List of rivers of Yorkshire facts for kids

Yorkshire is a large area in England, famous for its beautiful countryside and many rivers. This article lists the main rivers that flow through Yorkshire. Some of these rivers stay entirely within Yorkshire, while others flow into or out of the area. For example, the Ribble flows towards the Irish Sea, and the Rother starts in Derbyshire. The Greta goes into Lancashire, and the Tees forms part of the border with County Durham.
The way rivers flow in Yorkshire is shaped by three big areas of high ground. These are the Pennines in the west and south, the North York Moors in the north-east, and the Yorkshire Wolds along the coast. Most of the water from these areas flows into the Vale of York and then into the North Sea through the Humber estuary. An estuary is where a river meets the sea, and the Humber is often called a river even though it's an estuary.
The Humber river system has tides that reach far inland. For example, the tide goes as far as Naburn Lock on the River Ouse. The Humber has the second biggest tidal range in the UK, meaning the difference between high and low tide can be up to 7.2 metres (24 ft). This is a lot, but the Bristol Channel has an even bigger tidal range!
The information for the river details below comes from different sources. These include the National Environment Research Council, Ordnance Survey, Environment Agency, and Google Earth. River lengths are measured from where they start or where they enter Yorkshire.
Exploring Yorkshire's Rivers: A Detailed List
This section lists many of the rivers in Yorkshire. The "source" of a river means the place where its name first appears on maps.
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River Name | Total Length | Where it Ends (Mouth) | Mouth Elevation | Where it Starts (Source) | Source Elevation | Catchment Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aire | 71 miles |
114 kmRiver Ouse, Yorkshire near Airmyn | 9.8 ft |
3 mMalham Tarn | 1,237 ft |
377 m331 sq miles |
856 km²
Arkle Beck | 17 km approx | River Swale at Reeth | 177 m | Arkengarthdale Moor | 477 m | |
Ashfold Side Beck | 9 km Approx | River Nidd near Pateley Bridge | 117 m | Ashfold Gill Head | 504 m | |
Bain | 2.45 miles |
3.95 kmRiver Ure near Bainbridge | 690 ft |
210 mSemer Water | 827 ft |
252 mNot available |
Barney Beck | 6 km approx | River Swale at Healaugh | 186 m | Reeth High Moor | 451m | Not available |
Birkdale Beck | 6 km approx | River Swale near Keld | 341 m | Beck Meetings | 455 m | Not available |
Bishopdale Beck | 11 km approx | River Ure near Aysgarth | 144 m | Dale Head | 218 m | Not available |
River Burn | 13 km approx | River Ure at Masham | 70 m | Masham Moor | 292 m | |
Calder | 44 miles |
71 kmRiver Aire | 46 ft |
14 mHeald Moor, near Todmorden | 720 ft |
220 m360 sq miles |
930 km²
Colne | 12.8 miles |
20.6 kmRiver Calder near Bradley | 171 ft |
52 mWhere Redbrook Clough and Haigh Clough meet | 768 ft |
234 m95 sq miles |
245 km²
Cover | 14 miles |
22 kmRiver Ure near Middleham | 322 ft |
98 mGreat Hunters Sleets near Woodale | 1,598 ft |
487 mNot available |
Crimple | 25 km | River Nidd near Wetherby | 21 m | Crimple Head Farm | 221 m | |
Dearne | 32.2 miles |
51.9 kmRiver Don near Conisbrough | 56 ft |
17 mBirdsedge near Denby Dale | 1,047 ft |
319 m120 sq miles |
310.8 km²
Derwent | 71.5 miles |
115.1 kmRiver Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh | 33 ft |
10 mDerwent Head near RAF Fylingdales | 850 ft |
260 m631 sq miles |
1,634 km²
Dibb | 3.2 miles |
5.2 kmRiver Wharfe near Appletreewick | 469 ft |
143 mGrimwith Reservoir | 830 ft |
253 m9.8 sq miles |
25.5 km²
Doe | 3.68 miles |
5.92 kmWhere it meets River Twiss at Ingleton | 387 ft |
118 mGod's Bridge near Chapel-Le-Dale | 768 ft |
234 mNot available |
Don | 70.9 miles |
114.1 kmRiver Ouse at Goole | 9.8 ft |
3 mWhere Great Grains Clough and Black Grough meet near Winscar Reservoir, Dunford Bridge | 1,365 ft |
416 m485 sq miles |
1,256.2 km²
Dove, North Yorks | 18.78 miiles |
30.22 kmRiver Rye near Salton | 79 ft |
24 mFarndale Moor, North Yorkshire | 1,220 ft |
372 m22.9 sq miles |
59.2 km²
Dove, South Yorks | 4.92 miles |
7.91 kmRiver Dearne near Darfield, South Yorkshire | 72 ft |
22 mWorsbrough Reservoir | 184 ft |
56 mNot available |
Earby Beck | River Aire near Skipton | m | Foulridge | m | Not available | |
Eastburn Beck | Kellythorpe | 14 m | Kirkburn | 22 m | Not available | |
Eller Beck | Beck Hole | 59 m | Allerston High Moor | 253 m | Not available | |
Eshton Beck | Gargrave | 102 m | Winterburn | 149 m | Not available | |
Esk | 28 miles |
45 kmNorth Sea at Whitby | 0 ft |
0 mThe Esklets near Westerdale | 823 ft |
251 m119 sq miles |
308 km²
Ewden Beck | River Don at Wharncliffe Side | 106 m | Margery Hill | 541 m | Not available | |
Foss | 19 miles |
31 kmRiver Ouse, York | 39 ft |
12 mNear Oulston Reservoir, Yearsley | 520 ft |
160 m46 sq miles |
118 km²
Foulness | 15.85 mi |
25.51 kmMarket Weighton Canal | 3 ft |
1 mShiptonthorpe | 66 ft |
20 mN/A |
Greta | 4.69 miles ![]() |
7.55 kmLeaves Yorkshire near Burton-in-Lonsdale | 210 ft |
64 mWhere River Doe and River Twiss meet at Ingleton | 387 ft |
118 m33.2 sq miles |
86.1 km²
Hedon Haven/Burstwick Drain | 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) | Paull | 0 metres (0 ft) | Elstronwick | 5 metres (16 ft) | 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) |
Hertford | 16 km approx | River Derwent at Binnington Carr | 23 m | Hunmanby | 49 m | |
Holme | 8.61 miles |
13.86 kmRiver Colne at Huddersfield | 236 ft |
72 mHolmbridge | 617 ft |
188 m37.6 sq miles |
97.4 km²
How Stean Beck | 6 km Approx | River Nidd at Lofthouse | 157 m | 338 m | ||
Hull | 29.11 miles |
46.84 kmHumber estuary at Kingston upon Hull | 0 ft |
0 mWhere Driffield Trout Stream and Little Driffield Beck meet | 56 ft |
17 m146 sq miles |
378.1 km²
Humber | 38.5 miles |
61.9 kmNorth Sea at Spurn Head | 0 ft |
0 mTrent Falls | 0 ft |
0 mNot available without Trent Basin |
Kyle | 5.78 miles |
9.31 kmRiver Ouse near Newton-on-Ouse | 36 ft |
11 mWhere Derrings Beck and Carle Beck meet near Tholthorpe | 39 ft |
12 mNot available |
Laver | 9.3 miles |
15 kmRiver Skell near Ripon | 108 ft |
33 mWhere North Gill Beck and South Gill Beck meet at Dallowgill | 560 ft |
170 mNot available |
Leven | 28.7 miles |
46.2 kmRiver Tees near Yarm | 52 ft |
16 mKildale Moor, North Yorks | 915 ft |
279 m75.8 sq miles |
196.3 km²
Little Don River | 14 km approx | River Don near Stocksbridge | 132 m | Harden Moor | 348 m | |
Loxley | 9.9 miles |
16 kmRiver Don, South Yorkshire at Owlerton | 190 ft |
58 mDamflask Reservoir near Stacey Bank | 436 ft |
133 m27 sq miles |
43.5 km²
Nidd | 59.31 miles |
95.45 kmRiver Ouse at Nun Monkton | 43 ft |
13 mNidd Heads on Great Whernside | 2,170 ft |
660 m199 sq miles |
516 km²
Ouse | 52 miles |
84 kmTrent Falls | 0 ft |
0 mRiver Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach | 39 ft |
12 m1,280 sq miles |
3,315 km²
Ribble | 23.91 miles ![]() |
38.48 kmCounty Border near Swinden | 384 ft |
117 mRibble Head | 950 ft |
290 m79 sq miles |
204 km²
Riccall | 11.41 miles |
18.36 kmRiver Rye | 79 ft |
24 mWhere Bonfield Gill and Bogmire Gill meet near Helmsley | 430 ft |
130 m22.2 sq miles |
57.6 km²
Rivelin | 4.23 miles |
6.81 kmRiver Loxley | 253 ft |
77 mRivelin Dams near Sheffield | 676 ft |
206 mNot available |
Rother | 10.42 miles ![]() |
16.77 kmRiver Don at Rotherham | 85 ft |
26 mCounty Boundary at Eckington | 154 ft |
47 m136 sq miles |
352.2 km²
Ryburn | 7.1 miles |
11.4 kmRiver Calder at Sowerby Bridge | 260 ft |
80 mWhere unnamed stream and Black Castle Clough meet near Rishworth | 1,184 ft |
361 m13 sq miles |
Rye | 38.2 miles |
61.5 kmRiver Derwent near Malton | 62 ft |
19 mRye Head near Osmotherley | 991 ft |
302 m262 sq miles |
679 km²
Ryton | 2.1 miles ![]() |
3.4 kmCounty Border with Nottinghamshire | 157 ft |
48 mWhere Anston Brook and Pudding Dike meet | 233 ft |
71 m30 sq miles |
77 km²
Seven | 21.7 miles |
34.9 kmRiver Rye | 72 ft |
22 mDanby High Moor near Rosedale Abbey | 1,080 ft |
330 m47 sq miles |
121.6 km²
Sheaf | 6 miles |
9.6 kmRiver Don | 174 ft |
53 mWhere Oldhay Brook and Totley Brook meet | 469 ft |
143 m19 sq miles |
49.1 km²
Skell | 12 miles |
19 kmRiver Ure near Ripon | 75 ft |
23 mHowson Ridge near Wath-in-Nidderdale | 1150 ft |
350 mNot available |
Skirfare | 9.47 miles |
15.24 kmRiver Wharfe | 646 ft |
197 mWhere Foxup Beck and Cosh Beck meet | 1,027 ft |
313 mNot available |
Spen | 5 miles |
8 kmRiver Calder at Dewsbury | 138 ft |
42 mWhere Hunsworth Beck and Nann Hall Beck meet in Cleckheaton | 266 ft |
81 m17.9 sq miles |
46.3 km²
Swale | 73.2 miles |
117.8 kmRiver Ure | 36.09 ft |
11 mWhere Birkdale Beck and Great Sleddale Beck meet | 1,200 ft |
366 m526 sq miles |
1,363 km²
Tees | 54.9 miles ![]() |
88.4 kmNorth Sea at Redcar | 0 ft |
0 mEnters Yorkshire at Gainford | 220 ft |
67 m488 sq miles |
1,264 km²
Tutt | 12 km approx | River Ure at Boroughbridge | 11 m | Nidd | 61 m | |
Twiss | 2.59 miles |
4.17 kmWhere it meets River Doe at Ingleton | 387 ft |
118 mKeld Head | 866 ft |
264 kmNot available |
Ure | 73 miles |
118 kmCuddy Shaw Reach where it becomes the River Ouse | 39 ft |
12 mUre Head near Abbotside | 2,083 ft |
635 m353.1 sq miles |
914.6 km²
Washburn | 16 miles |
26 kmRiver Wharfe near Pool | 161 ft |
49 mWashburn Head | 1,283 ft |
391 m54.2 sq miles |
87.3 km²
Wenning | ![]() |
13 km approxYorkshire/Lancashire boundary at Bentham | 54 m | Clapham | 124 m | |
Wharfe | 60 miles |
97 kmRiver Ouse at Wharfe's Mouth, near Cawood | 16 ft |
4.9 mBeckermonds, Langstrothdale Chase | 1,020 ft |
310 m316 sq miles |
818 km²
Went | 16.6 miles |
26.7 kmRiver Don near Snaith | 16 ft |
5 mWhere Went Beck and Hessle Beck meet at Low Ackworth | 105 ft |
32 m33.7 sq miles |
87.3 km²
Wiske | 29.1 miles |
46.9 kmRiver Swale near Kirby Wiske | 69 ft |
21 mWhere Stony Lane Beck and Carr Beck meet near Ingleby Arncliffe | 226 ft |
69 m83.2 sq miles |
215.5 km²
Worth | 9.4 miles |
15.2 kmRiver Aire near Keighley | 289 ft |
88 mWatersheddles Reservoir | 1,079 ft |
329 m27.7 sq miles |
71.7 km²
Map of Yorkshire's Rivers
