The River Wiske is a river in the county of Yorkshire, England and is a tributary of the River Swale. The Wiske gives its name to several of the villages it passes through. The name Wiske is derived from an Old English word wisca meaning a water meadow.[1]
The river is maintained by the River Wiske Internal Drainage Board, which is part of the Shires Group of IDBs.[2] It lies within the National Character Areas (NCA) of the Vale of Mowbray and the Tees Lowlands.
[edit] Course
The river becomes the Wiske at the confluence of Carr Beck and Stony Lane Beck south of the village of Ingleby Arncliffe close to the Tontine Bridge where the A19 and A172 roads diverge. It flows north in a series of meanders as far as East Rounton where it turns north easterly and then easterly past Appleton Wiske. The river continues to flow easterly until just after passing under the A167 road where it turns south. It follows a southerly and south south west direction towards Danby Wiske and then south again between Yafforth and Northallerton. The river then alternates between a southerly and south south westerly direction until Kirby Wiske, where it turns south east to join the River Swale.
[edit] Geology
The River Wiske is underlain by a range of geological deposits, including undifferentiated sandstone, conglomerate, undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone from the Triassic period, and the Lias group consisting of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone from the Mesozoic period.[3]
[edit] Natural history
There are four areas of non-statutory Nature Conservation Sites along the river, Middlebrough plantation just outside of Newby Wiske; Stony Lane Pond near the confluence of Stony Lane Beck and Carr Beck; Pepper Arden Bottoms near East Cowton and Pheasantry Wood and Fox Covert near Danby Wiske.[3]
The river passes through farmland bounded by hedgerows with some wet woodland near Kirby Wiske and some grassland near Newby Wiske.[3] Biodiversity audits carried out in 2010 found Water Vole on the river between Danby Wiske and Brompton Beck. Otters were found on the river between North Otterington and Kirby Wiske. Soprano Pipistrelle and Brown long-eared bat were also found in the area along with Kingfisher, Reed Bunting and Lapwing.[3]
[edit] Tributaries
- East Rounton Stell
- Welbury Stell
- Carr Bridge Stell
- The Stell
- Willow Beck
- Howe Beck
- Spudling Dike
- Sike Stell
|
[edit] Settlements
|
[edit] Crossings
- Baulk Bridge, Ingleby Arncliffe
- East Rounton Bridge, East Rounton
- West Rounton Bridge, West Rounton
- Wiske Railway Bridge, Middlesbrough branchline
- Wiske Bridge, Appleton Wiske
- Unnamed road near Hornby Grange Farm
- Smeaton Bridge, A167
- Unnamed road near Frigdale
- Wiske Bridge, Birkby
- Railway Bridge, East Coast Main Line
- Wiske Bridge, Danby Wiske
- Yafforth Bridge, B6271
- Wensleydale Railway Bridge
- Viewly Bridge, Ainderby Road, A684
- Howden Bridge, nr Romanby
- Unnamed road nr North Otterington
- Otterington Bridge, between Newby Wiske and South Otterington
- Kirby Bridge, Kirby Wiske
- Pivet Bridge (foot), nr Kirby Wiske
|
[edit] Gallery
[edit] Sources
Ordnance Survey Open Data [1]
[edit] References
|
Rivers of Yorkshire
|
|
| North Yorkshire |
|
|
| West Yorkshire |
|
|
| East Riding of Yorkshire |
|
|
| South Yorkshire |
|
|
