River Rede

The source of the river is on Carter Fell, part of the Whitelee National Nature Reserve.{{cite web |title=The River Rede's Journey |url=https://www.revitalisingredesdale.org.uk/projects/river-rede-improvements/the-river-redes-journey/ |website=revitalisingredesdale.org.uk |accessdate=5 March 2020 |language=en}} It flows in a south-easterly direction and is the main feeder for the Catcleugh Reservoir which was impounded in 1901 and completed in 1905.{{PastScape |num=1464461 |desc=Catcleugh Reservoir |access-date=5 March 2020}} It flows south east through Redesdale alongside the A68 road{{cite book |title=Border Moors and Forests. |date=2013 |publisher=Natural England |isbn=978-1-78367-024-6 |page=5}} before meeting with the Otter Burn in Otterburn and heading south, before turning west at East and West Woodburn. It then heads south through Redesmouth before emptying into the River North Tyne.{{cite map|title =Kielder Water & Forest |map = OL42|year = 2015|scale =1:25,000 |series =Explorer |publisher =Ordnance Survey |isbn =9780319242810 }}

The name of the river derives from the Old English Rēade, meaning the red one. The river lends its name to Redesmouth, the point where the mouth is.{{cite book |last1=Ekwall |first1=Eilert |title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names |date=1947 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |oclc=12542596 |page=365 |edition=3}}

The river measures {{convert|52|km|order=flip}} from source to Redesmouth and drains an area of {{convert|156|km2|order=flip}}.{{cite web |title=Download Water Body as CSV / GeoJSONOverall classification for 2016 Moderate Rede from Source to Cottonshope Burn |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023075340 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=5 March 2020}}{{cite web |title=Rede from Cottonshope Burn to Bellshiel Burn |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023075261 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=5 March 2020}}{{cite web |title=Rede from Bellshiel Burn to N Tyne |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023075320 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=5 March 2020}} In the upper reaches, the catchment is mostly upland and is partly in the Kielder Forest Park. In the lower reaches, the landscape changes slightly to grassland and upland heath with underlying boulder clay, alluvium and peat.{{cite web |title=23008 - Rede at Rede Bridge |url=https://nrfa.ceh.ac.uk/data/station/spatial/23008 |website=National River Flow Archive |accessdate=5 March 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=23033 - Rede at Otterburn |url=https://nrfa.ceh.ac.uk/data/station/spatial/23033 |website=National River Flow Archive |accessdate=5 March 2020 |language=en}}

The Rede is known for its salmon, trout and otter, which are commonly seen within its waters.{{cite web |title=The River Rede |url=https://www.revitalisingredesdale.org.uk/projects/river-rede-improvements/ |website=revitalisingredesdale.org.uk |accessdate=5 March 2020 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Hall |first1=Gemma |title=Northumberland : local, characterful guides to Britain's special places |date=2015 |publisher=Bradt |location=Chalfont St Peter |isbn=978-1-84162-866-0 |page=179 |edition=1}} The river is notable for being one of the few places in England to have a freshwater pearl mussel population, which in 2006, was estimated at 50,000 mussels across the Rede and the North Tyne.{{cite journal |last1=Gosselin |first1=Marie-Pierre |title=Conservation of the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in the river Rede, UK: Identification of instream indicators for catchment-scale issues |journal=Limnologica |date=January 2015 |volume=50 |pages=58–66 |doi=10.1016/j.limno.2014.12.004|doi-access=free }} Several projects have been undertaken to help the mussel population including limiting sediment flow in the river and the introduction of freshwater trout into the river. Previously, water that was piped from Catcleugh Reservoir to Whittle Dene Reservoir (at Harlow Hill), was cleaned annual of its harmless sediment, but the waste water was pumped into the Rede. A remedial programme costing £500,000 was implemented in 2019 to stop this from happening.{{cite news |last1=Edgar |first1=Bill |title=£500,000 river improvement planned |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/17732272.northumbrian-waters-500000-river-improvement-in-redesdale/ |accessdate=5 March 2020 |work=Hexham Courant |date=26 June 2019 |language=en}}

The use of trout, of which 11,000 were released in 2011, is to help with the pearl mussel's life cycle. The fish were bred at the Kielder hatchery and had microscopic pearl mussel larvae attached to their gills.{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=Tony |title=Fish released into River Rede to help pearl mussels - The Journal |url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/fish-released-river-rede-help-4418093 |accessdate=5 March 2020 |work=The Journal |date=9 December 2011 |language=en}} The programme is hopeful for repopulating parts of the river with new mussels.{{cite news |title=River sees return of rare mussels |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-16132101 |accessdate=5 March 2020 |work=BBC News |date=11 December 2011}}

The River Rede is the principal tributary of the North Tyne,{{cite book |title=Border Moors and Forests. |date=2013 |publisher=Natural England |isbn=978-1-78367-024-6 |page=7}} but the watercourses listed below are the main tributaries of the River Rede

{{div col|colwidth=40em}}

• Bateinghope Burn (r)
• Coomsden Burn (r)
• Ramsden Burn (l)
• Chattlehope Burn (r)
• Cottonshope Burn (l)
• Blakehope Burn (r)
• Bellshiel Burn (l)
• Sills Burn (l)
• Rattenraw Burn (r)
• Durtrees Burn (l)
• Dargues Burn (r)
• Otter Burn (l)
• Raylees Burn (l)
• Miller Burn (r)
• Brigg Burn (r)
• Lisles Burn (l)
• Chesterhope Burn (l)
• Broomhope Burn (l)

{{div col end}}

• Carter Bar
• List of places in Northumberland
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of places in England
• List of places in Scotland

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Category:Rivers of Northumberland

Category:Rivers of the Scottish Borders

1Rede