List of main rivers of England

This is a list of rivers of England. It includes all the main rivers, but usually not the tributaries

Rivers discharging into the Irish Sea 
This section includes all rivers entering the Irish Sea from England between the Scottish border and the Welsh border.

Cumbrian coast 
All rivers going into the Solway Firth, Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay from the Scottish border south to Silverdale on the Cumbria/Lancashire border.

Flowing into the Solway Firth 
Border Esk catchment

The lowest reaches of the Esk are in England but most of the river is in Scotland whilst a short section is followed by the England/Scotland border. Tributaries of the Esk which are wholly in Scotland are omitted from this list but may be found at List of rivers of Scotland.
 River Esk 
Most upstream tributaries of the Esk are wholly in Scotland.

Eden catchment
 River Eden 

Wampool catchment
 River Wampool

Flowing into the Irish Sea 
Derwent catchment
 River Derwent 

Ehen catchment
 River Ehen 

Calder catchment
 River Calder 

Cumbrian Esk catchment
 River Esk 

Duddon catchment
 River Duddon

Flowing into Morecambe Bay 
Leven catchment
 River Leven 

Kent catchment
 River Kent

Lancashire and Cheshire Coast 
All rivers discharging into the Irish Sea from Silverdale on the Cumbria/Lancashire border south to the Dee Estuary.

Keer catchment
 River Keer 

Lune catchment
 River Lune 

Alt catchment
 River Alt 

Mersey catchment
 River Mersey 

The Dee and most of its tributaries arise in Wales. Though a section of it passes through England, it passes into Wales once again before discharging into the Irish Sea via the Dee estuary. For other rivers entering the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay from Wales, see List of rivers of Wales.  Only those tributaries of the River Dee which flow wholly or partly in England are listed here - for a complete list of the rivers and watercourses of the Dee catchment see List of rivers of Wales.

Dee catchment
 River Dee  (Afon Dyfrdwy in Welsh)

All further upstream tributaries of the Dee are wholly in Wales.

Rivers discharging into the Bristol Channel and Southwest Approaches 
This section includes all rivers entering the Bristol Channel and the sea off the northern coasts of Devon and Cornwall which is referred to variously as the Southwest Approaches or Celtic Sea.

Rivers Severn and Wye 
The lowermost Wye forms the boundary between England and Wales. Only those tributaries of the River Wye which flow wholly or partly in England are listed here - for a complete list of the rivers and watercourses of the Wye catchment and for other rivers entering the Bristol Channel from Wales see List of rivers of Wales.

Wye catchment
 River Wye 

All further upstream tributaries of the Wye are wholly in Wales.

The River Severn upstream of the M48 Severn Bridge. This section includes all tributaries of the Severn which lie wholly or partly in England. For tributaries of the Severn which lie partly or wholly within Wales, see List of rivers of Wales.

Severn catchment
 River Severn (Afon Hafren) 

With the exception of the Morda and parts of the Camlad, Tanat and Cynllaith all tributaries of the Severn and Vyrnwy upstream of their confluence are in Wales. They can be found here.

Bristol Channel 
All English rivers discharging into the Mouth of the Severn and the Bristol Channel from the M48 Severn Bridge south and west to Morte Point, North Devon.

Bristol Avon catchment
 River Avon 

Axe catchment
 River Axe 

Brue catchment
 River Brue 

Parrett catchment
 River Parrett 

Lyn catchment
 East Lyn River 

Heddon, Umber & Wilder catchments
 River Heddon 
 River Umber 
 Wilder Brook

Atlantic Coast of Devon and North Cornwall
Rivers discharging into the Atlantic Ocean between Morte Point in North Devon and Land's End.

Taw catchment
 River Taw 

Torridge catchment
 River Torridge 

Camel catchment
 River Camel

Rivers discharging into the English Channel 
This section includes all rivers entering the sea along England's south coast.

South Coast of Cornwall and Devon 
All rivers discharging into the Atlantic Ocean between Land's End, Cornwall and Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border.

Note that there are no watercourses named on either the 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey maps of the Isles of Scilly.

Helford catchment
 Helford River 

Restronguet catchment
 Restronguet Creek 

Fal catchment
 River Fal 

St Austell River catchment
 St Austell River 

Par catchment
 River Par 

Fowey catchment
 River Fowey 

Looe catchment
 River Looe 

Tamar catchment
 River Tamar 

Plym catchment
 River Plym 

Erme & Avon catchments etc.
 River Erme (MS)
 River Avon 
 The Gara (enters Slapton Ley)

Dart catchment
 River Dart 

Teign catchment
 River Teign 

Exe catchment
 River Exe 

Otter catchment
 River Otter 

Sid catchment
 River Sid 

Axe catchment
 River Axe

Coast of Dorset and Hampshire
All rivers discharging into the English Channel between Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border and Hayling Island on the Hampshire/Sussex border but excluding the Isle of Wight.

Brit catchment
 River Brit (or Britt) 

Frome catchment
 River Frome 

Piddle catchment etc.
 River Piddle  (also known as River Trent)
 River Sherford  (enters Lytchett Bay as Rock Lea River)

Dorset Stour catchment
 River Stour 

Hampshire Avon catchment
 River Avon (Also known as the Salisbury Avon) 

Test catchment
 River Test 

Itchen catchment
 River Itchen  (and Barton River)

Isle of Wight
All rivers in the Isle of Wight - list taken anticlockwise from Cowes

Medina catchment etc.
 River Medina 
 Gurnard Luck 

Newtown River catchment
 Newtown River (MS)

Western Yar catchment
 Western Yar (Yarmouth) 

Eastern Yar catchment etc.
 River Yar (Bembridge) 
 Monktonmead Brook (Ryde) 

Wootton Creek catchment etc.
 Wootton Creek 
 Palmer's Brook

Coast of South East England
All rivers discharging into the English Channel and Straits of Dover between Hayling Island on the Hampshire/Sussex border and Foreness Point at the northeast corner of Kent. This section includes the entire coast of Sussex and the south and east coasts of Kent.

Arun catchment
 River Arun 

Adur catchment
 River Adur 

Ouse catchment
 River Ouse, Sussex 

Cuckmere catchment
 River Cuckmere 

Pevensey Haven catchment
 Pevensey Haven 

Wallers Haven catchment
 Waller's Haven 

Combe Haven catchment
 Combe Haven 

Rother catchment
 River Rother 

Dour catchment
River Dour 

Stour catchment
 River Stour, Kent

Rivers discharging into the North Sea
This section includes all of the rivers along England's east coast.

Thames Estuary
All rivers discharging into the Thames and Medway and their estuaries. This section includes the coast of Kent west of Foreness Point at the northeast corner of Kent and the south coast of Essex, west of Shoeburyness. But see also 
Medway catchment
 River Medway (shares the Thames estuary) 

Thames catchment
 River Thames (In Oxford, the Thames is also known as the River Isis) 
 River Darent 
 Lea or Lee (L)
 River Ravensbourne (tidal reach known as Deptford Creek) (R)
 Walbrook (subterranean) (L)
 River Fleet (subterranean, also known as the Holbourne) (L)
 River Tyburn (subterranean) (L)
 River Wey (R)

East Anglian Coast
All rivers discharging into the North Sea along the coast of East Anglia, including the counties of Essex (north and east of Shoeburyness), Suffolk and Norfolk as far as King's Lynn.

Crouch catchment
 River Crouch 

Blackwater catchment
 River Blackwater (MS) (known as River Pant upstream)

Colne catchment
 River Colne 

Stour catchment
 River Stour 
 River Brett (L)

Orwell catchment
 River Orwell (MS) (known as River Gipping above tidal limit)

Yare catchment
 River Yare 

Great Ouse catchment
 River Great Ouse

Lincolnshire Coast and The Wash
All rivers discharging into The Wash and the North Sea between King's Lynn and Cleethorpes at the mouth of The Humber.

Nene catchment
 River Nene  

Welland catchment
 River Welland 

The Haven catchment
 Boston Haven 

Steeping catchment
 Steeping River (or Wainfleet Haven) 

Saltfleet catchment
 Saltfleet Haven 

Grainthorpe catchment
 Grainthorpe Haven 

Tetney Haven catchment
 Tetney Haven

Humber catchment
This section includes all rivers entering the Humber, defined as the estuary west of a line between Spurn Head and Cleethorpes. The Humber is often referred to as the River Humber though the name is unusual insofar as it is an entirely tidal stretch of water formed as the Rivers Ouse and Trent combine at Trent Falls.

Ancholme catchment
 New River Ancholme 

Trent catchment
 River Trent 

Yorkshire Ouse catchment
 River Ouse  (assumes name of River Ure upstream of Linton-on-Ouse)

Hull catchment
 River Hull 

Sands Drain catchment
 Sands Drain

Yorkshire Coast
All rivers entering the North Sea between Spurn Point at the mouth of the Humber and Redcar, Cleveland. This section includes the entire North Sea coast of the traditional county of Yorkshire.

Barmston Main Drain catchment
 Barmston Main Drain 

Yorkshire Esk catchment
 River Esk 

Skelton Beck catchment
 Skelton Beck

North East England
All rivers entering the North Sea from Redcar north to the Scottish border. This section includes the rivers of County Durham and Northumberland.

Tees catchment
 River Tees 

Wear catchment
 River Wear 

Tyne catchment
 River Tyne 

Blyth catchment
 River Blyth 

Wansbeck catchment
 River Wansbeck 

Lyne catchment
 River Lyne 

Coquet catchment
 River Coquet 

Aln catchment
 River Aln 

Tweed catchment

Tributaries of the Tweed which are wholly in Scotland are omitted from this list but may be found in the List of rivers of Scotland.
 River Tweed 

All further upstream tributaries of the Tweed are wholly in Scotland.

References 

England

Lists about England