River Great Ouse

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River Great Ouse
The River Great Ouse after Brownshill Staunch, near Over
Origin	near Syresham in Northamptonshire
Mouth	King's Lynn
Basin countries	England
Length	150 miles (240 km)
Source elevation	115 m (380 feet)

The River Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. It is 150 miles (240 km) long which makes it the major navigation in East Anglia, and the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The lower reaches of the Great Ouse are also known as "Old West River" and "the Ely Ouse". The name Ouse is from the Celtic or pre-Celtic *Udso-s^[1], and probably means simply "water". ^[2]

The river has several sources close to the villages of Syresham and Sulgrave in Northamptonshire. It flows through Brackley, Buckingham, Milton Keynes at Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell, Olney, Bedford, St Neots, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Hemingford Grey, St Ives, the cathedral city of Ely, Littleport, Downham Market and enters The Wash at King's Lynn.

The Environment Agency is the navigation authority and it attempts to attract more boaters to the river.

The Ouse Washes are an internationally important area for wildlife.

[edit] Tributaries

The Great Ouse at King's Lynn

The Great Ouse at St Neots

The Great Ouse near Little Paxton.

Tributaries of the River Great Ouse: (upstream [source] to downstream by confluence)

• River Tove
• River Ouzel (or Lovat)
• River Ivel
• River Kym
• River Cam
• River Lark
• River Little Ouse
• Wissey
• Old Bedford River
• New Bedford River (also known as Hundred Foot Drain)
• River Babingley
• Gaywood River

[edit] Trivia

In 1944 the annual boat race between the Oxford and Cambridge universities took place on this river, between Littleport and Adelaide; it was won by Oxford. The Great Ouse is now used by CUBC, CUWBC and CULRC for training.

[edit] See also

• The Ouse Valley Way (Long distance footpath along the Ouse)
• RSPB Ouse Washes (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve)
• WWT Welney (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve)
• Rivers of the United Kingdom
• The Boat Race

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Useful information on the river from Jim Shead
• Drainage and Rivers of Fens

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourses of Buckinghamshire Alder Bourne • Bearbrook • Chess • Chicheley Brook • Claydon Brook • Colne • Colne Brook • Cuttle Brook • Dad Brook • Gade • Great Ouse • Jubilee • Lyde • Misbourne • Ouzel • Padbury Brook • Ray • Thame • Thames • Thistle Brook • Tove • Whistle Brook • Wye

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourse of Norfolk River Ainse (or Eyn) • River Ant • River Babingley • Beeston Beck • River Bure • River Burn • River Chet • River Cong • Gaywood River • River Glaven • River Great Ouse • Gur Beck • Hagon Beck • River Heacham • River Hor • River Hun • River Ingol • River Little Ouse • River Mun • River Nar • River Nene • North Walsham & Dilham Canal • Panford Beck • Penny Spot Beck • Scarrow Beck • Spring Beck • River Stiffkey • River Tas • River Tat • River Thet • River Thurne • River Tiffey • River Tud • River Waveney • River Wensum • River Wissey • River Yare •

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourses of Northamptonshire River Avon • River Cherwell • River Great Ouse • Harpers Brook • River Ise • River Nene • Rains Brook • River Tove • Willow Brook • Wooton Brook