- left River Asker Country United Kingdom | - right River Simene | |
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- location West Bay, West Dorset, Dorset, England | ||
The River Brit is a river in west Dorset in southwest England. It rises just to the north of Beaminster and then flows south to Bradpole and Bridport, where it is joined by its tributaries, the River Simene and River Asker. South of Bridport, at West Bay, it reaches Lyme Bay on the English Channel coast.
Map of River Brit, United Kingdom
The river's name is derived from the town of Bridport, which is sited on its banks. Bridport in turn derives its name from the River Bride, the neighbouring drainage basin to the east, which has connections with Bridport's early history. Prior to the establishment of Bridport, the Brit was named the River Wooth. Some settlements in the valley—such as Wooth Manor and Camesworth—have names which reflect the earlier river name.
The river has Indian balsam plants on its banks.
The Brit was previously polluted by the local hemp and flax industries and by sewage discharge, but the environment of the river has improved in recent years. Fish species found include the stone loach, brown trout and minnows.