Bristol Channel

Inlet in the southwest of England; coastline length 352 km/219 mi. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, it is an extension of the Severn estuary, and is surrounded by South Wales to the north, and by Devon, Somerset and North Somerset to the south. The Bristol Channel is Britain's largest inlet, with a length of about 128 km/79 mi, a breadth which varies from 8 km/5 mi to 69 km/43 mi, and a depth from 9 m/30 ft to 73 m/240 ft.

Features A feature of the channel is its extraordinary tides, which sometimes rise to a height of 10 m/33 ft at King Road on the mouth of the River Avon, and even to 15 m/49 ft or more at Chepstow. This marked rise causes the Severn bore, a rush of the tide in the form of a wall of water, located further upstream where the Severn estuary narrows.

The rivers Twyi, Taff, Usk, Wye, Severn, Avon, Axe, Ely, Parret, Taw, and Torridge all flow into the Bristol Channel. There are several islands, including Steep Holm, Flat Holm, and Lundy Island.