List of rivers of Yorkshire

This is a list of named rivers that flow either wholly or partially within the boundaries of the four ceremonial counties that form Yorkshire. There are twenty five rivers of at least 20 kilometres (12 mi) in total. The majority of these waterways lie wholly within the county boundaries, except for; the Ribble, which flows into the Irish Sea at Lytham; the Rother, whose source is located in Derbyshire Peak District; the Greta, which flows into Lancashire to join the River Lune; and the Tees, which flows partly within County Durham and forms some of the boundary with North Yorkshire.

View of the River Ouse in York from Lendal Bridge

The direction of stream flow in Yorkshire is influenced by the three major drainage divides. The Pennines in the west and south, the North York Moors in the north-east and the Yorkshire Wolds, the coastal range of hills on the east. This represents a large drainage area that mostly flows into the Vale of York and into the North Sea via the River Humber. Though named a river, the Humber is considered to be an estuary.

The Humber river system is tidal as far inland as Naburn Lock on the River Ouse,[1] Knottingley on the River Aire[2][3] and Askern on the River Don.[4] The River Humber has the second largest tidal range in the UK at 7.2 metres (24 ft). The largest is the Bristol Channel at nearly double that range.[5]

Source data for the table below came from the National Environment Research Council Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Ordnance Survey, Environment Agency and Google Earth. In the table, total lengths are given in miles (mi) and kilometres (km), and elevations are in feet (ft) and metres (m). River lengths are taken from actual source when wholly within the Yorkshire County boundary, else measured from where the river enters or leaves the county.

Images
  • The River Esk at Whitby
  • The River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool canal in Leeds
  • River Sheaf joins River Don at Sheffield
  • Tidal Barrier on River Hull at Kingston upon Hull
  • Infinity Bridge on River Tees in the Borough of Stockton-On-Tees
  • The road bridge at Stamford Bridge over the River Derwent
  • River Wharfe at Tadcaster
  • Richmond Castle and the River Swale
  • River Ure at Boroughbridge
  • River Nidd and railway viaduct at Knaresborough
Panorama of the River Humber including the Humber Bridge.

List

The use of the term source in this list is taken to mean the point at which the name of the river is first used on Ordnance Survey maps.

Key
River length within county only
Name
Total length
Mouth
Mouth
coordinates
Mouth elevation
Source
Source
coordinates
Source elevation
Catchment Area
Aire 114 km
71 miles		 River Ouse, Yorkshire near Airmyn 53°43′35″N 0°54′22″W 3 m
9.8 ft		 Malham Tarn 54°5′45″N 2°10′0″W 377 m
1,237 ft		 856 km²
331 sq miles[6]
Arkle Beck 17 km approx River Swale at Reeth NY 987 030 177 m Arkengarthdale Moor NY 989 088 477 m
Ashfold Side Beck 9 km Approx River Nidd near Pateley Bridge SE 152 664 117 m Ashfold Gill Head SE 073 685 504 m
Bain 3.95 km
2.45 miles		 River Ure near Bainbridge 54°18′45″N 2°6′3″W 210 m
690 ft		 Semer Water 54°17′3″N 2°7′22″W 252 m
827 ft		 Not available
Barney Beck 6 km approx River Swale at Healaugh SE 015 984 186 m Reeth High Moor NY 963 012 451m Not available
Birkdale Beck 6 km approx River Swale near Keld NY 872 013 341 m Beck Meetings NY 820 035 455 m Not available
Bishopdale Beck 11 km approx River Ure near Aysgarth SE 019 879 144 m Dale Head SD 961 826 218 m Not available
River Burn 13 km approx River Ure at Masham SE 230 797 70 m Masham Moor SE 113 799 292 m
Calder 71 km
44 miles		 River Aire 53°43′54″N 1°21′33″W 14 m
46 ft		 Heald Moor, near Todmorden 53°44′23″N 2°9′53″W 220 m
720 ft		 930 km²
360 sq miles[7]
Colne 20.6 km
12.8 miles		 River Calder near Bradley 53°40′49″N 1°43′52″W 52 m
171 ft		 Confluence of Redbrook Clough and Haigh Clough 53°36′19″N 1°57′28″W 234 m
768 ft		 245 km²
95 sq miles[8]
Cover 22 km
14 miles		 River Ure near Middleham 54°16′43″N 1°46′25″W 98 m
322 ft		 Great Hunters Sleets near Woodale 54°11′2″N 2°1′29″W 487 m
1,598 ft		 Not available
Crimple 25 km River Nidd near Wetherby SE 405 531 21 m Crimple Head Farm SE 247 519 221 m
Dearne 51.9 km
32.2 miles[9]		 River Don near Conisbrough 53°29′39″N 1°14′34″W 17 m
56 ft		 Birdsedge near Denby Dale 53°33′52″N 1°42′37″W 319 m
1,047 ft		 310.8 km²
120 sq miles[10]
Derwent 115.1 km
71.5 miles		 River Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh 53°44′58″N 0°58′8″W 10 m
33 ft		 Derwent Head near RAF Fylingdales 54°22′50″N 0°37′24″W 260 m
850 ft		 1,634 km²
631 sq miles[11]
Dibb 5.2 km
3.2 miles		 River Wharfe near Appletreewick 54°2′27″N 1°56′35″W 143 m
469 ft		 Grimwith Reservoir 54°4′48″N 1°54′41″W 253 m
830 ft		 25.5 km²
9.8 sq miles[12]
Doe 5.92 km
3.68 miles		 Confluence with River Twiss at Ingleton 54°9′12″N 2°28′15″W 118 m
387 ft		 God's Bridge near Chapel-Le-Dale 54°10′58″N 2°24′40″W 234 m
768 ft		 Not available
Don 114.1 km
70.9 miles[9]		 River Ouse at Goole 53°41′47″N 0°51′59″W 3 m
9.8 ft		 Confluence of Great Grains Clough and Black Grough near Winscar Reservoir, Dunford Bridge 53°31′14″N 1°48′16″W 416 m
1,365 ft		 1,256.2 km²
485 sq miles[13]
Dove, Nth Yorks 30.22 km
18.78 miiles		 River Rye near Salton 54°12′6″N 0°54′35″W 24 m
79 ft		 Farndale Moor, Nth Yorkshire 54°24′24″N 1°2′23″W 372 m
1,220 ft		 59.2 km²
22.9 sq miles [14]
Dove, Sth Yorks 7.91 km
4.92 miles		 River Dearne near Darfield, South Yorkshire 53°31′43″N 1°22′9″W 22 m
72 ft		 Worsbrough Reservoir 53°31′34″N 1°28′27″W 56 m
184 ft		 Not available
Earby Beck River Aire near Skipton SD 961 514 m Foulridge SD 889 427 m Not available
Eastburn Beck Kellythorpe TA 023 564 14 m Kirkburn SE 984 552 22 m Not available
Eller Beck Beck Hole NZ 820 021 59 m Allerston High Moor SE 871 958 253 m Not available
Eshton Beck Gargrave SD943539 102 m Winterburn SD 933 585 149 m Not available
Esk 45 km
28 miles		 North Sea at Whitby 54°29′33″N 0°36′44″W 0 m
0 ft		 The Esklets near Westerdale 54°24′3″N 0°59′8″W 251 m
823 ft		 308 km²
119 sq miles[15]
Ewden Beck River Don at Wharncliffe Side SK 298 954 106 m Margery Hill SK 188 958 541 m Not available
Foss 31 km
19 miles		 River Ouse, York 53°57′5″N 1°4′42″W 12 m
39 ft		 Near Oulston Reservoir, Yearsley 54°9′38″N 1°7′54″W 160 m
520 ft		 118 km²
46 sq miles[16]
Foulness 25.51 km
15.85 mi		 Market Weighton Canal
53°46′56″N 0°42′57″W		 1 m
3 ft		 Shiptonthorpe
53°53′8″N 0°42′39″W		 20 m
66 ft		 N/A
Greta 7.55 km
4.69 miles		 Leaves Yorkshire near Burton-in-Lonsdale 54°8′35″N 2°33′30″W 64 m
210 ft		 Confluence of River Doe and River Twiss at Ingleton 54°9′12″N 2°28′15″W 118 m
387 ft		 86.1 km²
33.2 sq miles[17]
Hedon Haven/Burstwick Drain 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) Paull 53.7275°N 0.2363°W / 53.7275; -0.2363 0 metres (0 ft) Elstronwick 53.7596°N 0.1310°W / 53.7596; -0.1310 5 metres (16 ft) 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi)
Hertford 16 km approx River Derwent at Binnington Carr SE 970 789 23 m Hunmanby TA 110 771 49 m
Holme 13.86 km
8.61 miles		 River Colne at Huddersfield 53°38′20″N 1°47′4″W 72 m
236 ft		 Holmbridge 53°13′15″N 1°49′27″W 188 m
617 ft		 97.4 km²
37.6 sq miles[18]
How Stean Beck 6 km Approx River Nidd at Lofthouse SE 102730 157 m SE 055 728 338 m
Hull 46.84 km
29.11 miles		 River Humber at Kingston upon Hull 53°44′17″N 0°19′55″W 0 m
0 ft		 Confluence of Driffield Trout Stream and Little Driffield Beck 53°59′39″N 0°26′25″W 17 m
56 ft		 378.1 km²
146 sq miles[19]
Humber 61.9 km
38.5 miles		 North Sea at Spurn Head 53°32′33″N 0°6′23″E 0 m
0 ft		 Trent Falls 53°42′8″N 0°41′46″W 0 m
0 ft		 Not available without Trent Basin
Kyle 9.31 km
5.78 miles		 River Ouse near Newton-on-Ouse 54°2′5″N 1°13′28″W 11 m
36 ft		 Confluence of Derrings Beck and Carle Beck near Tholthorpe 54°5′24″N 1°15′38″W 12 m
39 ft		 Not available
Laver 15 km
9.3 miles		 River Skell near Ripon 54°7′55″N 1°32′8″W 33 m
108 ft		 Confluence of North Gill Beck and South Gill Beck at Dallowgill 54°8′22″N 1°42′30″W 170 m
560 ft		 Not available
Leven 46.2 km
28.7 miles		 River Tees near Yarm 54°30′31″N 1°20′12″W 16 m
52 ft		 Kildale Moor, Nth Yorks 54°27′50″N 1°2′47″W 279 m
915 ft		 196.3 km²
75.8 sq miles[20]
Little Don River 14 km approx River Don near Stocksbridge SK 290 979 132 m Harden Moor SK 169 993 348 m
Loxley 16 km
9.9 miles		 River Don, South Yorkshire at Owlerton 53.400526°N 1.486888°W / 53.400526; -1.486888 (Mouth of River Loxley) 58 m
190 ft		 Damflask Reservoir near Stacey Bank 53°24′38″N 1°34′16″W 133 m
436 ft		 43.5 km²
27 sq miles[21]
Nidd 95.45 km
59.31 miles		 River Ouse, Yorkshire at Nun Monkton 54°0′51″N 1°13′8″W 13 m
43 ft		 Nidd Heads on Great Whernside 54°10′20″N 2°0′11″W 660 m
2,170 ft		 516 km²
199 sq miles[22]
Ouse 84 km
52 miles		 Trent Falls 53°42′8″N 0°41′46″W 0 m
0 ft		 River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach 54°2′4″N 1°16′30″W 12 m
39 ft		 3,315 km²
1,280 sq miles[23]
Ribble 38.48 km
23.91 miles		 County Border near Swinden 53°58′16″N 2°13′55″W 117 m
384 ft		 Ribble Head 54°12′42″N 2°21′43″W 290 m
950 ft		 204 km²
79 sq miles[24]
Riccall 18.36 km
11.41 miles		 River Rye 54°12′14″N 0°54′58″W 24 m
79 ft		 Confluence of Bonfield Gill and Bogmire Gill near Helmsley 54°17′52″N 1°3′40″W 130 m
430 ft		 57.6 km²
22.2 sq miles[25]
Rivelin 6.81 km
4.23 miles		 River Loxley 53°23′59″N 1°30′41″W 77 m
253 ft		 Rivelin Dams near Sheffield 53°22′43″N 1°35′11″W 206 m
676 ft		 Not available
Rother 16.77 km
10.42 miles[9]		 River Don at Rotherham 53°21′31″N 1°21′43″W 26 m
85 ft		 County Boundary at Eckington 53°18′56″N 1°20′25″W 47 m
154 ft		 352.2 km²
136 sq miles[26]
Ryburn 11.4 km
7.1 miles		 River Calder at Sowerby Bridge 53°42′28″N 1°54′42″W 80 m
260 ft		 Confluence of unnamed stream and Black Castle Clough near Rishworth 53°39′35″N 2°1′29″W 361 m
1,184 ft		 13 sq miles[27]
Rye 61.5 km
38.2 miles		 River Derwent near Malton 54°10′15″N 0°44′25″W 19 m
62 ft		 Rye Head near Osmotherley 54°22′23″N 1°14′12″W 302 m
991 ft		 679 km²
262 sq miles[28]
Ryton 3.4 km
2.1 miles		 County Border with Nottinghamshire 53°19′22″N 1°10′19″W 48 m
157 ft		 Confluence of Anston Brook and Pudding Dike 53°20′5″N 1°11′26″W 71 m
233 ft		 77 km²
30 sq miles[29]
Seven 34.9 km
21.7 miles		 River Rye 54°11′13″N 0°51′51″W 22 m
72 ft		 Danby High Moor near Rosedale Abbey 54°24′2″N 0°57′7″W 330 m
1,080 ft		 121.6 km²
47 sq miles[30]
Sheaf 9.6 km
6 miles		 River Don 53°23′7″N 1°27′44″W 53 m
174 ft		 Confluence of Oldhay Brook and Totley Brook 53°19′12″N 1°31′24″W 143 m
469 ft		 49.1 km²
19 sq miles[31]
Skell 19 km
12 miles		 River Ure near Ripon 54°8′0″N 1°30′3″W 23 m
75 ft		 Howson Ridge near Wath-in-Nidderdale 54°7′2″N 1°44′59″W 350 m
1150 ft		 Not available
Skirfare 15.24 km
9.47 miles		 River Wharfe 54°7′8″N 2°2′8″W 197 m
646 ft		 Confluence of Foxup Beck and Cosh Beck 54°11′12″N 2°11′49″W 313 m
1,027 ft		 Not available
Spen 8 km
5 miles		 River Calder at Dewsbury 53°40′49″N 1°39′4″W 42 m
138 ft		 Confluence of Hunsworth Beck and Nann Hall Beck in Cleckheaton 53°43′48.2″N 1°42′45.6″W 81 m
266 ft		 46.3 km²
17.9 sq miles[32]
Swale 117.8 km
73.2 miles		 River Ure 54°5′16.27″N 1°20′36.27″W 11 m
36.09 ft		 Confluence of Birkdale Beck and Great Sleddale Beck 54°24′10.87″N 2°13′21.65″W 366 m
1,200 ft		 1,363 km²
526 sq miles[33]
Tees 88.4 km
54.9 miles		 North Sea at Redcar 54°38′51″N 1°8′57″W 0 m
0 ft		 Enters Yorkshire at Gainford 54°32′33″N 1°43′19″W 67 m
220 ft		 1,264 km²
488 sq miles[34]
Tutt 12 km approx River Ure at Boroughbridge SE 396 669 11 m Nidd SE 324 592 61 m
Twiss 4.17 km
2.59 miles		 Confluence with River Doe at Ingleton 54°9′11″N 2°28′15″W 118 m
387 ft		 Keld Head 54°11′3″N 2°28′4″W 264 km
866 ft		 Not available
Ure 118 km
73 miles		 Cuddy Shaw Reach where renamed to River Ouse 54°2′4″N 1°16′30″W 12 m
39 ft		 Ure Head near Abbotside 54°21′56″N 2°18′4″W 635 m
2,083 ft		 914.6 km²
353.1 sq miles[35]
Washburn 26 km
16 miles		 River Wharfe near Pool 53°54′39″N 1°39′8″W 49 m
161 ft		 Washburn Head 54°3′46″N 1°50′50″W 391 m
1,283 ft		 87.3 km²
54.2 sq miles[36]
Wenning 13 km approx Yorkshire/Lancashire boundary at Bentham SD 623 698 54 m Clapham SD 744 673 124 m
Wharfe 97 km
60 miles		 River Ouse at Wharfe's Mouth, near Cawood 53°50′38.76″N 1°7′46.36″W 4.9 m
16 ft		 Beckermonds, Langstrothdale Chase 54°13′2.93″N 2°11′39.23″W 310 m
1,020 ft		 818 km²
316 sq miles[37]
Went 26.7 km
16.6 miles		 River Don near Snaith 53°38′40″N 0°59′27″W 5 m
16 ft		 Confluence of Went Beck and Hessle Beck at Low Ackworth 53°38′54″N 1°20′23″W 32 m
105 ft		 87.3 km²
33.7 sq miles[38]
Wiske 46.9 km
29.1 miles		 River Swale near Kirby Wiske 54°14′38″N 1°26′19″W 21 m
69 ft		 Confluence of Stony Lane Beck and Carr Beck near Ingleby Arncliffe 54°23′10″N 1°19′25″W 69 m
226 ft		 215.5 km²
83.2 sq miles[39]
Worth 15.2 km
9.4 miles		 River Aire near Keighley 53°52′31″N 1°53′7″W 88 m
289 ft		 Watersheddles Reservoir 53°50′17″N 2°2′49″W 329 m
1,079 ft		 71.7 km²
27.7 sq miles[40]

Map
Main Rivers of Yorkshire. Each label is wikilinked to an article.

Sources
  • Ordnance Survey Open Viewer
  • Google Earth
  • National Environment Research Council - Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
  • Environment Agency
  • Map of main rivers

References
  1. "Tidal Ouse". Environment Agency. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  2. "Tidal Aire". Environment Agency. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  3. "River Aire CFMP" (PDF), Aire Catchment Flood Management Plan, Environment Agency, p. 4, retrieved 18 February 2011
  4. "Tidal Don". Environment Agency. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  5. "Tidal reach". Environment Agency. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  6. "Aire Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  7. "Calder Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  8. "Colne Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  9. "River Factfiles" (PDF), The Dearne, Don and Rother Catchment, Environment Agency, p. 1, retrieved 19 February 2011
  10. "Dearne Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  11. "Derwent Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  12. "Dibb Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  13. "Don Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  14. "Dove, N.Yorks Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  15. "Esk Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  16. "Foss Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  17. "Greta Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  18. "Holme Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  19. "Hull Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  20. "Leven Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  21. "Loxley Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  22. "Nidd Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  23. "Ouse Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  24. "Ribble Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  25. "Riccall Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  26. "Rother Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  27. "Ryburn Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  28. "Rye Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  29. "Ryton Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  30. "Seven Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  31. "Sheaf Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  32. "Spen Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  33. "Swale Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  34. "Tees Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  35. "Ure Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  36. "Washburn Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  37. "Wharfe Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  38. "Went Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  39. "Wiske Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  40. "Worth Statistics". National River Flow Archives. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
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