The River Worth is a river

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 West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

, 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 flows from minor tributaries

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...

 on the moors above Watersheddles Reservoir down the Worth Valley

Worth Valley

Worth Valley is a ward on the western extremity of the Bradford Metropolitan District area. In the north it is bounded by North Yorkshire, in the west by Lancashire and in the south by Calderdale District. It contains the Keighley villages of Oakworth, Oldfield, Haworth, Cross Roads, Oxenhope and...

 to Haworth

Haworth

Haworth is a rural village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is located amongst the Pennines, southwest of Keighley and west of Bradford. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope...

, where it is joined by Bridgehouse Beck which flows from Oxenhope

Oxenhope

Oxenhope is a village and civil parish with a population of 2,476 in the metropolitan borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, near Keighley. Oxenhope railway station is the terminus for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway...

. The River Worth is itself a tributary of the River Aire

River Aire

The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England of length . Part of the river is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation....

, which it joins at the end of the Worth Valley

Worth Valley

Worth Valley is a ward on the western extremity of the Bradford Metropolitan District area. In the north it is bounded by North Yorkshire, in the west by Lancashire and in the south by Calderdale District. It contains the Keighley villages of Oakworth, Oldfield, Haworth, Cross Roads, Oxenhope and...

 in Keighley

Keighley

Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...

.

Course

There are many small streams that feed Watersheddles Reservoir from which the River Worth is fed. From the reservoir, the river flows east into Ponden Reservoir into the town of Haworth

Haworth

Haworth is a rural village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is located amongst the Pennines, southwest of Keighley and west of Bradford. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope...

 where it is joined by Bridgehouse Beck. It then flows east north-east through the suburbs of Keighley

Keighley

Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...

 into the town centre to join the River Aire

River Aire

The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England of length . Part of the river is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation....

. The typical river level range where it joins the River Aire is between 0.22 metres and 1.00 metres.

Natural History

The river was once very polluted, but the lack of local industry nowadays has seen the river become much cleaner and it supports many forms of wildlife throughout its course. The river currently has a population of small brown trout and grayling, but they are restricted to certain parts due to the number of high weirs which have been left behind from its industrial past.

History

The river provided power for the wool and clothing mills. Woollen and worsted manufacture was introduced here with the first cotton- mill erected in 1780.

Leisure

The River Valley is home to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Bradford City Council have marked out a short/middle(circular) distance walk along the valley called The Worth Way. Angling is also allowed by permit at certain places along the river.

Tributaries

• Little Spring Dike
• Dean Clough
• Whitestone Clough
• Ponden Clough Beck
• Lumb Beck
• Lower Pitcher Clough
• Sladen Beck
• Bridgehouse Beck

Crossings

• Unnamed road, Silver Hill Bank
• Unnamed road, Old Snap Bottoms
• Old Lane, Old House
• Ponden Lane, Scar Top
• Ponden Bridge
• Lumbfoot Road, Lumb Foot
• Lord Bridge, Mytholmes
• Spring Head Road, Mytholmes
• Victoria Avenue, Mytholmes

• Mytholmes Lane, Oakworth
• Unnamed road, Damems
• Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
• A629, Keighley
• Woodhouse Road, Keighley
• Coney Lane, Keighley
• Gresley Road, Keighley
• Low Mill Lane, Keighley

• Main Line Railway
• Dalton Lane, Keighley
• A650 (Aire Valley Road), Keighley
• Aireworth Road, Keighley

Gallery