River Ouse

 River Ouse River Aire River Calder River Don River Rother River Nidd River Swale River Ure River Wharfe

River Ouse is in Humber Estuary.

The River Ouse is formed by the confluence of the River Ure and River Swale around 900m south-west of Myton-on-Swale [Map]; there are other theories as to where it starts. Thereafter it flows broadly south-east through York [Map], past Cawood [Map], Selby [Map], Goole [Map] and the location of the former Whitgift Ferry, East Yorkshire [Map] before joining the Humber Estuary at Trent Falls [Map].

The River Ouse appears to start at the Aldwark Toll Bridge [Map], or therabouts, before which it is known as the River Ure. It isn't clear why it changes its name? An alternative view is that the River Ouse begins at the Confluence of the Rivers Ure and Swale [Map].

On 03 Dec 1614 brothers John Sheffield, Edmund Sheffield (age 25) and Philip Sheffield (age 21) were drowned whilst attempting to cross the flooded River Ouse at the Whitgift Ferry, East Yorkshire [Map].

Culture, Rivers and River Systems in England and Wales, Humber Estuary, River Ouse, River Aire

River Calder

The River Calder rises on Heald Moor near Todmorden [Map] after which it passes Hebden Bridge [Map], Mytholmroyd [Map], Sowerby Bridge [Map], Dewsbury [Map], Sandal Castle [Map], under Wakefield Bridge [Map] before joining the River Aire at Castleford [Map].

Culture, Rivers and River Systems in England and Wales, Humber Estuary, River Ouse, River Don

The River Don rises at Dunford Bridge [Map] after which it flows broadly east through Penistone [Map] then south through Oughtibridge [Map], Sheffield [Map] then east through Rotherham [Map], past Conisbrough Castle [Map], Doncaster [Map] and Stainforth [Map] before joining the River Ouse at Goole [Map]. Originally the River Don was a tributary of the River Trent forming the northern boundary of the Isle of Axholme [Map] but was re-engineered by Cornelius Vermuyden as the Dutch River in the 1620s.

Between 43AD and 68AD an earth and wood Roman fort was first built at Templeborough [Map]. It was later rebuilt in stone. It is thought to have been occupied until the Roman withdrawal from Britain c. 410. Icknield Street crossed the River Don near the fort.

River Rother

The River Rother rises at Clay Cross [Map] then flows through Chesterfield [Map] and Sheffield [Map] after which it joins the River Don which then flows through Rotherham [Map] to which the River Rother gives its name.

Culture, Rivers and River Systems in England and Wales, Humber Estuary, River Ouse, River Nidd

The River Nidd rises at Nidd Head Spring [Map] after which it travels under Pateley Bridge [Map], then past Knaresborough Castle [Map] before joining the River Ouse at Nun Monkton [Map].

Culture, Rivers and River Systems in England and Wales, Humber Estuary, River Ouse, River Swale

Around 70AD a fort was commissioned at Cataractonium [Map] by Julius Agricola. During the first century a large bank was created north of the River Swale with an associated gate across Dere Street to control access.

The initial fort appears to have gone out of use by about AD 120 but there were further forts at the site during the next 300 years.

Culture, Rivers and River Systems in England and Wales, Humber Estuary, River Ouse, River Wharfe