The River Esk is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
that empties into the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
at
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 maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
after a course of around through the valley of
Eskdale, named after the river itself. The river's name is derived from the
Brythonic word "isca" meaning "water". The Esk is the only major river in Yorkshire that flows directly into the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
; all other watercourses defined as being major rivers by the
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
, either flow to the North Sea via the
River Tees
The River Tees (), in Northern England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar near Middlesbrough. The modern day history of the river has be ...
or the
Humber Estuary.
Overview
Due to its rural nature, the river is clean and healthy, supporting a wealth of wildlife. Salmon spawn right up through Eskdale, and a number of "
leaps" are provided to enable them to travel through
weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
s on the course. There are clearly visible examples at
Ruswarp
Ruswarp village lies within the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. It is around from Whitby, at the junction of the B1410 and B1416 roads, on the River Esk and the Esk Valley Line, with trains stopping at Ruswarp railway s ...
, where the tidal stretch through to Whitby begins and at
Sleights
Sleights is a village in North Yorkshire, England. Located in the Esk Valley in the postal region of Whitby, the village is part of the civil parish of Eskdaleside cum Ugglebarnby and the borough of Scarborough (borough), Scarborough. Sleights l ...
. Around Whitby the Esk has a large population of
sea trout, and the river is noted for
freshwater pearl mussels (the only river in Yorkshire to have them), although these are threatened with extinction due to buildups of
silt
Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when ...
in the river. In 2021, conservationists removed the mussel colony into a specialist facility to encourage the mussels to release their young, which can be raised in a secure safe environment, before the mussels are then all put back. The Esk is also the only major river in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
to drain directly into the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
.
The river rises at the Esklets on
Westerdale
Westerdale is a village, civil parish and dale within the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. The Esk Valley Walk runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of three streams (Esklets) which combine as th ...
Moor in the
North York Moors
The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of Calluna, heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a national parks of England and Wales, National P ...
. The Esklets are actually three moorland streams that combine in Westerdale to form the River Esk. The river flows through Westerdale before merging with a large number of becks from the surrounding hills, including Tower, Baysdale, Sleddale, Danby, Great Fryup, Stonegate, Glaisdale and Murk becks. Running east through the valley known as Eskdale it leaves the moors via the villages of
Sleights
Sleights is a village in North Yorkshire, England. Located in the Esk Valley in the postal region of Whitby, the village is part of the civil parish of Eskdaleside cum Ugglebarnby and the borough of Scarborough (borough), Scarborough. Sleights l ...
and
Ruswarp
Ruswarp village lies within the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. It is around from Whitby, at the junction of the B1410 and B1416 roads, on the River Esk and the Esk Valley Line, with trains stopping at Ruswarp railway s ...
, between which it forms the boundary of the North York Moors, and reaches the North Sea three miles later by bisecting the resort of Whitby.
Partway down the river at
Danby Bridge, there is a ford in which vehicles can get trapped.
Between the junction of
Fryup
Fryup () is a hamlet in the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England. It is within the civil parish of Danby, and is located alongside Great Fryup Beck in Great Fryup Dale.
Fryup is separated into two small valleys or ''dal ...
Dale and
Lealholm
Lealholm is a small village in the Glaisdale civil parish of the Borough of Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, England. It is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is by r ...
the river passes through a narrow, steep-sided and wooded valley known as Crunkly Ghyll. Here the river drops from the valley above to reach the village. Crunkly Ghyll was formed during the last great ice age as a huge wall of ice moved across the landscape carving out what is now the Esk Valley as far as Lealholm. At its head it formed a massive dam blocking the flow of water from above and creating a lake running back up the valley to Commondale. As the ice melted, the river forced its way out carving the ravine we see today. In Victorian times, the Ghyll was home to a large rockery garden, open to the public, but long since washed away by flooding of the river.
The small villages along the river were at one time of great importance to the north-east, with
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
mined in the valleys, and
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
dug from quarries on the surrounding moors. Today, all that remains are the deserted mine shafts, though
potash
Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. is mined, near
Boulby, with tunnels running six miles beneath the sea, some of the deepest in Europe.
Of the major rivers in Yorkshire (as defined by the Environment Agency), the Esk is the only one to flow into the North Sea directly without flowing into either the River Tees or the Humber Estuary.
River Esk Tideway Byelaw 1987
Since 1987 a byelaw has been in place to protect dangerously dwindling populations of salmon and sea trout. The River Esk Tideway Byelaw 1987, prevents fishing for salmon and sea trout along the stretch of the Esk between
Ruswarp
Ruswarp village lies within the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. It is around from Whitby, at the junction of the B1410 and B1416 roads, on the River Esk and the Esk Valley Line, with trains stopping at Ruswarp railway s ...
and
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 maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
known as the tideway. The
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
enforces the byelaw under s210 and Schedule 25 of the
Water Resources Act 1991
The Water Resources Act 1991 (WRA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that regulates water resources, water quality and pollution, and flood defence. Part II of the Act provides the general structure for the management of water re ...
. The byelaw was renewed in 1997 for 5 years, then again in 2002 for 10 years. After a peak of 924 rod-caught salmon per year in 1965, the number dropped to just 11 in 1989. This was due mainly to illegal poaching of stocks from this stretch under the guise of angling. Since the byelaw was introduced and enforced, the numbers of rod-caught salmon per year, further upstream, has increased each year (to 177 in 2010).
The byelaw was due to expire in 2012,
but was further extended to the end of December 2018.
Recreation
The river is used for boating in the lower reaches, especially in the upper and lower harbour areas of Whitby town. The two harbour areas also function as a port for commercial shipping and for the fishing industry. Sea-fishing tours operate out to sea from the harbours at Whitby, with many marinas being located on the east bank of the river as it approaches the North Sea. Canoeing and kayaking can be enjoyed on almost any stretch of the River Esk (including its tributaries like Eller Beck), but is mostly undertaken between
Houlsyke and Egton Bridge, Egton and Sleights and Ruswarp and Whitby. These are all located between two sets of weirs each.
Local rod fishing associations have access on the River Esk to almost of riverside fishing. Most of these stretches are on banks where there is no public access.
Bridges
The River Esk has several notable and listed bridges on its stretch. From upstream to downstream they are; Beggars Bridge at Glaisdale (a high-arched packhorse bridge built in the 17th century), the Bowstring road bridge at Ruswarp,
Larpool Viaduct
Larpool Viaduct, also known as the Esk Valley Viaduct is a 13 arch brick viaduct built to carry the Scarborough & Whitby Railway over the River Esk, North Yorkshire, England.
History and description
The viaduct was constructed for the Scarbo ...
between Ruswarp and Whitby, the A171 road bridge and the
swing bridge
A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...
in Whitby town.
Many of the bridges in the valley had to be rebuilt after floods in 1828, 1880 and 1930. The present bowstring bridge in Ruswarp dates from 1933 when
Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company
Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company was a UK bridge works and structural steel contractor based in Darlington. It built landmarks including the Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe; the Tees Transporter Bridge; the Forth Road and Humber suspe ...
opened up a new bridge to replace one swept away in 1930.
Industry
The river was not used for shipping save for the area in and around Whitby harbour (which was notable for its whale industry and its
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
). Whilst coal was mined in upper Eskdale, it was not found in sufficient quantities to be used in the alum industry; coal was trans-shipped in from
Tyneside
Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt.
The population of Tyneside as published i ...
and
Wearside
Wearside () is a built-up area in both Tyne and Wear and County Durham, Northern England. It is named after the River Wear which flows through it and traditionally all in the County of Durham. In the 2011 census, its official name was the Sunder ...
for this. Hand in hand with the shipbuilding industry, was the ropery works that nestled around the harbour. Whitby's last official ropery was on the south side of Spital Beck. This area was also host to
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
and timber processing plants, but most of this industry was defunct by the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
At Boghall and Larpool, the river was diverted in 1833 to accommodate the railway between Whitby and
Pickering. This area was also the location of a whale blubber rendering plant, which was said to have afflicted the town with an awful stench.
Further upstream at the tidal limit of Ruswarp, mills were placed on the weir to grind corn. The first one was constructed in 1752, with the last being used as a mill in 1962. In 2012, a
hydro-electric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
plant was constructed on the weir to generate green energy for the local area.
Currently, Whitby is involved in the fishing industry (mostly
whitefish) which is landed by its own trawler fleet. There is a commercial side to the port which deals in fertilisers, steel and potash as well as other smaller cargoes.
Folklore
Every year on Ascension Eve (38 days after
Easter Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
), a ceremony is held at 9:00 am on the east side of the upper harbour, to celebrate the planting of the
Penny Hedge.
This stems from an old folklore tale of how in 1159, three noblemen of the area were out hunting boar in the Eskdale woods. One of the boars took refuge in a chapel and the men tried to effect entry, but an old hermit would not allow them in. They murdered him, but before he died, the hermit forgave his murderers, if every
Ascensiontide, they would plant a hedge made of hazel wood in the River Esk at Whitby which could survive three tides.
The hedge needed to be cut by a penny-knife and planted as specified otherwise the men's lands would be forfeited to
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey was a 7th-century Christian monastery that later became a Benedictine abbey. The abbey church was situated overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England, a centre of the medieval Northumbrian ...
, and as it was a penance as part of the hermits forgiving them their crime, if they did not carry it out, they could have faced execution charges.
The tradition has been carried out every year since (according to available records) apart from 1981, when the tide was already too high to build the hedge.
Settlements
''from source''
*
Westerdale
Westerdale is a village, civil parish and dale within the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. The Esk Valley Walk runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of three streams (Esklets) which combine as th ...
*
Castleton
*
Ainthorpe
Ainthorpe is a village in the civil parish of Danby and the Scarborough
district of the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated within the North York Moors National Park in the Esk Valley, a quarter of a mile south of Danby and w ...
*
Danby
*
Lealholm
Lealholm is a small village in the Glaisdale civil parish of the Borough of Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, England. It is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is by r ...
*
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England, within the North York Moors National Park.
It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, an ...
*
Egton Bridge
Egton Bridge is a village in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies within the North York Moors National Park, on the River Esk, between the villages of Glaisdale and Grosmont, about six miles south-west of Whitby, an ...
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Grosmont
*
Sleights
Sleights is a village in North Yorkshire, England. Located in the Esk Valley in the postal region of Whitby, the village is part of the civil parish of Eskdaleside cum Ugglebarnby and the borough of Scarborough (borough), Scarborough. Sleights l ...
*
Aislaby
*
Briggswath
*
Ruswarp
Ruswarp village lies within the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. It is around from Whitby, at the junction of the B1410 and B1416 roads, on the River Esk and the Esk Valley Line, with trains stopping at Ruswarp railway s ...
*
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 maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
(flows into the North Sea)
The
Esk Valley Walk
The Esk Valley Walk is a long distance footpath in North Yorkshire, England. The route first follows a loop on the North York Moors to the south of Castleton, then shadows the River Esk on its journey to the North Sea. Waymarking uses the ...
runs along part of the length of the river.
See also
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Ship and boat building in Whitby
Ship and boat building in Whitby was a staple part of the industry of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England between the 17th and 19th centuries. In 1792 and 1793, Whitby was the second largest ship-building port in England and Wales. Building continu ...
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Yorkshire coast fishery
The Yorkshire coast fishery has long been part of the Yorkshire economy for centuries. The Yorkshire Coast, from the River Tees to the River Humber, has many ports both small and large where the fishing trade thrives. The historic ports at Hull ...
*
Yorkshire Esk Trail
The Yorkshire Esk Trail, also ''Yorkshire Esk Way'', is a 32-mile scenic walk, normally to be covered in three stages, that follows the course of the River Esk in North Yorkshire, from its sources in Westerdale to the sea in Whitby. The route ...
References
Sources
*
External links
NHLE image from Larpool Viaduct looking eastwards towards Whitby harbourContinually updated image of Egton Dam on the River Esk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esk
Rivers of North Yorkshire