Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for EXE (The)

EXE (The), a river of Somerset and Devon. It was anciently called Isc or Isca. It rises in Exmoor forest, within Somerset, but near the boundary of Devon; runs south-eastward about 17 miles within Somerset, past Exford, Winsford, Exton, and Dulverton, to Ex-bridge; turns southward into Devon; goes circuitously, past Bampton and Washfield, to Tiverton; is there a fine stream, with much volume; winds through the vale of Bickleigh; passes Exeter over a schist formation; proceeds to traverse a new red sandstone formation; passes through fertile meadows to Topsham; expands thence into considerable estuary; passes between Lympstone and Powderham; goes over a bar of red sandstone rock at Exmouth; and enters the English channel 14½ miles N by E of Berry Head. Its length of course is about 60 miles; and its chief affluents are the Barle, the Batham, the Loman, the Culm, the Dart, the Cready, the Kenn, and the Clyst. It formerly was navigable to Exeter; but it was so choked up by one of the Earls of Devon as to belong closed to navigation; and a canal was afterwards cut in such a manner as to bring large vessels up to the city. The tideway, by the low-water channel is about 7 miles; and the extreme difference between springs and neaps varies from 5 to 7 feet.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a river"   (ADL Feature Type: "rivers")
Administrative units: Devon AncC       Somerset AncC
Place names: EXE     |     EXE THE     |     ISC     |     ISCA     |     THE EXE
Place: Exeter

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