|
|
The river Parrett and its tributaries, the Tone,
Yeo and Isle, form the principal river basin in Somerset, with the tide and
the tidal bore running as far inland as Langport and up the Tone to within
three miles of Taunton. Of the other rivers only the Axe and the Brue were
used in their lower reaches for navigation. There is evidence of the use of
all these rivers from very early times. At Ilchester, excavations have
revealed Roman wharves on the river Yeo. The Saxon 'burhs' at Axbridge,
Lyng and Langport, were built to provide defence against invaders from the
sea. During the medieval period there are references to the importing of
considerable quantities of goods from South Wales and the Severn region, and
from overseas, to Bridgwater where they were unloaded into river boats and
carried to Taunton, Langport, Long Sutton and Ilchester. At the end of the
fifteenth century this river trade included timber, coal, salt, iron, corn and
wine. A similar trade was carried on the Axe from the harbour at Uphill to
Weare, near Axbridge, with an export trade of lead from the Mendip mines, The
Brue, with a harbour at Highbridge, provided the Abbey and town of Glastonbury
with a convenient link with seaborne trade in corn, fish and wine, and, on one
occasion in 1500, the transport of new church seats from Bristol. The building
of watermills with weirs and sluices on these rivers caused difficulties over
navigation, and to maintain or improve this the river was made wider or
deeper, or even straightened by a new artificial channel.
|
