The River Culm
Discover this beautiful, but often overlooked, landscape
The River Culm flows through the Redlands of Mid and East Devon and is the longest tributary of the River Exe. It rises in the Blackdown Hills at a spring near RAF Culmhead in Somerset, and flows west through Hemyock, then Culmstock (in the Culm Valley) to Uffculme.
The river then turns south, through Cullompton (alongside the M5 motorway), skirting the northern boundary of Killerton Park to join the River Exe north-west of Exeter.
Explore the key issues that affect the River Culm with our interactive tool.
Click on the images below and find out more about how climate change and other forces are impacting on the river and the people and nature that depend upon it. When you click on the yellow picture image you can toggle to the other landscape view. The yellow ? takes you to a survey where you can feed back your thoughts on the issues raised.
The Culm Valley is a historic landscape that is rich in the industrial and cultural heritage characteristic of Mid and East Devon…
Explore the many opportunities to walk by the River Culm – unlike many of our Rivers it has public footpaths along miles of its length…
Discover all the latest scientific research that has been done on the River Culm from the region’s leading river scientists…
Wildlife of the Culm
Discover the iconic and wonderful wildlife of the Culm Valley
Like so many of the Westcountry’s rivers, the River Culm and its tributaries are wonderfully rich in wildlife. From iconic birds such as the kingfisher, to otters, a wide array of fish species and the endangered white-clawed crayfish, there is a huge richness in the natural world near, around and in this spectacular river.
Latest Features
What’s happening on the Culm
Launch of the Culm Himalayan Balsam Action Group
The Culm Himalayan Balsam Action Group (HBAG) is a new initiative that's come out of discussions in our Working Groups. Himalayan Balsam was introduced to the UK
From What Is to What If?
Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement, shares his thoughts, prior to joining us for our Climate Resilience Workshop on 29 April. I am obsessed with the
Culm Perspectives: a response to the Environmental Evidence Review
In the following opinion piece, Richard Horrocks (pictured above at a river activity day) responds to the River Culm Environmental Evidence Review. Richard's career was spent with the
Lower Culm water quality – new Scorecard thanks to Culm CSI volunteers!
On Wednesday 17th March an interactive audience joined us for the Culm Citizen Science Investigations (CSI) event, to celebrate the work of the fantastic volunteers throughout the Culm
Culm wildlife – what’s been spotted? How can you get involved?
Wildlife spotting emerged as the second favourite activity* people participate in when out and about around the Culm and its tributaries. But what types of wildlife can people
Cows, potatoes and climate change
Have you ever wondered how cows and potatoes might be affected under climate change in the UK? Scientists at the Met Office have, in a recent paper
“High behind haze St Mary’s spire cyphers gold key-chants, that rosary under alder-bank’s ash-yantra – is a florilegium, its beaded loops trace the track from Five Fords then meanders along river’s edgeland margin.”
“I ran from…Culmstock along the River Culm through the water meadows to a little Woodland Trust reserve called Hunkin Wood where I stumbled on a granite gateway with a beautiful poem on it by Elizabeth Rapp.”