River Trent runs uphill ?

[barclaycon 569]

With all the floods and swollen rivers, I was curious to know more about the course and flow of the River Trent and also the Derwent.

Having lived in Yorkshire as a kid, I knew there was a River Derwent there which actually flows down from the Moors, so I wondered what the Derwent in Derby was all about.

Apparently there are 4 River Derwents in England: Yorkshire, Durham, Derbyshire and Cumbrian.

So it's easy to get confused!

The River Derwent in Derbyshire joins the Trent just south of Derby.

What is unusual about the Trent is that it flows North. Wiki says that it rises near Stoke, starts to flow South and then arcs round to go northwards - going through Notts and eventually emptying into the Humber. It also has a tidal bore.

It almost seems as though it flows uphill ?

Though I guess the geology of the land is such that it's starting high and eventually empties on the level.

Anybody know more about this unusual course?

[notty ash 372]

According to some, the Trent originally continued east towards the Witham Gap and The Wash.

It does flow downhill all the way, though it is tidal for a long distance, suggesting that its fall is minimal for the long stretch through Lincolnshire and North Notts.

[LizzieM 9,519]

I'm intrigued and maybe I'm thick but when DID a river ever flow UPHILL?

[StephenFord 866]

Of COURSE the Trent flows uphill - unless you turn your map upside down !

[barclaycon 569]

No, you're not thick Lizzie, and I'm sure that you are quite intriguing!

Rivers tend to flow from North to South. The Trent however does the opposite - hence my attempt to be amusing and rather witty with the remark that 'it's almost as though it's flowing uphill'!

My aim was to draw you into the conversation.

Worked great.

[barclaycon 569]

I guess the geology of the land MUST be downhill for it to flow in such a way.

But I just wondered how much the flow is increased by tributaries - like the Derwent, especially as the movement of the water towards the Humber has to overcome the tidal surge which happens twice a day.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Rivers do flow uphill at certain times where it is tidal. But the general flow of the river would still be to the sea. Water will always find it's own level. My wife always laughs at me over memories of the time I built a pond. She says 200 years ago, men built miles of canals with primitive tool and leveling equipment and got it perfect, but in the 20th century with all the modern technology I completely messed up a six foot pond. LOL.

Something always got me thinking. I once heard that the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are different levels. One is higher than the other. I don't know if this is true but if it is, why isn't there a massive waterfall near Tierra Del Fuego.

[StephenFord 866]

I don't like to lower the tone of this topic, but here goes : in Peru there is a railway line that crosses the Andes, the summit of the line being the Galera tunnel - 15,694 feet above sea level. The significance of this is that the summit is the watershed between the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is reported that on one occasion a rich American tourist asked if the train could be stopped at the exact summit, and for him to alight and see the spot. Traffic on the line was sparse so there was really no problem (though at that altitude passengers tended to be a bit light-headed through lack of oxygen). Anyway, the train was duly stopped, and the said rich American alighted and disappeared into the gloom of the tunnel. He re-appeared a couple of minutes later adjusting his flies, and wearing a broad grin. "That's dandy," - he said, "I've always wanted to pump ship into the Atlantic and Pacific at the same time - now I can say I've done it."

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Was it in equal proportions?

[dgbrit 258]

I remember being on the Sacramento river back in 1989 the day the earthquake hit the river changed direction, My mate said what are you smoking back there its not just cigarettes ,I said well we just passed our anchor & there is about 50 ft of slack rope

Of course when we docked we found out what had happened.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Rivers tend to flow from North to South. The Trent however does the opposite - hence my attempt to be amusing and rather witty with the remark that 'it's almost as though it's flowing uphill'!

The world's longest river - the Nile - flows from south to north. I say the 'world's longest', but when I was at school we were taught that was the Amazon. However, that's beside the point.

This reminds of the film 'The Railway Children' when the boy asks Mr Perks why the 'express' to Scotland is going so slowly - 'well, it's all uphill to Scotland, in't it?'

[barclaycon 569]

Most rivers, here in England - flow North to South.

The Trent is an exception.

I think in geography at school we were encouraged to think that all rivers flow towards the equator, but I gather that the main factor in any flow really is height.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Most rivers, here in England - flow North to South.

The Trent is an exception.

I think in geography at school we were encouraged to think that all rivers flow towards the equator, but I gather that the main factor in any flow really is height.

When I was in school we were taught that rivers always flow downhill.

Something else this thread reminds me of was listening to Dennis McCarthy once on Radio Nottingham (where else?) maintaining that south of the equator the sun rose in the west and set in the east.

[barclaycon 569]

Yeah allright mate.

Lighten up.

It wasn't meant to be a statement of fact.

[benjamin1945 16,225]

Flowed where ever they wanted this winter

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

So we are agreed then. Water flows downhill unless it is pumped up hill.

[barclaycon 569]

My attempt to be amusing has clearly eluded you.

"River Trent runs uphill ..... question mark", was intended to be a witty remark to promote discussion as to why the Trent 'unusually' flows South to North.

Not a statement of fact.

I didn't say the Trent defies the laws of gravity did I ?

[StephenFord 866]

There is a saying : "He who laughs last............has only just got the joke!"

[notty ash 372]

I went white water rafting in Colorado once. The rock strata at the side of the river were anything but horizontal - a bit like Lulworth Cove, but on a much longer scale.. They definitely made it look as if you were going uphill, or very steeply downhill in places.. It was a very strange feeling!

[Rob.L 1,091]

#19

Had that experience with a road once when on a cycling holiday in Scotland where I seemed to be able to freewheel up a hill.

This one, in fact - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Brae

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

We all know that water cannot naturally run up hill without a pump. Then some asshole points out the Leidenfrost Effect.

[Beduth 202]

Of course rivers can flow up hill. Why else would the Wiltshire village be called 'Upavon' ?

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Have you tried drinking a pint while standing on your head?? No. Me neither.

[PeverilPeril 3,292]

Found this interesting old topic. Something that has been puzzling me is why the Trent, below it's confluence with the Tame is still called the Trent, when in fact the Tame at that point has a greater flow? have we been fooled for centuries? Should it really be Tame Bridge and Tame Embankment?

[Oztalgian 3,343]

16 hours ago, PeverilPeril said:

Something that has been puzzling me is why the Trent, below it's confluence with the Tame is still called the Trent, when in fact the Tame at that point has a greater flow?

PP I was curious about your comment so I looked it up. Yes where the Tame and the Trent meet the Tame is the bigger river but from the point where they meet the Trent is longer than the Tame and according to convention the longest river gets to keep the name below the confluence. I found reading about the Tame very interesting and it is the most heavily urbanised river basin in the UK covering a lot of the West Midlands.