The River Rea is Birmingham's river.

It is believed that the Beorma tribe founded a settlement on the river in the 7th Century. 

​

By medieval times there was a hamlet of Birmingham built around a crossing of the River Rea in Digbeth.

​

The Rea (pronounced Ray) rises on the Waseley Hills just over the border in Worcestershire. It runs 14 miles across the city to join the Tame near Spaghetti Junction. The Trent joins the River Trent and then enters the North Sea via the Humber Estuary.

​

The Rea once had many watermills along its banks, these were used to power many different industries.

​