River Dove, North Yorkshire

River Dove
The River Dove near Farndale
Basin
Main source	Farndale Moor, Nth Yorkshire 54°24′24″N 1°2′23″W / 54.40667°N 1.03972°W
Source elevation	372 metres (1,220 ft)
River mouth	River Rye near Salton 54°12′6″N 0°54′35″W / 54.20167°N 0.90972°W
Mouth elevation	24 metres (79 ft)
Size	59.2 square kilometres (22.9 sq mi)
Country	England
Physiognomy
Length	30.22 kilometres (18.78 mi)

Coordinates: 54°21′22″N 0°57′43″W / 54.356°N 0.962°W The River Dove is a river in North Yorkshire, England. It rises on the North York Moors and flows south to join the River Rye, itself a tributary of the River Derwent. The upper valley of the river is known as Farndale. The name is of Brittonic Celtic origin, meaning "dark river".^[1]

Course

The river flows through Farndale south-east past several small settlements to Church Houses. Here it turns south and continues meandering past Low Mill to Lowna. At Gillamoor it heads south-east again past Hutton-le-Hole before returning southwards past Ravenswick and to the east of Kirkbymoorside. It continues past Keldholme and Kikrby Mills to Great Edstone. From there it flows south south-east to where it joins the River Rye in the Vale of Pickering near the village of Salton.

The Environment Agency have a gauging station at Kirby Mills where the average low river level is 0.2 metres (0.66 ft) and the high river level 0.52 metres (1.7 ft) with a record high level of 2.45 metres (8.0 ft). The record high level shows the river can be susceptible to flooding.^[2]

Geography

Both the River Dove and Hodge Beck are partly swallowed by the local limestone aquifer and issue again further down the valley. During summer months the bed of Hodge Beck often runs dry. The soil in the valley floor is loam over clay. The bedrock is Jurassic limestone with some sandstone.^[3]

Leisure

Between Church Houses and Low Mill in Farndale, the River Dove is popular with walkers due to its picturesque setting. The banks of the river are known for their wild daffodils which are rumoured to have been planted by monks from nearby Rievaulx Abbey. Along this part of the valley is The Farndale Daffodil Walk, an 11.4-kilometre (7.1 mi) circular walk starting at Lowna Bridge.^[4][5]

In Literature

William Wordsworth's poem, She dwelt among the untrodden ways from the Lucy series of poems refers to the eponymous Lucy living close to the "springs of Dove", a reference to the source of the river.

Lists

Tributaries Middle Heads Gill Beck Gill Dike Oak Beck Low Dike Green Slack Dike Fish Beck West Gill Beck Lapa Green Dike Yealand Rigg Slack Shortsha Beck Hodge Beck Carr Dike

Settlements Church Houses Low Mill Lowna Gillamoor Hutton-le-Hole Ravenswick Kirkbymoorside Keldholme Kirkby Mills Great Edstone Salton

Crossings Thorn Wath Bridge, Church Houses Mill Bridge (foot) Waste Bridge, Low Mill Mercer's Bridge (foot) Dale End Bridge (foot) Birch Hagg Bridge Lowna Bridge, Lowna Yoadwath Ford Unnamed road, Ravenswick Keldholme Bridge, Keldholme A170, Kirkbymoorside Unnamed road near Salton

Gallery

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  Ford through the River Dove

• 

  Footbridge Over the River Dove

• 

  Ford on the River Dove

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  River Dove near Birch Hagg House

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  Fishing Beat on the River Dove near Sparrow Hall

Sources

• Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL26
• Google Earth

References

1. Watts, Victor, ed. (2010), "Dove", The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Cambridge University Press
2. "River Levels". Environment Agency River and Sea Levels. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
3. "Geology". Retrieved 28 August 2011.
4. "Walking". Retrieved 28 August 2011.
5. "Farndale daffodils". Retrieved 28 August 2011.

External links