Cock Beck

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Cock Beck
River Cock
Aberford Bridge over Cock Beck, Aberford 31 May 2017.jpg
Bridge over the Cock Beck, Aberford
North Yorkshire UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Position of river mouth
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates 53°50′02″N1°27′00″W / 53.834°N 1.450°W / 53.834; -1.450
Mouth  
 • coordinates
 53°52′26″N1°15′07″W / 53.874°N 1.252°W / 53.874; -1.252
Length25 miles (41 km)
Basin size27 square miles (71 km2)
Basin features
EA waterbody ID GB104027063940

Cock Beck is a stream in the outlying areas of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from its source due to a runoff north-west of Whinmoor, skirting east of Swarcliffe and Manston (where a public house has been named 'The Cock Beck'), past Pendas Fields, Scholes, Barwick-in-Elmet, Aberford, Towton, Stutton, and Tadcaster, where it flows into the River Wharfe.

Contents

It is a tributary of the River Wharfe, formerly known as the River Cock or Cock River, [1] [2] having a much larger flow than today. [2] The name 'cock' may refer to a mature salmon, as it was a spawning ground for salmon and trout. [3] Industrial pollution reduced the fish stock, but it has been recovering in the 21st century, aided by work from the Environment Agency. [3] In places the beck was relatively narrow, but too deep to cross unaided; a feature which can still be seen today at many points.

History

Cock Beck from the bridge at Towton Cock Beck.JPG
Cock Beck from the bridge at Towton

The Great North Road crossing at Aberford was first a Celtic trackway and later a Roman road. It is defended on the north side by 4.5 miles of Iron Age fortifications known as the Aberford Dykes which run from a hill fort at Barwick-in-Elmet, through Aberford and a mile east, consisting of a ditch and ridge. [4] It is believed that this was a defensive construction of the Brigantes against southern tribes and the Romans. [5] The river may have been engineered to increase the barrier. [2]

Cock Beck is identified as a likely site of the Battle of the Winwaed on 15 November 655, a decisive victory of Oswiu of Bernicia over King Penda of Mercia. [6]

The beck is thought to be the one after which Becca Hall, whose name is first attested, as Becca, in 1189, is named. [7]

In the aftermath of the 1461 Battle of Towton remnants of the Lancastrian forces fleeing the victorious Yorkists were forced to try to cross the Cock Beck, having already disposed of most of their arms. [8] Many drowned in the Beck, and soon the survivors were reported to be crossing the Cock Beck on bridges of their fallen comrades. [9] The Cock Beck is now the limit of the heritage protected battlefield site in the Saxton and Lead areas. [10]

During the English Civil War, the Royalists defeated the Parliamentarians under Sir Thomas Fairfax at the Battle of Seacroft Moor in 1643. The ensuing massacre of the Parliamentarians is said to have been of such magnitude that the beck ran crimson with blood. [11] [12]

John Ogilby's 1675 map indicates the major crossing for the Cock was sited along the Tadcaster-Ferrybridge road, however this crossing has no bridge and the steep descent and ascent on either side led to it being abandoned for a new cut, which crosses the Cock Beck further east near its mouth with the River Wharfe. [13] [14]

Hydrology

The beck flows from west to east across West and North Yorkshire for 25 miles (41 km), draining an area of 71 square kilometres (27 sq mi). [15] It is one of the major tributaries of the River Wharfe, and is one of the last major watercourses to enter the Wharfe before it itself enters the Ouse. [16] The Cock Beck Sluices control the flow of water upstream from the Wharfe into Cock Beck when the Wharfe is in flood. When the water reaches a flooding mark or more than 28 feet (8.4 m), then the beck backflows upstream to Stutton. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Towton</span> 1461 battle in the Wars of the Roses

The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between an estimated 50,000 soldiers in a snowstorm on Palm Sunday, the Yorkist army achieved a decisive victory over their Lancastrian opponents. As a result, Edward IV deposed the Lancastrian Henry VI and secured the English throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wharfe</span> River in Yorkshire, England

The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England originating within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For much of its middle course it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. Its valley is known as Wharfedale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Winwaed</span> 655 battle between Mercia and Bernicia

The Battle of the Winwaed was fought on 15 November 655 between King Penda of Mercia and Oswiu of Bernicia, ending in the Mercians' defeat and Penda's death. According to Bede, the battle marked the effective demise of Anglo-Saxon paganism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Dearne</span> River in South Yorkshire, England

The River Dearne South Yorkshire, England flows roughly east for more than 30 kilometres (19 mi), from its source just inside West Yorkshire. It flows through Denby Dale, Clayton West, Darton, Barnsley, Darfield, Wath upon Dearne, Bolton on Dearne, Adwick upon Dearne and Mexborough to its confluence with the River Don at Denaby Main. Its main tributary is the River Dove, which joins it at Darfield. The river was one of those affected by the 2007 United Kingdom floods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmet</span> Early Middle Ages kingdom of northern England

Elmet, sometimes Elmed or Elmete, was an independent Brittonic Celtic Cumbric speaking kingdom between about the 4th century and mid 7th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selby District</span> Former local government district in England

Selby District was a local government district of North Yorkshire, England, from 1974 to 2023. Its council was based in the town of Selby. The district had a population of 83,449 at the 2011 Census. The southernmost district of North Yorkshire, it bordered the City of York unitary authority, the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, the City of Leeds and City of Wakefield districts in West Yorkshire, the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, and the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadcaster</span> Town in North Yorkshire, England

Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) north-east of Leeds and 10 miles (16 km) south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the lowest road crossing-point on the River Wharfe until the construction of the A64 Tadcaster by-pass some 660 yards (600 m) to the south, in 1978. There are two rail crossings downstream of the town before the Wharfe joins the River Ouse near Cawood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whinmoor</span> Suburb in England

Whinmoor is a residential area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberford</span> Village and civil parish near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Aberford is a village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 1,059 at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,180 at the 2011 Census. It is situated 10 miles (15.5 km) east, north east of Leeds and west of the A1(M) motorway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A64 road</span> Road in West and North Yorkshire, England

The A64 is a major road in North and West Yorkshire, England, which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64(M) ring road motorway in Leeds, then towards York it becomes a high-quality dual carriageway until it is east of the city, where it becomes a single carriageway for most of its route to Scarborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherburn in Elmet</span> Town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Sherburn in Elmet is a town and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Selby and south of Tadcaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pendas Fields</span>

Pendas Fields, or Penda's Fields is a private, suburban housing estate in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is considered part of Cross Gates, as is Manston. Swarcliffe is close, and Cock Beck runs nearby. The area falls within the Cross Gates and Whinmoor wards of the Leeds Metropolitan Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyrack</span> Wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England

Skyrack was a wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was split into upper and lower divisions and centred in Headingley, Leeds. The Lower Division included the parishes of Aberford, Bardsey, Barwick-in-Elmet, Kippax, Thorner, Whitkirk and part of Harewood, while the Upper Division included the parishes of Adel, Bingley, Guiseley and parts of Harewood, Ilkley and Otley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Skirfare</span> River in North Yorkshire, England

River Skirfare is a small river in North Yorkshire, England, that flows through Littondale and ends where it joins the larger River Wharfe. The source is the confluence of Foxup Beck and Cosh Beck at the hamlet of Foxup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stutton, North Yorkshire</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Stutton is a small village in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, a mile south-west of Tadcaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swarcliffe</span> Area of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Swarcliffe, originally the Swarcliffe Estate, is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is 4.9 miles (8 km) east of Leeds city centre, and within the LS14 and LS15 Leeds postcode area. The district falls within the Cross Gates and Whinmoor ward of the Leeds Metropolitan Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberford Dykes</span> Series of archaeological earthworks

The Aberford Dykes are a series of archaeological monuments located around the valley of the Cock Beck, where it runs just north of the village of Aberford on the border between North and West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadcaster Bridge</span> Bridge in North Yorkshire, England

Tadcaster Bridge or Wharfe Bridge spans the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. The road bridge is believed to date from around 1700. It is the main route connecting the two sides of the town and one of two road crossings in the town, the other being the bridge for the A64 bypass. Tadcaster Bridge partially collapsed on 29 December 2015 after flooding that followed Storm Eva, and reopened on 3 February 2017.

Urbs Iudeu was a city, whose location is now unknown, which according to the ninth-century Historia Brittonum was besieged in 655 AD by Penda, King of Mercia, and Cadafael, King of Gwynedd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saxton with Scarthingwell</span> Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Saxton with Scarthingwell is a civil parish just south of Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, England. The parish contains the villages of Saxton and Scarthingwell, with two churches and the remains of a castle. Historically the area was a township, however it has been its own civil parish since 1866. Although the main part of the Battle of Towton was fought to the north out of the parish, some of the dead were interred in the parish, and at least one minor skirmish was fought within the parish boundaries.

References

  1. ↑ Langdale, Thomas (1822). A Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire (2nd ed.). J. Langdale. p.  211.
  2. 1 2 3 Armfield, H. M. (2011). A History of Aberford (2nd ed.). available from St Ricarius Church, Aberford. p. 2.
  3. 1 2 "River cleared for returning salmon". BBC News. 18 December 2002. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Aberford Dykes". heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Leslie Alcock (1954) Antiquity Volume 28, Issue 111 September 1954, pp. 147-154 "Aberford Dykes: the first the Brigantes?
  6. ↑ Campbell 1995, p. 8.
  7. ↑ Harry Parkin, Your City's Place-Names: Leeds, English Place-Name Society City-Names Series, 3 (Nottingham: English Place-Name Society, 2017), p. 22.
  8. ↑ Towton Battlefield Society (2007) Battle of Towton Map and Guide (3rd ed)
  9. ↑ Barrett, C. R. B. (1896). Battles and battlefields in England. London: Innes & Co. p. 161. OCLC   64414883.
  10. ↑ "Battle of Towton protection extended by Historic England". BBC News. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mediaeval Battles within the boundaries of Elmet". Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "The Battle of Towton 1461". Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Ransome, Cyril (July 1889). Mandell, Creighton (ed.). "The Battle of Towton". The English Historical Review (XV). Longmans Green & Co: 464. OCLC   224451723.
  14. ↑ "Georeferenced Maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2023. Map showing old route to the north-west, and the newer route due north
  15. ↑ "Cock Beck Catchment (trib of Wharfe) | Catchment Data Explorer | Catchment Data Explorer". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Nidd and Wharfe Catchment" (PDF). environmentdata.org. Environment Agency. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  17. ↑ "Flooding". stuttonpc.org.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  18. ↑ "River Wharfe level at Cock Beck Sluices - GOV.UK". check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2023.

Sources

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