River Leven, North Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
The River Leven is a river in North Yorkshire
, England
and is a tributary
to the River Tees
. It rises on Warren Moor, part of Kildale Moor, in the North Yorks Moors and flows to the north of the moors to join the River Tees at Yarm
.
. It flows east until it reaches the Whitby
to Middlesbrough rail line where it does a complete turnaround to flow west to Kildale. It then flows south south west through woodland to the confluence with Dundale Beck where it turns north west through Low Easby and Little Ayton, before turning west and then south west at Great Ayton
. It runs parallel to the A173 to Stokesley. The river increases in the amount of meanders as continues south west past Skutterskelfe to Hutton Rudby and Rudby, where it turns north west and then west again over Slape Stones waterfall. At Crathorne it turns north and then north east as far as Middleton-on-Leven before passing under the A19 in a north west direction. The final couple of miles are north and north west between Ingleby Barwick
and Yarm
, before the river joins the River Tees.
and Jurassic
age bedrock of low permeability. Most of the deposits on top of the bedrock are boulder clay
. There is mixed agriculture, with some moorland and forestry near the source.
, migratory and territorial fish and mammals had been missing from the river. In 2007, the Environment Agency built a fish bypass at the weir and in 2011, was able to announce the return of spawning Salmon to the river for the first time in 150 years.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
to the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
. It rises on Warren Moor, part of Kildale Moor, in the North Yorks Moors and flows to the north of the moors to join the River Tees at Yarm
Yarm
Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
.
Course
The source of the river is on Warren Moor, part of Kildale Moor, just south of the village of KildaleKildale
Kildale is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately 3 miles south-east of Great Ayton, in the North Yorkshire Moors on the Cleveland Way National Trail....
. It flows east until it reaches the Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
to Middlesbrough rail line where it does a complete turnaround to flow west to Kildale. It then flows south south west through woodland to the confluence with Dundale Beck where it turns north west through Low Easby and Little Ayton, before turning west and then south west at Great Ayton
Great Ayton
Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors in England. The name Great Ayton is thought to derive from Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and 'ea' meaning river. It has a population of 4,570....
. It runs parallel to the A173 to Stokesley. The river increases in the amount of meanders as continues south west past Skutterskelfe to Hutton Rudby and Rudby, where it turns north west and then west again over Slape Stones waterfall. At Crathorne it turns north and then north east as far as Middleton-on-Leven before passing under the A19 in a north west direction. The final couple of miles are north and north west between Ingleby Barwick
Ingleby Barwick
Ingleby Barwick is a large private residential estate and civil parish built on what was the southern perimeter of Thornaby airfield in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The estate is enclosed by water to the west, north and east...
and Yarm
Yarm
Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
, before the river joins the River Tees.
Water levels
| Monitoring Station | Station Elevation | Low water level | High water level | Record high level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easby | 101.3 m (332.3 ft) | 0.11 m (0.360892388451444 ft) | 0.4 m (1.3 ft) | 1.25 m (4.1 ft) |
| Great Ayton | 83 m (272.3 ft) | 0.03 m (0.0984251968503937 ft) | 0.5 m (1.6 ft) | 1.64 m (5.4 ft) |
| Stokesley | 67 m (219.8 ft) | 0.09 m (0.295275590551181 ft) | 0.8 m (2.6 ft) | 1.62 m (5.3 ft) |
| Foxton Bridge | 56 m (183.7 ft) | 0.21 m (0.688976377952756 ft) | 1.5 m (4.9 ft) | 2.63 m (8.6 ft) |
- Low and High Water Levels are an average figure.
Geoglogy
The river drains from the Cleveland Hills across a mixed geology of mostly PermianPermian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
and Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
age bedrock of low permeability. Most of the deposits on top of the bedrock are boulder clay
Boulder clay
Boulder clay, in geology, is a deposit of clay, often full of boulders, which is formed in and beneath glaciers and ice-sheets wherever they are found, but is in a special sense the typical deposit of the Glacial Period in northern Europe and North America...
. There is mixed agriculture, with some moorland and forestry near the source.
Natural History
Due to a weir on the lower river built during the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, migratory and territorial fish and mammals had been missing from the river. In 2007, the Environment Agency built a fish bypass at the weir and in 2011, was able to announce the return of spawning Salmon to the river for the first time in 150 years.
History
In Stokesley, the river is crossed by a 17th Century Pack Horse Bridge, which was once the only crossing into the town. The Domesday Book records the existence of a water mill on the banks of the river in the town. In Hutton Rudby there is a plaque on a bridge that marks the spot of a water mill that, amongst several uses, once made sailcloth.Tributaries
- Lonsdale Beck
- Dundale Beck
- Otter Hills Beck
- Main Stell
- Ings Beck
- Eller Beck
- West Beck
- River Tame
- Grange Beck
- Alum Beck
- Carr Stell
- Coul Beck
- Hundale Gill
- Magpie Gill
- Fanny Bell's Gill
- East Gill
Settlements
- KildaleKildaleKildale is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately 3 miles south-east of Great Ayton, in the North Yorkshire Moors on the Cleveland Way National Trail....
- Low Easby
- Little AytonLittle AytonLittle Ayton is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies immediately south of Great Ayton....
- Great AytonGreat AytonGreat Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors in England. The name Great Ayton is thought to derive from Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and 'ea' meaning river. It has a population of 4,570....
- StokesleyStokesleyStokesley is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Leven. Stokesley is located about two miles south of the boundary of the borough of Middlesbrough and ten miles south of Middlesbrough town centre. Stokesley is located...
- Skutterskelfe
- RudbyRudbyRudby is a village and civil parish, 4 miles from the market town of Stokesley in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is adjoined to another village called Hutton Rudby and it lies on the River Leven.-External links:...
- Hutton RudbyHutton RudbyHutton Rudby is a village and civil parish situated west of the market town of Stokesley in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is joined to the village of Rudby by a bridge spanning the River Leven.-External links:...
- CrathorneCrathorne, North YorkshireCrathorne is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The River Leven flows through the parish. The A19 used to run through the village before a dual carriageway was built in 1975...
- Middleton-on-Leven
- Low LevenLow LevenLow Leven is a hamlet within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, and is located at the bottom of Leven Bank towards the mouth of the River Leven....
- Ingleby BarwickIngleby BarwickIngleby Barwick is a large private residential estate and civil parish built on what was the southern perimeter of Thornaby airfield in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The estate is enclosed by water to the west, north and east...
- YarmYarmYarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
Crossings
- Petlar's Bridge, near Kildale
- Unnamed road, near Kildale
- Whitby to Middlesborugh Railway Line
- Unnamed road north of Kildale
- Whitby to Middlesborugh Railway Line
- Unnamed road north of Easby
- Cross Lane, Little Ayton
- Holmes bridge, Little Ayton (foot)
- Holly Garth, Great Ayton
- A173, Levenside, Great Ayton
- A172, Stokesley
- B1257, Stokesley Bridge
- Manor Close/Levenside, Stokesley (ford)
- Malvern Drive, Stokesley
- B1365, Bense Bridge, Stokesley
- Hutton Bridge, Hutton Rudby
- Crathorne Mill Bridge, Crathorne
- Foxton bridge near Middleton-on-Leven
- A19 near Middleton-on-Leven
- A1044, Leven Bridge, Low Leven
Sources
- Orndance Survey Open Viewer http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/viewer/
- Google Earth
- National Environment Research Council - Centre for Ecology and Hydrology http://www.ceh.ac.uk/index.html
- Environment Agency http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/