At its mouth, a river flows into another body of water. The mouth of the River Severn flows into the Bristol Channel.

Mouth Severn Estuary

• location Bristol Channel, United Kingdom
• elevation 0 m (0 ft)

Bristol Channel

The Bristol Channel (Welsh: Môr Hafren meaning 'Severn Sea') is a major inlet of the Atlantic Ocean separating southwestern England from southern Wales. It takes its name from the English city of Bristol and is over 50 km (30 miles) across at its widest point.

Where the mouth of the Severn meets the Bristol Channel

Brean Down is a headland off the coast of Somerset standing 320 feet (98 m) high and extending 1.5 miles (2 km) into the Bristol Channel at the eastern end of Bridgwater Bay between Weston-super-Mare and Burnham on Sea.

Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands lie in a rough line between Cardiff in Wales and Weston Super Mare in England. They mark the end of the mouth of the River Severn and the Start of the Bristol Channel.

Steep Holm

Steep Holm is an English island lying in the Bristol Channel, five miles west of Weston-Super-Mare, a seaside resort in the South West of England.

Flat Holm

Flat Holm is a Welsh limestone island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately 6 km (4 miles) from Lavernock Point in Glamorgan.

Flat Holm Island was the first place in the world to receive radio signals transmitted across water. Marconi set up a transmitting station on Lavernock Point some 5 miles from the island and on May 13, 1897 the historic message was sent and received.

Follow this link to watch a video of the Mouth of the River Severn

Severn Barrage

A 10-mile barrage across the Severn from Brean Down to Lavernock Point is among five projects on a shortlist of potential schemes to harness the tidal power of the estuary. Find out more here

Key Vocabulary

Mouth
Where a river flows into another body of water. The mouth may be where the river meets the sea, a lake or a larger waterway.

Estuary
The wide mouth of a rive where it ends its journey.