Mark Yeo

Mark Yeo
River
Country England
State Somerset
District North Somerset
Source
 - location Mark, Sedgemoor, Somerset, England
 - coordinates 51°14′06″N 2°53′27″W / 51.23500°N 2.89083°W / 51.23500; -2.89083
Mouth River Axe
 - location Loxton, North Somerset, Somerset, England
 - coordinates 51°17′38″N 2°54′49″W / 51.29389°N 2.91361°W / 51.29389; -2.91361Coordinates: 51°17′38″N 2°54′49″W / 51.29389°N 2.91361°W / 51.29389; -2.91361

The Mark Yeo is a short river or rhyne in north Somerset, England. It starts near Mark on the Somerset Levels and flows north for about 6 kilometres (4 mi) under the M5 motorway to join the River Axe near Loxton. It provided a link between the Axe and the River Brue, as part of a waterway called the "Pilrow Cut"[1] probably canalised in the early 13th century.[2][3] It no longer connects to the Brue, but is used for drainage purposes, which is unlikely to have been the case in the Middle Ages.[3] Within the village of Mark, it is crossed by an iron bridge erected in 1824, which claims to be the oldest of its kind in the county.[4]

The river flows under the A38 road at Rooks Bridge. In the 5th and 6th centuries the Mark Yeo acted as a route from the small port of Rackley on the river Axe across the marshes to Glastonbury.[5] It is thought to have been used to transport goods and passengers to and from Glastonbury Abbey.[3] Excavations just north of York Farm in a field called 'Scott's Wharf' at Rooks Bridge uncovered 14th or 15th century pottery and worked stones, which represent the site of a wharf at a site where the Mark Yeo used to join the old river Axe before it was diverted.[6]

In 2008 an oil spill threatened some of the birds and other wildlife on the river.[7] A rescue operation was launched by local volunteers to save geese, swans and ducks who were affected.[8] The river has substantially recovered and now has a population of fish and eels.[9]

In 2015 a man was killed as a result of an accident in which a car overturned and was submerged in the Mark Yeo. Local roads were closed while the car was retrieved from the water.[10] The driver of the car was later charged with causing death by driving without due care and attention while over the alcohol limit.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Yeo River". Somerset Rivers. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  2. ↑ "Pilrow Cut". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Border Archaeology (July 2013). "Rapid Appraisal of Engineering Impact (for Bristol Water) - Mark Yeo River Crossing" (PDF). Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mark Yeo River". Somerset Rivers. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "About us". Rooksbridge and East Brent. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  6. ↑ "Medieval wharf, N of York Farm, East Brent". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Environment Agency appeals for help after oil spill near Burnham". Burnham on Sea .com. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  8. ↑ "Environmental agency seek to identify oil spiller". thisisthewestcountry.co.uk. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "The Story of Mark". Mark Parish Council. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "One dead after car crashes into rhyne at Mark near Burnham-on-Sea". Burnham-On-Sea.com. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "Man charged over crash which killed Robert Goodwin in Mark, Somerset". Somerset Live. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
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