River Derwent

There are four rivers which go by the name of Derwent, all of which are located in England. The thirty five mile long River Derwent on Tyne and Wear, the sixty six mile long River Derwent in Derbyshire, the sixty mile long River Derwent in Cumbria and the one hundred mile long River Derwent in Yorkshire.

The name Derwent has Celtic origins and means valley of oak trees.

RIVER DERWENT, CUMBRIA

Image courtesy of Ann Hodgeson - www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5818

The sixty mile long River Derwent rises at Styhead Gill on Styhead Tarn, located beneath the nine hundred and seventy eight meter high, Scafell Pike, in Cumbria.

The river flows in a northerly direction through Barrowdale and on to the two square mile lake named after the river the Derwent Water, where it meets with the four mile long, River Greta, before passing through the two square mile, Bassenthwaite Lake, after which it sets a westerly course before passing through the Isel Valley and part of the eight hundred and eighty five square mile, Lake District National Park.

The river then passes through the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth, shown above, where it meets with the twelve mile long, River Cocker, and then on to Workington, where the river flows into the Solway Firth located in the Irish Sea.

The River Derwent in Cumbria, along with it's tributaries, are renowned for their game fishing, especially salmon.

The Solway Firth is an arm of the Irish sea which covers an area of one hundred and thirty seven miles and forms part of the border between England and Scotland.

The firth’s marine limits are defined as being from the Mull of Galloway in Scotland, in the north, to St Bee’s Head in England, to the south.

The firth is an area of extensive saltmarshes, mudflats and sandbanks and the estuaries of at least twenty tidal rivers, the largest of which are the Rivers, Eden, Esk and Derwent.

The firth encompasses the Scottish coastal towns of Port William, Wigtown, Kirkcudbright, Southerness, Annan and Gretna, all situated in Dumfries and Galloway and the English coastal towns of Silloth, Maryport, Workington and Whtehaven, all situated in Cumbria.

The area consists of one hundred and eighty acres of special sites of scientific interest (SSSI) and it’s coast is both a special area of conservation (SAC) and an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

The firth is home to two islands, the tiny, Hestan Island, with it’s cottage and nineteenth century lighthouse and the twenty square acre, Rough Island, which is a National Trust of Scotland, bird sanctuary.

The Solway Firth's coastline is served by seven lighthouses located at Gillfoot Point near Southerness, Kircudbright Bay and Hestan Island in Dumfries and Galloway, and at Silloth, Whitehaven, Hodbarrow Point near Millom and St Bee’s Head in Cumbria, England.

RIVER DERWENT, DERBYSHIRE

The River Derwent in Derbyshire is a sixty six mile long tributary of the River Trent.

The river begins life at Bleaklow, near Glossop, at the base of the six hundred and ten meter high moorland plateau known as Kinder Scout.

The river flows in a southerly direction through part of the one thousand, four hundred and thirty seven square mile, Peak District National Park, before passing through the spa town of Matlock Bath, the grounds of Chatsworth House, pictured above, through Darley Dale, the market town of Belper, on to the City of Derby and then on to Derwent Mouth, near the village of Shardlow, where it meets with the River Trent.

The river has several small tributaries, including the Rivers Amber, Ashop, Ecclescombe, Noe, Wye and Westend. The river is also served by a large weir within the grounds of Chatsworth House.

The river is spanned by several bridges along it’s course, the oldest of which is the Baslow Old Bridge in the village of Baslow, which was constructed in 1603. A stone bridge at Darley Dale has been designated as an ancient monument, and there is also a three arch, stone bridge situated in the village of Beeley which was also built during the seventeenth century. Another bridge of note is a wrought and cast iron, single span, former rail bridge, located in the City of Derby, which was constructed in 1878 and converted into a footbridge in 1976.

The river is also renowned for it’s large stocks of course fish, making the river very popular with both local and visiting anglers.

RIVER DERWENT, NORTHUMBERLAND

Image courtesy of Chris Tweedy - www.geograph.org.uk/photo/103789

This River Derwent stars life near Blanchland on the Northumberland / County Durham border. It flows for thirty five miles before joining with the River Tyne at Derwenthaugh, which is located along the eleven mile long, Derwent Walk Country Park.

The river passes through the four square mile Derwent Resevoir and on through the forty five acre, Pow Hil Country Park, the forty three acre, Allensford Country Park and the three hundred acre, Derwent Walk Country Park.

The river also flows through the Pennine town of Consett, which is situated eight hundred and eighty five feet above sea level and the village of Winlaton, where there are the remains of a seventeeth century, former blacksmith’s forge, furnace and water mill.

The river is renowned for it's fine stock of brown trout and grayling, making it a popular river for both course and fly fishermen.

RIVER DERWENT, YORKSHIRE

Image courtesy of Andy Beecroft, wikimedia commons

The River Derwent in Yorkshire flows for one hundred miles from it’s source at Lilla Rig on Fylingdales Moor until it meets with the River Ouse at Barmby Barrage at Barmby on the Marsh.

The river flows through five hundred and fifty four square mile, North Yorkshire Moors National Park, the low lying Forge Valley, Vale of Pickering and Vale of York and through the hills of Kirkham Gorge and the Yorkshire Wold.

The river passes through several Yorkshire villages, including Stamford Bridge, which is the historical site of the 1066, Battle of Stamford Bridge, the market towns of Malton and Pickering and the coastal towns of Filey and Scarborough.

Other points of interest along the river’s course include the Grade II Listed, Howsham Mill and Weir, the eighteen mile long, North Yorshire Steam Railway line, the thirteenth century, Kirkham Abbey, one Ramsar Site, two Special Protected Areas (SPA), six Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and twelve Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI).

There are also historical water mills located in Buttercombe, Kirkham, Malton and Stamford Bridge.

The river is also the site of several waste water treatment works and public drinking water abstraction points.

The river is spanned by several very old bridges, including an ancient, three arch, stone bridge at at Sutton on Derwent, and another three arch, stone bridge located at Stamford Bridge, pictured above.

The river has several small tributaries, the largest of which are River Rye and the River Hertford. The river also forms part of the nine and a half mile long, Pocklington Canal, situated between Pocklington and East Cottingworth.

Overall the river is renowned for the stunning countryside in which it travels and for it’s large stocks of coarse fish, making it a popular river for anglers.

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