The River Colne in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
is formed at the confluence of two brooks that originate in the
Pennines close to
Marsden. It flows in an easterly direction through the Colne Valley and
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
towards Cooper Bridge where it flows into the
River Calder.
Course
Brooks formed by rainwater high (between 300 and 480 metres
AMSL) in the
Pennines of
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, flow down the hillsides through the small valleys known locally as ''cloughs'' to fill
March Haigh and
Redbrook Reservoirs. The Haigh Brook and Redbrook continue down the valley fed by more tributaries, until they converge at a scenic spot called Close Gate Bridge where the River Colne is formed.
The river flows from west to east through the
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield.
...
passing through
Marsden,
Slaithwaite
Slaithwaite , locally ''Slawit'' (Old Norse: Timber-fell clearing), is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies in the Colne Valley, lying a ...
and
Milnsbridge
Milnsbridge is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated west of the town centre, and in the Colne Valley. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th cent ...
to
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
and then on to Cooper Bridge where it feeds the larger
River Calder.
Its tributaries include
Wessenden Brook, Bradley Brook, Crimble Brook, Mag Brook, Fenay Brook, New Mill Dike and the
River Holme
The Holme of the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England is a tributary of the River Colne, West Yorkshire. The source is via Digley Reservoir, fed firstly by the run-off from Brownhill Reservoir, then by Dobbs Dike. Banks along the upper vall ...
.
History
The Colne Valley was famous for the production of woollen and cotton cloth regarded as some of the finest quality produced anywhere and all due to the soft acidic waters of the River Colne and its brooks running down through the side valleys (cloughs) from the peat moors above.
Infrastructure
The
Huddersfield Narrow Canal
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is an inland waterway in northern England. It runs just under from Lock 1E at the rear of the University of Huddersfield campus, near Aspley Basin in Huddersfield, to the junction with the Ashton Canal at Whi ...
follows the course of the river through the valley, as does the
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield line is the main railway line between the English cities of Leeds and Manchester, via Huddersfield. It is one of the busiest MetroTrain lines. The route travels south-south-west from Leeds through Dewsbury. After a short west ...
railway, and the
A62 road A6, A 6 or A-6 can refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*A6, a mutated flu virus in the short story "Night Surf" by Stephen King
*A-6, a renamed version of the US Security Group in the 1997 comic book movie ''Spawn''
Electronics and software
* A6 rec ...
. The river itself is too shallow and rocky to be navigable by any watercraft.
There are numerous factories, warehouses and plants along the river providing goods, services and jobs, but a few of these cause pollution to the local environment and waterways. In order to help tackle pollution, the
Environment Agency demand that certain standards be met by local companies.
On 24 May 2010, part of a chemical factory was accidentally set ablaze and caused waste to be emptied into the river and the canal causing the deaths of many fish.
[Casey, Sa]
"Grosvenor Chemicals apology"
''The Huddersfield Daily Examiner'', 24 May 2010.
See also
*
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield.
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colne, Yorkshire
Colne Valley
Rivers of Huddersfield
Rivers of Kirklees
Aire catchment