The River Severn is one of the most important rivers in the United
Kingdom. Today you are going to go on a virtual fieldtrip down the river
from near its source towards its mouth.
The aims of the fieldtrip are as follows
• To search for changes in the river as we move away from the source
• To look for evidence of the work done by rivers
• To find out how the river impacts on the lives of people
Read the questions on each slide and then delete the questions and type
your answer in the space. When you have finished your fieldtrip e-mail
your observations to your teacher. This exercise should be completed in
normal view mode not in a Slideshow view.
Here is a map of the river Severn
B
C
A
Location A is known as Carding
Mill Valley. Here a small stream
starts which is a tributary of the
River Severn. The site was
chosen as an example of the
upper course of a river.
B
Location B is the town of
Shrewsbury. Here we can
examine the impact of the
river on the town
C
Location C is just east of the
town of Welshpool. The site
was chosen as an example of
the middle course of a river.
D
Location D is near Bristol as
the river nears the end of its
journey.
A
D
Carding
Mill
Valley
Can you label the map correctly with these features? ( Drag and Drop) You will have to end
the slideshow to do this.
V-Shaped Valley
Confluence
River Source
Footpath
Car Park
Stream
Close to the Source
Here we are at the
start of our walk
into the mountains.
This stream is one
of many tributaries
of the River Severn.
How would you
describe the shape
of the valley?
How big is the stream?
The Waterfall
As we walked up the valley
we came across this
waterfall. Can you put
these labels in the right
places?
Plunge Pool
Gorge/Waterfall retreat
Softer Rock
Hard Cap Rock
The River in Action
This video footage shows the
stream in action. What does
the moving water do to the
rocks and earth below and to
the sides of it? What would
happen if the river were in
flood?
Double click on the photo to play
movie.
A closer view of the river
Near the top of the
mountain we had a closer
look at the river bed.
How would you describe
the size and shape of the
material in the river?
The Upper Valley
Here is a view up to the top of the
valley. What is the vegetation like
on the hillsides on these mountains?
How steep is the land the river is
flowing over?
On the Slide
On the walk up the valley we came
across this scene. What do you
think has happened here?
Why are the rocks in metal cages?
Busy, Busy, Busy
When we were returning to our
car we weren’t the only people in
the area!
How many different activities can
you think of that people in the
area might do?
We moved further
downstream close to the
town of Welshpool. We
wanted to see how the river
would change.
The Middle Course
When we arrived in the
countryside near Welshpool we
were amazed how much the river
had changed. What has happened
to the width of the river?
How has the river altered in
shape?
What do you notice about the
valley?
Going round the bend!
A bend in a river like this is
known as a meander. Can you
label the inside and outside of
the bend?
Shrewsbury
We travelled even further down
the river to the town of
Shrewsbury to examine what
impact the river had had on the
town.
Shrewsbury
First we visited the park. The
park has been built on the rivers
flood plain.
How might people use this area of
parkland and the river bank?
Riverside Living
These flats enjoy lovely riverside
views but what do you think might
happen if the river went into
flood?
Bridging the Gap
This bridge spans the river close
to the block of flats. How do you
think it affects the flow of the
river?
What affect might the bridge
have when the river is in flood?
Why is the bridge important?
Along the Riverside
When we were stood on the
bridge and looked downstream we
could see these walls built along
the side of the river. What do
you think they are intended to do?
Finally
We eventually reach the end of our journey down
the River Severn. The river goes into the sea near
Bristol. Lets take a final look at the river.
The Severn Estuary
Click on the pictures if you want to go to
Multimap to compare this photo and map.
(You will need to switch to slideshow view
or right click on picture and choose open
hyperlink)
What is there in the river?
How has this happened?
What other features both human and
physical are linked to the presence of the
River Severn being in this location?
The Severn Bridge
The end of our journey
Final observations:
How wide is the river here?
Where are the valley sides?
What is the main river process in operation
here?
Go back to slide 1 to look
at the lesson aims to
help you
Conclusion
What have you learnt in today’s lesson?