* Transport for West Midlands
* West Midlands conurbation
* West Midlands Combined Authority
* Mayor of the West Midlands
* West Midlands Police

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