West Beck is the common name given to the upper section of the old River Hull, as it rises in the foothills of the

Yorkshire Wolds The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in north-eastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie. On the western edge, the Wolds rise to an escarpment wh ...

. After reaching Frodingham Beck at Emmotland, it becomes called the River Hull. It is noteworthy for being the most northerly

chalk stream Chalk streams are rivers that rise from springs in landscapes with chalk bedrock. Since chalk is permeable, water percolates easily through the ground to the water table and chalk streams therefore receive little surface runoff. As a result, th ...

in England. It provides fly fishing for wild brown trout and grayling.

Course

Starting at Elmswell as a spring from a chalk aquifer, it follows a course which takes it past

Little Driffield Little Driffield is a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the western outskirts of Great Driffield, to the west of the A614 road and south of the A166 road. Little Driffield forms part of the civil paris ...

, around the southern edge of

Driffield Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield. By road, it is north-east of Leeds ...

, through

Wansford Wansford may refer to the following places in England: * Wansford, Cambridgeshire ** Wansford railway station, headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway * Wansford, East Riding of Yorkshire {{Geodis ...

, past Corpslanding, and joins the

Driffield Navigation The Driffield Navigation is an waterway, through the heart of the Holderness Plain to the market town of Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The northern section of it is a canal, and the southern section is part of the River Hull. C ...

at Emmotland. In the upper reaches it is known as Elmswell Beck, then Driffield Beck and finally West Beck. As it leaves Driffield, it is referred to as the River Hull as well as West Beck on Environment Agency mapping despite the River Hull traditionally being called so when the beck reaches Emmotland and merges with other watercourses. For the last of the river approaching Corpslanding Bridge it is known as Driffield Navigation (West Beck). Because of the abundance of springs that feed the beck in its upper reaches, it has been observed that West Beck contributes over 80% of the inflow to the River Hull.

History

The beck was used to power two corn mills; Kings Mill and Bell Mills, both on the upper reach. Kings Mill is a private residence and Bell Mills are in industrial use. Bell Mills were built in 1792 and there are still sluice gates and a mill race adjacent. The lower sections of the west beck are navigable, and Yorkshire Keels used to reach Wansford. Due to the shallowness of the river, an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

was passed in 1801 to create the

and other associated works. The main route was made further north using Frodingham Beck, and then a new

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

from

Fisholme Fisholme is a small area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that is situated between Brigham and Emmotland. The canal section of the Driffield Navigation leaves Frodingham Beck at this point. Location 0.7 miles south-east of Brigham o ...

through

, but the act included navigation to Corpslanding. The

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Hutton Cranswick Hutton Cranswick is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south from Driffield town centre, and on the A164 road. The civil parish is formed by the village of Hutton Cranswick and ...

created a wharf at Corpslanding, and this has now become the upper legal limit of navigation on the waterway. The river is for fly fishing only using either dry flies or nymph imitative patterns. Large stretches of the river are owned by fishing syndicates, however day ticket fishing is available at Mulberry Whin. Mulberry Whin offers over a mile of double bank chalk stream fishing on a day ticket basis.

Ecology

The beck flows past two

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

areas promoted and maintained by

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a charitable non-governmental organisation, one of the UK's 46 county-based Wildlife Trusts. It's focus is nature conservation and it works to achieve a nature-rich Yorkshire with healthy and resilient ecosystems ...

: Snakeholm Pastures and Skerne Wetlands. The entire

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

are designated as an SSSI on account of the chalk base, water quality and plant life.

References

Bibliography

External links