The
River Cherwell ( , particularly near Oxford, or , particularly in north Oxfordshire) is a major
tributary of the
River Thames in
central England. It rises near
Hellidon in
Northamptonshire and flows south through
Oxfordshire for to meet the Thames at
Oxford. It adds a significant discharge to the Thames—when entering Oxford, the Thames's discharge is 17.6 m³/s (622 cu ft/s), but after leaving and consuming the Cherwell it has increased to 24.8 m³/s (876 cu ft/s). The river gives its name to the
Cherwell local government district and
Cherwell, an
Oxford student newspaper.