River Went
Encyclopedia
The River Went is a river
in Yorkshire
, England
. It rises close to Featherstone
and flows eastward, joining the River Don at Reedholme Common.
A possible site of the Battle of Winwaed is believed to be located somewhere along the valley of the Went.
, just to the west of Featherstone, and close to the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour. It is called Went Beck at this point, and flows generally eastwards, to the south of Featherstone. Just before it is crossed by the B6428 at Little Went bridge, it is joined by Hardwick Beck, flowing north-eastwards from the lakes of Nostell Park, once the site of Nostell Priory
, but now containing a grade I listed Palladian house owned by the National Trust
. It then flows between High Ackworth and Ackworth Moor Top, before being crossed by Low Ackworth railway viaduct.
Continuing eastwards, it is crossed by the A639 road, which follows the course of a Roman road at this point. The bridge is called Standing Flat bridge, and is just to the north of Thorpe Audlin
. The next crossing is the B6474 as it enters Wentbridge
. The grade II listed bridge has two arches, made of rockfaced magnesian limestone
and sandstone
ashlar blocks, and is probably early nineteenth century. The A1 road bypasses Wentbridge to the east, and is carried over the river by Wentbridge viaduct. This was designed by F A Sims, who was the senior designer and resident engineer for the bridges department of the West Riding County Council, and it was opened in 1961. It consists of a continuous beam, supported at its ends and by two sloping legs, which are hinged at both ends. The side spans are 140 feet (42.7 m) long, while the centre span is 190 feet (57.9 m) long. It was probably the first bridge in England to use prestressing cables which did not pass through the concrete sections, and one of the first to use precast concrete hinges. When it was built, it was the largest bridge of this kind in Europe, and in 1964 the New York
Museum of Modern Art
declared it to be a structure of significance in twentieth century engineering. It is grade II listed.
Soon the river is passing through Brockadale, a steep-sided, wooded valley, before reaching Kirk Smeaton
, situated on its southern bank, and Little Smeaton
, on its northern bank, near which a railway used to cross, which has now been dismantled. At Norton
, it passes the site of Norton mill and Norton Priory before passing under Tanpit bridge, a single arched bridge constructed of dressed stone with brick lined soffits in the early nineteenth century. By the time it reaches another railway line, it is only 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea level, and the channel is embanked on both sides to prevent flooding of the surrounding low-lying land.
Beyond Went bridge, where the A19 road
crosses, the river used to take a winding route round the southern edge of Stubbs Common, but a new straight channel has been made, which has counter drains on either side, to collect seepage through the banks. Lake Drain joins the river at Lake Mouth, just beyond the point at which the old course of the river rejoins the new. The Doncaster to Selby railway line crosses next, after which an early nineteenth century red-brick bridge carries a lane over its course at Topham
. The river passes to the north of Sykehouse
, where an aqueduct built in 1905 carries the New Junction Canal
over it. At this point it is running parallel to the Aire and Calder Navigation
, and soon it joins the River Don
, which was diverted northwards in 1628 by the drainage engineer Cornelius Vermuyden
, and then heads eastwards to Goole
by way of the Dutch River.
The state of the Don was similarly lifeless, but by the 1970s, water quality in the lower Went was slightly improved, as a result of natural purification of the effluents being added to the river, and a small population of fish restablished itself. Most are thought to have been swept down the Don from still waters much higher up than the mouth of the Went, but they survived the transit downstream to take refuge in the Went. As water quality continued to improve, the fish became self-sustaining by the 1980s, and populations of roach, bream
, perch
and eel
s began to spread upstream. While these species were suited to the ponded nature of the river below Sykehouse, the river above there is faster flowing, and more suitable for riverine species of fish such as chub
and dace
. There was no chance of natural redevelopment of these species, as they had all been eliminated by the pollution.
In order to overcome this problem, the Yorkshire Water Authority Fisheries department searched for a source of chub and dace which could be re-introduced. An isolated population was eventually found on the River Ouse where Bishop Dyke joins it at Cawood. They were netted, and in 1981, over 2,000 young chub and dace were released into the river at Askern, below the A19 road bridge. The operation was a success, as the fish colonised the river upstream and downstream from the release point, and soon became self-sustaining. As a consequence, the Went is now an excellent coarse fishery. There are also populations of chub and dace in the Don near Doncaster, which are believed to have originated from the Went.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, 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...
. It rises close to Featherstone
Featherstone
Featherstone is a town and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It lies south-west of Pontefract and has a population of 14,175.Featherstone railway station is on the Pontefract Line.-History:...
and flows eastward, joining the River Don at Reedholme Common.
A possible site of the Battle of Winwaed is believed to be located somewhere along the valley of the Went.
Route
The river rises at StreethouseStreethouse
Streethouse is a semi rural village in West Yorkshire, England that is situated to the east of Wakefield, the west of Featherstone and the south-west of Castleford.-History:...
, just to the west of Featherstone, and close to the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour. It is called Went Beck at this point, and flows generally eastwards, to the south of Featherstone. Just before it is crossed by the B6428 at Little Went bridge, it is joined by Hardwick Beck, flowing north-eastwards from the lakes of Nostell Park, once the site of Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory is a Palladian house located in Nostell, near Crofton close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, approached by the Doncaster road from Wakefield...
, but now containing a grade I listed Palladian house owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It then flows between High Ackworth and Ackworth Moor Top, before being crossed by Low Ackworth railway viaduct.
Continuing eastwards, it is crossed by the A639 road, which follows the course of a Roman road at this point. The bridge is called Standing Flat bridge, and is just to the north of Thorpe Audlin
Thorpe Audlin
Thorpe Audlin is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 659. Until 1974 it was part of Hemsworth Rural District....
. The next crossing is the B6474 as it enters Wentbridge
Wentbridge
Wentbridge is a small village in the Benefice of the Went Valley and Parish of Darrington, West Yorkshire, England.-Geography:The village used to be on the A1, which section of road is now the B6474, which also leads eventually to South Elmsall...
. The grade II listed bridge has two arches, made of rockfaced magnesian limestone
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ashlar blocks, and is probably early nineteenth century. The A1 road bypasses Wentbridge to the east, and is carried over the river by Wentbridge viaduct. This was designed by F A Sims, who was the senior designer and resident engineer for the bridges department of the West Riding County Council, and it was opened in 1961. It consists of a continuous beam, supported at its ends and by two sloping legs, which are hinged at both ends. The side spans are 140 feet (42.7 m) long, while the centre span is 190 feet (57.9 m) long. It was probably the first bridge in England to use prestressing cables which did not pass through the concrete sections, and one of the first to use precast concrete hinges. When it was built, it was the largest bridge of this kind in Europe, and in 1964 the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
declared it to be a structure of significance in twentieth century engineering. It is grade II listed.
Soon the river is passing through Brockadale, a steep-sided, wooded valley, before reaching Kirk Smeaton
Kirk Smeaton
Kirk Smeaton is the most southerly village of the large county of North Yorkshire, England. It is also a civil parish in the Selby district.-Geography:...
, situated on its southern bank, and Little Smeaton
Little Smeaton, Selby
Little Smeaton is a village in North Yorkshire. It is next to Kirk Smeaton, and the River Went flows through it.-External links:**...
, on its northern bank, near which a railway used to cross, which has now been dismantled. At Norton
Norton, Doncaster
Norton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went, while the Great North Road forms the western boundary...
, it passes the site of Norton mill and Norton Priory before passing under Tanpit bridge, a single arched bridge constructed of dressed stone with brick lined soffits in the early nineteenth century. By the time it reaches another railway line, it is only 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea level, and the channel is embanked on both sides to prevent flooding of the surrounding low-lying land.
Beyond Went bridge, where the A19 road
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
crosses, the river used to take a winding route round the southern edge of Stubbs Common, but a new straight channel has been made, which has counter drains on either side, to collect seepage through the banks. Lake Drain joins the river at Lake Mouth, just beyond the point at which the old course of the river rejoins the new. The Doncaster to Selby railway line crosses next, after which an early nineteenth century red-brick bridge carries a lane over its course at Topham
Topham
Topham may refer to:* Topham, South Yorkshire, a rural hamlet on the River Went, in Sykehouse, South Yorkshire, EnglandPeople with the surname Topham:* Arthur Topham , England international footballer...
. The river passes to the north of Sykehouse
Sykehouse
The civil parish of Sykehouse is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with the East Riding of Yorkshire. It had a population of 438 in 2001.-Geography:...
, where an aqueduct built in 1905 carries the New Junction Canal
New Junction Canal
The New Junction Canal is a canal in South Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation , although it was jointly funded by the Aire and Calder Navigation, and was opened in 1905. It links the River Don Navigation and the Stainforth and Keadby Canal with the Aire...
over it. At this point it is running parallel to the Aire and Calder Navigation
Aire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
, and soon it joins the River Don
River Don Navigation
The River Don Navigation was the result of early efforts to make the River Don in South Yorkshire, England, navigable between Fishlake and Sheffield...
, which was diverted northwards in 1628 by the drainage engineer Cornelius Vermuyden
Cornelius Vermuyden
Sir Cornelius Wasterdyk Vermuyden was a Dutch engineer who introduced Dutch reclamation methods to Britain, and made the first important attempts to drain The Fens of East Anglia.-Life:...
, and then heads eastwards to Goole
Goole
Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
by way of the Dutch River.
Water quality
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the river was seriously polluted as a result of coal mining and the growth of population to support the mining operations. In many cases, villages developed around the mines and had inadequate or no sewage treatment plants, while the mines discharged minewater containing ochre, and large quantities of solids, which were deposited on the bed and choked vegetation. As a result, the fish population was almost entirely destroyed, and the river remained without fish until the 1970s.The state of the Don was similarly lifeless, but by the 1970s, water quality in the lower Went was slightly improved, as a result of natural purification of the effluents being added to the river, and a small population of fish restablished itself. Most are thought to have been swept down the Don from still waters much higher up than the mouth of the Went, but they survived the transit downstream to take refuge in the Went. As water quality continued to improve, the fish became self-sustaining by the 1980s, and populations of roach, bream
Common bream
The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream or carp bream, Abramis brama, is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae....
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
and eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s began to spread upstream. While these species were suited to the ponded nature of the river below Sykehouse, the river above there is faster flowing, and more suitable for riverine species of fish such as chub
Squalius
Squalius is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae, containing the European chubs . This genus belongs to the subfamily Leuciscinae as other chubs and daces generally do....
and dace
Common dace
The common dace , also known as the dace or the Eurasian dace, is a fresh- or brackish-water fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is an inhabitant of the rivers and streams of Europe north of the Alps as well as in Asia. It is most abundant in France and Germany, and has also spread to...
. There was no chance of natural redevelopment of these species, as they had all been eliminated by the pollution.
In order to overcome this problem, the Yorkshire Water Authority Fisheries department searched for a source of chub and dace which could be re-introduced. An isolated population was eventually found on the River Ouse where Bishop Dyke joins it at Cawood. They were netted, and in 1981, over 2,000 young chub and dace were released into the river at Askern, below the A19 road bridge. The operation was a success, as the fish colonised the river upstream and downstream from the release point, and soon became self-sustaining. As a consequence, the Went is now an excellent coarse fishery. There are also populations of chub and dace in the Don near Doncaster, which are believed to have originated from the Went.
Points of interest
Settlements
- Featherstone
- West HardwickWest HardwickWest Hardwick is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 29. Until 1974 it formed part of Hemsworth Rural District....
- High Ackworth
- Ackworth Moor Top
- Low Ackworth
- Thorpe AudlinThorpe AudlinThorpe Audlin is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 659. Until 1974 it was part of Hemsworth Rural District....
- WentbridgeWentbridgeWentbridge is a small village in the Benefice of the Went Valley and Parish of Darrington, West Yorkshire, England.-Geography:The village used to be on the A1, which section of road is now the B6474, which also leads eventually to South Elmsall...
- Kirk SmeatonKirk SmeatonKirk Smeaton is the most southerly village of the large county of North Yorkshire, England. It is also a civil parish in the Selby district.-Geography:...
- Little SmeatonLittle Smeaton, SelbyLittle Smeaton is a village in North Yorkshire. It is next to Kirk Smeaton, and the River Went flows through it.-External links:**...
- NortonNorton, DoncasterNorton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went, while the Great North Road forms the western boundary...
- Walden StubbsWalden StubbsWalden Stubbs is a little village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Situated close to the border with South Yorkshire, and north of Doncaster. It lies close to the River Went, which starts at Featherstone. The Askern Branch Line runs through this village, which...
- FenwickFenwick, South YorkshireFenwick is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. It is located at an elevation of around 6 metres above sea level and has a population of 113. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went.-External links:...
- BalneBalneBalne is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire in England, south of Selby. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 231...
- SykehouseSykehouseThe civil parish of Sykehouse is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with the East Riding of Yorkshire. It had a population of 438 in 2001.-Geography:...
- Pincheon Green