Tidal Bore Severn Estuary — England Wales

About this spectacle

Standing on the grassy banks of the River Severn, you hear the bore before you see it — a low rumble that grows into a rushing wall of brown water advancing at 15–20 km/h. The wave arrives as a distinct, churning front anywhere from half a metre to nearly three metres high, depending on the tidal range that day. On the most powerful events, near the spring and autumn equinoxes, the roar is unmistakable and the wave throws foam and spray across the bank edge. Surfers launch from the bank and ride the bore wave for up to eight kilometres, an extraordinary spectacle in itself. Between Sharpness and Gloucester the bore runs 25 kilometres of river, meaning you can choose your vantage point — wooded bends, open meadows, or village banks — and catch the wave passing in minutes. The air carries a briny estuary smell, and the river's surface transforms from glassy stillness to churning turbulence almost instantly as the bore front passes.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Sep — Mar

Getting there

Nearest airport: BRS. Nearest city: Gloucester.

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