River Tame (West Midlands)

River Tame
The Tame at Tamworth, which takes its name from the river.
Country	England
Counties	West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire
Cities	Wolverhampton, Birmingham
Towns	Tamworth
Tributaries
- left	Ford Brook, Full brook, Sneyd Brook, Plants Brook, Bourne Brook
- right	Darlaston Brook, Rea, Blythe, Bourne, Anker
Primary source	Oldbury Arm
- location	Titford, Oldbury
- coordinates	52°29′11″N 2°01′25″W / 52.4863°N 2.0235°W / 52.4863; -2.0235
Secondary source	Willenhall Arm
- location	Willenhall, Walsall
- coordinates	52°34′32″N 2°05′32″W / 52.5756°N 2.0922°W / 52.5756; -2.0922
Mouth	Confluence with the River Trent
- location	Alrewas, Staffordshire
- coordinates	52°43′52″N 1°43′02″W / 52.7312°N 1.7173°W / 52.7312; -1.7173Coordinates: 52°43′52″N 1°43′02″W / 52.7312°N 1.7173°W / 52.7312; -1.7173
Length	95 km (59 mi)
Basin	1,500 km2 (579 sq mi)
Discharge	for Hopwas
- average	27.84 m3/s (983 cu ft/s)
- max	435 m3/s (15,362 cu ft/s)
Sketchmap of the course and catchment of the River Tame, showing locations of some features mentioned in the text
Progression : Tame—Trent—Humber—North Sea

The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands of England, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 95 km from the source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e. the Tame and its main tributaries, is about 285 km.

The name derives from the Celtic language, although it may have even earlier roots. It is usually thought to mean "dark", by analogy with the Sanskrit word tamas, meaning darkness. Other possibilities are "slow moving", or "flowing" although the precise meaning is uncertain. The name is shared with the River Tame, Greater Manchester, and it is likely that the River Thame, the River Thames, the River Teme, the River Team, and the River Tamar all share the derivation.

Birmingham and the parishes in the centre and north of the modern conurbation were probably colonised by the Tomsaete or Tomsæte ("Tame-dwellers"), an Anglian tribe living in the valley of the Tame and around Tamworth during the Kingdom of Mercia. They migrated up the valleys of the Trent and Tame from the Humber Estuary and later formed Mercia.

The Tame is generally considered to have two main sources; Willenhall and Oldbury, West Midlands. The tributaries arising in these locations are generally known as the Willenhall arm and the Oldbury arm of the Tame. However, some of its tributary streams including Waddens Brook rise as far to the west and north as Bilston and Wednesfield in the city of Wolverhampton. Much of the course of the river has been modified over the centuries and the urban sections now run mainly through culverts or canalised channels. Both arms of the Tame flow through the Black Country to their confluence at Bescot, on the edge of Walsall.