River Evenlode
The River Evenlode is a river in England which is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east passing near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury, Bladon, and Cassington, and its valley provides the route of the southern part of the Cotswold Line. The river flows for from source to the River Thames.
The name Evenlode is a modern-day name; up until the late 1890s the river was called the River Blade, which lent itself to the naming of Bladon, even though Bladon is on the River Glyme.
The River Evenlode passes through many villages and towns in Oxfordshire including Ascott-under-Wychwood, Chadlington and Charlbury. The river joins the Thames approximately one mile down river from Cassington on the reach above King's Lock 3 miles north-west of Oxford. Between Cassington and Eynsham, the Cassington Canal is fed by the river and joins the Thames upstream of the Evenlode.
The river is largely privately owned, used for fishing and other leisure activities. The Environment Agency has undertaken restoration work, as of 2008, to recover from the effects of excessive dredging. Powered craft are not allowed on the river. Hilaire Belloc commemorated the river in some of his poetry.
