River Colne, Essex

Colne
The River Colne in Colchester, looking south
Location
Country	England
Region	Essex
City	Colchester
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	near Cornish Hall End
• coordinates	52°00′52″N 0°26′19″E / 52.0144°N 0.4387°E / 52.0144; 0.4387
• elevation	104 m (341 ft)
Mouth	North Sea
• location	Brightlingsea
• coordinates	51°48′03″N 1°00′37″E / 51.8007°N 1.0102°E / 51.8007; 1.0102
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	62 km (39 mi)

The River Colne ( /koʊn/ or /koʊln/) is a small river that runs through Essex, England and passes through Colchester. It is not a tributary of any other river, instead having an estuary that joins the sea near Brightlingsea. The river's name is of Celtic origin, combining the word for rock "cal" with a remnant of the word "afon", or river, giving the meaning "stony river". However, another authority states that the river's name was originally Colonia Fluvius, the "waterway of the Colonia":^[1] a reference to Colchester's status in Roman times. There are two other rivers in the UK that share the same name.