It flows for 12 miles (20 km) north-westwards from the Cotswold Edge, across the Vale of Berkeley, into the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

[1] The river rises on the Cotswold escarpment above the village of Uley, and flows through Dursley, Cam and Cambridge to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as a feeder to that waterway.

[4] Most of the straightened channel has survived as flood defence improvements and is potentially still navigable, but the entrance is now blocked by a very low bridge at the site of the former lock.

[5] It is thought that the legal right to navigation may still be in force,[5] which is potentially relevant for recreational canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding users to enjoy unimpeded access.

A new fish and eel pass and an additional second channel were dug by the Environment Agency just east of Cambridge in 2014.