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.