7: Putting the Axe into Axminster

The glorious River Axe rises as a small stream at Chedington near Crewkerne in Dorset and runs a total of 22 miles, winding around Axminster before emptying into the sea at Axmouth. Shallow along the majority of its length, it is non-navigable though its mouth does have the benefit of some boating activity.

But what the Axe lacks in boats it more than makes up for in its conservation significance. In 1999, an eight-mile section from the confluence with the Blackwater River north of Axminster downstream to Colyford Bridge was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England. It was described as supporting ‘an exceptionally diverse aquatic and marginal flora’.Fish include brown trout, dace, roach, bullheads and occasional salmon.

You can also spot otters, kingfishers, medicinal leeches and diverse aquatic and marginal plant life.

Did you know? The Axe derives its name from an ancient British word meaning ‘abounding in fish’.