Wind in the willows( minus the wind.)

Yes roses there are two; the other one is in West Sussex and is altogether more picturesque than ours. No real reason why anyone should have heard of ours - I hadn't myself until I came to live here. We are about midway between Chesterfield and Rotherham, and I suppose Rotherham took it's name from the river way back when.

Ashamed to say that I have never heard of the river Rother ( near Rotheram??)Or that there are two rivers called that!

We have a river five minutes walk down the lane at the back of our house. It is the River Rother (not the Sussex one). I enjoyed walking along it until I had an unfortunate run in with a horse. I have fished it once or twice, but a Hampshire chalk stream it ain't, though it does have trout. It also has kingfishers, water voles, goosanders, herons and other water birds. Within this city, the rivers which used to be foul with the effluent from heavy industry are now pristine and teeming with fish and wildlife - but it has taken a lot of hard work by volunteer groups and the EA to get them that way, and hard work continues to keep them that way. It is a huge joy to me to have seen it happen.

Yes - it is the Severn Bore. When I was little I thought it was called the

Seven Boar and I slipped back in time. I also thought it was the Seven

Bridge.

The Bore as explained above is a seasonal tide which forms a huge wave.

Some brave people actually ride the wave on surf boards.

I missed the Swan Upping on the Thames this year. Forgot all about it. I usually catch it. Quite a sight.

The Severn bore has never occurred at a convenient time for me to see it. Unfortunately.

I rode my bike into town today along the river, as I always do. I had to wait for boats going through the lock. First time this year. I love the Thames.

Thanks for the Severn Bore info Elegran, it must be quite something to see( I want to see it!)

We live 5 minutes away from the river(s) which runs through the park the Soar and the Eye I think. Our part is not navigable but could be if the Environment Agency had the funds to clear it up. A local volunteer group MOWS do what they can but its a big job - very picturesque though.

Thanks roses DH and I always check out estate agents windows when we're away. We enjoy the 'if only game' too

I also live next to The Thames in the middle of London and absolutely love it!

When I'm not working I do a one or two-hour river walk. There's so much going on .... rowers, cruisers, pleasure boats, barges, houseboats, commuter clippers, the lot. If I worked in The City or Canary Wharf I'd travel by clipper - what a great way to commute, particularly in this weather.

When DGS(9) visits we go down to the foreshore at low-tide and mudlark with his little metal detector.

The Severn Bore is the tide on certain days. It roars up the narrowing Bristol channel, and then up the narrowing Severn, as a wall of water several feet high.

I was once crossing the bridge in Chepstow, aged about 5, with my parents and was absolutely terrified at the vast amount of water apparently rushing at me - there were only railings beside me, down to the pavement level. Scary!

There is a website about it (with tide tables so that you can time your surfing - Friday 31st July is the next)

" Even on the smaller tides you will see spectators and surfers heading down to the river Severn. According to some sources the largest bore on the Severn was October 15th 1966, a spectacular 9.2ft (2.8m)!

Often the spring and autumn tides are the biggest but generally most month’s high tides will bring a bore down the Severn through Gloucestershire. " www.thesevernbore.co.uk/home/4579550154

Nina, you will like Marlow, enjoy your holiday there. we have a game of picking which house on the river and which boat we would choose, it becomes quite heated if we don't agree( pipe dreams!)
The Thames is usually brown, not clear and sparkling, more like the Orinoco at times, but still a great river. I love the Severn as well and all the countryside around there.

I want to know more about the boar/bore, what IS it exactly?

I am sure you are right Kitty, isn't he the old codger who sits outside the riverside pub telling all and sundry about his fishing exploits/the quickest way from Malmesbury to Piddletrenthide avoiding motorways/or how to fettle a head gasket spingle?

The River Soar runs through our village but the closest bit to us is actually part of the Grand Union Canal. There is a lovely walk along the canal towpath with a pub at each end!

Isn't it the Severn Bore, Falcon? The Severn Boar would be very scary! . The Bore is quite spectacular.

I live near the mighty river Severn. It has the second highest tide in the world and is famous for the Severn Boar.

It isn't the most attractive of rivers in my opinion being grey in colour because of the mud but it does support some interesting wild life mainly wading birds I think.

The canal is a five minute walk away, don't walk that way often now we don't have a dog. We tend to walk along the prom which is across the road.
We have booked a long weekend in September at an hotel on the banks of Thames at Marlow. Looking forward to that.

No Roses-we're north of Aberdeen. I do love Devon though, beautiful county.

Are you in Devon Katek?

We're seaside dwellers but also have our own beautiful river which meanders down the valley, down one side of the main street and eventually meets the sea. I get quite twitchy when I'm inland-I love to be on the edge where I can see the sea.

The Old West river (part of the Great Ouse) ran along the bottom of our garden when we lived in a large farmhouse. The children's ponies grazed on the washes and we had our own mooring for our cabin cruiser. Absolutely idyllic!!

Sadly, when the company that DH worked for sold the farm we had to move and we now live near the river Cam - it's all rivers round here. We can't afford the costs of owning our own boat anymore but we can always hire one for a short break.

I love rivers but I come from the Isle of Wight so I think, given a choice, I'd go back to the sea.

There are so many lovely rivers in England, that most people can't be far from one. Some live near the river/canal but never walk there, what a waste. You can see herons, water voles ( Ratty!) and swans/ ducks/ moorhens , and even today, some seagulls ( I know they can be a nuisance, but we don't get many of them here.)
Mr Roses really prefers to live by the sea, but that isn't possible now, and given the choice I think I prefer the river.

It is bliss there NanKate, we love it too, so peaceful.
Numberplease I will look at your profile photo of the canal.