River Rea

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This article is about the river in Birmingham. For the river in Shropshire, see River Rea, Shropshire.

Rea
The River Rea at Belgrave Middleway (Birmingham)
Origin	Waseley Hills Country Park, Worcestershire
Mouth	Confluence with the Tame 52°30′15″N 1°50′37″W / 52.50417°N 1.84361°W / 52.50417; -1.84361Coordinates: 52°30′15″N 1°50′37″W / 52.50417°N 1.84361°W / 52.50417; -1.84361
Progression	Tame—Trent—Humber—North Sea
Basin countries	England
Length	14 miles (23 km)

The River Rea (pronounced "ray") is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. The name of the river derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow". It frequently bursts its banks after heavy rain.

It rises in Waseley Hills Country Park, with the source well signposted from the carpark there. The river drops about 70 metres (230 ft) in its first mile, but from then on has a very gentle slope. The river's tributaries include Callow Brook, the Bourne (which begins as Merritts Brook before joining Griffins Brook) and Bourne Brook. From Rubery, the river flows into Birmingham near the former Rover works at Longbridge, then flows through a tunnel under the A38. In Northfield, one of the river's few remaining fords is at The Mill Walk, near Hawkesley Mill Lane. After this, the river valley is also used by the railway to Kings Norton.

A floodgate on the river at Vaughton’s Hole (now Vaughton St), Highgate, Birmingham, drawn in 1831 by Henry Harris Lines

Wychall Reservoir, near the river at Kings Norton, was built in the early 19th century by the Worcester Canal Company after mill owners claimed that water was being taken from the river to fill the canal and reducing the working effectiveness of their mills. Following Kings Norton, the river flows through Stirchley. It is now culverted for much of its course through Birmingham, during which it passes through the Pebble Mill area and Cannon Hill Park. The medieval hamlet of Birmingham was built on a crossing on the Rea in what is now Digbeth. Many of the street names in the area refer to the river or its mills. These include Rea Street, Floodgate Street, River Street and Duddeston Mill Road. There are proposals to include a riverside walk and new bridge over the Rea at Digbeth's Custard Factory media and arts complex (now complete). There are also proposals for the river to be uncovered at the Warwick Bar area of Digbeth.

Near Gravelly Hill Interchange, about 14 miles from its source, the Rea becomes a tributary of the River Tame, with its waters eventually reaching the North Sea via the Trent and the Humber Estuary.

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v t e Ceremonial county of West Midlands

Metropolitan districts	City of Birmingham City of Coventry City of Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough of Dudley Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough of Solihull Metropolitan Borough of Walsall

Major settlements	Aldridge Bilston Birmingham Blackheath Bloxwich Brierley Hill Brownhills Coventry Cradley Heath Darlaston Dudley Fordbridge Halesowen Oldbury Rowley Regis Smethwick Solihull Stourbridge Sutton Coldfield Tipton Walsall Wednesbury Wednesfield West Bromwich Willenhall Wolverhampton See also: West Midlands

Rivers	River Blythe River Cole River Penk River Rea Smestow Brook River Sherbourne River Sow River Sowe River Stour River Tame

Canals	Birmingham Canal Navigations Shropshire Union Canal Staffordshire & Worcestershire Worcester & Birmingham

Topics	Places Parliamentary constituencies SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed buildings Conservation areas History Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums Black Country Centro Coventry/Bedworth Urban Area West Midlands conurbation

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River Rea

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