River Swale

Last updated

River Swale
River Swale, November 2003.jpg
The River Swale near Richmond
Swale (riviere).png
Location
Country England
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationConfluence of Birkdale Beck and Great Sleddale Beck.
 • coordinates 54°24′11″N2°13′22″W / 54.403019°N 2.222681°W / 54.403019; -2.222681
 • elevation366 m (1,201 ft)
Mouth  
 • location
River Ure, near Myton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire
 • coordinates
 54°05′16″N1°20′36″W / 54.087853°N 1.343408°W / 54.087853; -1.343408
 • elevation
11 m (36 ft)
Length117.8 km (73.2 mi)

The River Swale in Yorkshire, England, is a major tributary of the River Ure, which becomes the River Ouse, that empties into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. The river gives its name to Swaledale, the valley through which it flows.

Contents

The river and its valley are home to many types of flora and fauna typical to the Yorkshire Dales. Like similar rivers in the region, the river carves through several types of rock and has features typical of both river and glacial erosion. The River Swale has been a contributory factor in the settlements that have been recorded throughout its history. It has provided water to aid in the raising of crops and livestock, but also in the various mining activities that have occurred since Roman times and before.

The river is said to be the fastest flowing in England [1] and its levels have been known to rise 10 feet (3 m) in 20 minutes. [2] Annual rainfall figures average 1800 mm p.a. in the headwaters and 1300 mm p.a. in the lower waters over a drop of 148 m in 32 km.

Course

The source of the Swale is at the confluence of the Birkdale Beck and the Great Sleddale Beck. [3] The river flows north-north-east past lead mines on its northern bank and the end of Whitsundale and then eastwards towards the first of many waterfalls in the headwaters. After flowing over Wain Wath Force the river continues south-east over Hoggarts Leap and Catrake Force near Keld, before it reaches East Gill Force and Kisdon Force. Shortly after Swinner Gill joins the river it swings sharply south towards the village of Muker where Straw Beck joins and the river turns east again. The river flows past Gunnerside towards Feetham where it turns north-east for a short while before returning east past Healaugh, Reeth and Grinton. The river then swings gently south-east and east below Marrick before turning north-eastward and then north past Marske.

The Swale returns eastward near Hudswell before it flows past the main town of the valley, Richmond. It starts a series of long south-east meanders past Brompton-on-Swale and passes under the A1 at Catterick Bridge before turning south past Catterick. The river continues long south and south-east meanders past Thrintoft and Morton-on-Swale. As it starts to pursue a more constant southerly flow it is joined by the River Wiske before passing Skipton-on-Swale, Catton, Topcliffe and Asenby. It then flows past Helperby and Myton-on-Swale before joining the River Ure.

River levels

Monitoring station [4] Station elevationLow water levelHigh water levelRecord high level
Park Bridge325 m (1,066 ft)0.00 m (0 ft)2.50 m (8.2 ft)3.04 m (10.0 ft)
Grinton Bridge178 m (584 ft)0 m (0 ft)1.5 m (4.9 ft)2.51 m (8.2 ft)
Richmond Lownthwaite Bridge114 m (374 ft)0.00 m (0 ft)2.0 m (6.6 ft)4.19 m (13.7 ft)
Catterick Bridge60 m (200 ft)0.3 m (0.98 ft)2.40 m (7.9 ft)3.48 m (11.4 ft)
Morton-on-Swale27 m (89 ft)0.13 m (0.43 ft)5.80 m (19.0 ft)6.47 m (21.2 ft)
Crakehill16 m (52 ft)0.22 m (0.72 ft)3 m (9.8 ft)5.45 m (17.9 ft)
Myton-on-Swale12 m (39 ft)0.44 m (1.4 ft)3.44 m (11.3 ft)6.02 m (19.8 ft)

Natural history

The River Swale and its valley support a range of habitats including broadleaved, mixed and conifer woodland as well as hay meadows and grasslands. Limestone scar, bracken, scrub and heather moorland can also be found. Amongst the species of tree that can be found are ash, birch, rowan and bird cherry along with shrubs such as hawthorn, hazel and holly. There are smaller populations of yew and sycamore. Pine, larch and spruce occur mostly in plantations with alder and willow common along the river banks. The many hay meadows are filled with buttercup species and wood cranesbill. [5]

Geology

There are three distinct geological areas in Upper and Mid Swaledale. The upper reaches of the river flow over Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic rock, all of which are atop a layer of Lower Paleozoic beds. [6] These rocks are rich in minerals [7] and metalliferous sulfide ores such as galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and bravoite. There are also deposits of fluorite, barite, witherite, calcite, dolomite and barytocalcite. [8]

Along the valley sides can be seen the typical Dales geology of Yoredale beds, alternating strata of limestone and gritstone. [9] Small seams of coal, particularly around Tan Hill, have been found and worked. During the last Ice Age, the glacier that dominated the valley was responsible for broadening it and altering the course of the river around Keld and Round Howe. It was also responsible for cutting the Kisdon gorge. Retreat moraines lower in the river valley can be seen around Gunnerside and Grinton Bridge.

History

The earliest evidence of occupation in the river valley can be dated to the Mesolithic and Neolithic Ages with the discovery of flint tools and arrowheads. Around Harkerside are some small stone circles that date to the Bronze Age and some Iron Age defensive earthworks. Evidence of lead mining has been traced back to Roman times with finds at the Hurst mine. [9] This industry seemed to decline until after the Norse (Danish) invasions of the area. During the major ecclesiastical building of the 12th and 13th centuries, lead became a valuable commodity and mining once again increased in the valley. [10] Evidence of the lead mining can still be seen from the remains of the 18th-century practice of 'hushing' that involved creating turf dams across gills that were then released to wash away topsoil to expose the ore veins.

It was part of the Votadini Celtic kingdom of Catraeth, [11] but in the late 6th century the river valley was invaded by Angles who took the settlement at Catraeth (now Catterick). Warriors from the Celtic Gododdin kingdom to the north attempted to dislodge them, but failed to do so at the Battle of Catraeth. [12] The Angles then established themselves at Reeth, Stainton, Grinton Bridge and Fremington. By the mid-9th century the area had been invaded by Norsemen who settled first the lower and then the upper valley. After the Norman invasion, the lands of the valley were given to Alan the Red of Brittany who built the castle at Richmond between 1071 and 1091. [11] It was built on a bluff overlooking the River Swale. [11]

In the 7th century, St Paulinus supposedly immersed thousands of people in a baptismal rite at Brompton-on-Swale and further downstream at Brafferton. Because so many had been baptised in this way, 19th-century writers have labelled the Swale as England's River Jordan . Mass baptisms are still carried out in the river around the Catterick Bridge area. [13] [14]

Economy

Over the centuries, lead mining and cattle farming have been the main industries, but competition from the rest of the world saw them decline by the end of the 19th century. [10] Some crop farming also took place, most notably during the warm periods of the 13th century.

Tourism now plays a major role in the economy of the river valley. The Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way follows the valley between Fremington and Gunnerside. The Coast to Coast Walk passes through Richmond to Reeth and is crossed at Keld by the Pennine Way, which goes through the upper valley from Buttertubs Pass to Muker. [15]

Lists

Settlements

Tributaries

Crossings

Related Research Articles

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

Richmondshire was a local government district of North Yorkshire, England, from 1974 to 2023. It covered a large northern area of the Yorkshire Dales including Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale, with the prominent Scot's Dyke and Scotch Corner along the centre. Teesdale lay to the north. With a total area of 1,319 km2, it was larger than seven of the English ceremonial counties.

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

Swaledale is a valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Dales, which are part of the Pennines, and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is named after the River Swale, which runs through it. Swaledale is the most northerly of the major dales.

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

Muker is a village and civil parish at the western end of Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England, within the Yorkshire Dales.

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

Gunnerside is a village in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in Swaledale, on the B6270 road, 3 miles (5 km) east of Muker and 6 miles (10 km) west of Grinton. The village lies between the River Swale and its tributary, Gunnerside Beck, and is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

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

Keld is a village in the English county of North Yorkshire. It is in Swaledale, and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The name derives from the Viking word Kelda meaning a spring and the village was once called Appletre Kelde – the spring near the apple trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisdon Force</span> Waterfall in North Yorkshire, England

Kisdon Force is a series of waterfalls on the River Swale in Swaledale, England. The falls are situated within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the county of North Yorkshire, 500 metres downstream from the small hamlet of Keld at grid reference NY898010.

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

Kisdon, also called Kisdon Hill, is a fell situated in upper Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Gill Force</span> Waterfall in North Yorkshire, England

East Gill Force is a waterfall in Swaledale, 330 yards (300 m) east of the hamlet of Keld, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, England. The falls are located on East Gill at grid reference NY896012, just before its confluence with the River Swale at the point where the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast Walk intersect. The falls are a popular spot for visitors, not just long-distance walkers but also families and picnickers because of the proximity of the road. East Gill Force has two main torrents: the upper falls have an impressive 15-foot (4.5 m) drop whilst the lower section is a series of stepped cascades that fall 9.8 feet (3 m) as East Gill enters the River Swale.

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

Grinton is a small village and civil parish in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. Close to Reeth and Fremington, it lies 9 miles (15 km) west of Richmond on the B6270 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Stonesdale</span> Hamlet in North Yorkshire, England

West Stonesdale is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The secluded village is near Keld to the south, Tan Hill to the north and is both 10 miles (16 km) from Grinton and Askrigg. The small valley that cuts south from Tan Hill to West Stonesdale is also known as West Stonesdale and carries Stonesdale Beck 4 miles (7 km) south to the River Swale. A road heads north from the B6270 through West Stonesdale to Tan Hill. Where the road diverges from the B6270 is the site of Currack Force, a waterfall on Stonesdale Beck which drops 23 feet (7 m) before entering the Swale.

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

Ivelet is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England about a mile west of Gunnerside in Swaledale.

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

Satron is a hamlet in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies 0.6 miles (1 km) south west of Gunnerside on the opposite bank of the River Swale. It is in the civil parish of Muker, but used to be in the ancient parish of Grinton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catrake Force</span> Waterfall in North Yorkshire, England

Catrake Force is a waterfall on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England. It is not visible from the road but is accessible via a campsite in Keld. It comprises a series of four steps, each its own small waterfall, and each with a very different character – the largest single drop being about 20 feet (6.1 m).

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

Birkdale is a dale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, in North Yorkshire, England. It lies at the far western end of Swaledale, close to the border with Cumbria. The dale is one of the smallest of the Yorkshire Dales. The hamlet of Birkdale is in the lower part of the dale, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Keld. The area forms part of the civil parish of Muker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkle Beck</span> Stream in North Yorkshire, England

Arkle Beck is the stream running through the valley of Arkengarthdale in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is a tributary of the River Swale, which it joins just past Reeth at Grinton Bridge. The beck itself has several tributaries which include:

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

Swaledale Museum is a local museum in the village of Reeth, near Richmond in North Yorkshire, England. It covers rural history including life and work in the local area of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Andrew, Grinton</span> Anglican church in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England

The Church of St Andrew, Grinton, is the parish church for the village of Grinton in North Yorkshire, England. The grade I listed structure has also been called The Cathedral of the Dales, and as the only parish church in Upper Swaledale, it was at the end of the Swaledale Corpse Way, where those who had died in the upper valley, were brought for burial. Grinton never developed past village status, but its noted crossing point of the River Swale afforded it more importance than other settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Mary the Virgin, Muker</span> An Anglican church in North Yorkshire, England

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is an Anglican church in the Upper Swaledale village of Muker, in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of four churches in the ecclesiastical Parish of Swaledale with Arkengarthdale. The church was constructed in 1580, but previous to this, a chapel-of-ease had stood on the site which came under the Church of St Andrew in Grinton. Until the consecration of St Mary's, baptisms, weddings and funerals, had to be conducted at the church in Grinton. The Church of St Mary the Virgin, is noted for being a rare example of a house of worship being built during the Elizabethan era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Yorkshire Dales floods</span> July 2019 floods in the Yorkshire Dales, England

In July 2019, parts of the Yorkshire Dales, in North Yorkshire, England, were subjected to above average rainfall for the time of year. The flash-flooding that followed affected many communities destroying bridges, sweeping roads away, causing landslips on railway lines and resulting in at least one public event being cancelled. The flooding even inundated the fire station in the town of Leyburn, in Wensleydale, whilst the crew were out helping those in need. The recovery took many weeks and months, with immediate help by the rescue services being bolstered by British Army personnel who assisted with the clean up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arn Gill (North Yorkshire)</span> Ravine and river in North Yorkshire, England

Arn Gill is a ravine or gully containing a beck of the same name, near the village of Muker in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. The ravine and beck run steeply downhill from the stream's source in Arn Gill Head, and the beck disgorges into the River Swale below.

References

  1. ↑ "River Swale – Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust". Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Greenbank, Tony (24 November 2018). "When trouble bubbles". The Yorkshire Post. The Magazine. p. 6. ISSN   0963-1496.
  3. ↑ Swaleway.org Retrieved 28 April 2017
  4. ↑ "River levels" . Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  5. ↑ Reid, Mark (9 June 2016). "Around Keld and Muker" (PDF). thenorethernecho.co.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Scrutton, C. (1994). Yorkshire Rocks and landscapes, A Field Guide. Ellenbank Press. ISBN   1-873551-08-8.
  7. ↑ Pattrick, R.; Polya, D. (1993). Mineralisation in the British Isles. Springer. ISBN   0-412-31200-X.
  8. ↑ Dunham; Wilson (1985). Geology of the North Pennine Orefield Vol 2:Stainmore to Craven. HMSO London. Unknown ID:0L254726M.
  9. 1 2 Raistrick, A.; Jennings, B. (1966). History of Lead Mining in the Pennines. G. Kelsall. ISBN   0-946571-01-5.
  10. 1 2 Fieldhouse, R.; Jennings, B. (1978). History of Richmond & Swaledale. London: Phillimore & Co Ltd. ISBN   1-86077-364-8.
  11. 1 2 3 Simpson, David (2009). "Richmond and Swaledale". Archived from the original on 15 September 2009.
  12. ↑ Ford, David Nash. "Battle of Catraeth". Early British Kingdoms. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Immersed in history... baptisms are performed in saint's river". The Yorkshire Post. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. ↑ Fisher, John (1865). The history and antiquities of Masham and Mashamshire. London: Simpkin. p.  313. OCLC   23581450.
  15. ↑ Smart, James, ed. (2010). The Rough Guide to camping in Britain. London: Rough Guides. p. 228. ISBN   978-1-84836-214-7.
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