River Ouse

There are four rivers which go by the name of Ouse, all of which are located in England.

There is the thirty seven mile long River Little Ouse, which flows between the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, the forty two mile long River Ouse, which runs through the counties of East and West Sussex, the fifty two mile long River Ouse, which flows through the county of Yorkshire and the one hundred and forty three mile long River Ouse which runs through East Anglia.

The name Ouse is of Celtic origin and is formed from the word usa, which means water.

The word ouse is prounounced like ooze.

RIVER LITTLE OUSE, NORFOLK / SUFFOLK.

Image courtesy of Stephen McKay, wikimedia commons.

The River Little Ouse flows for thirty seven miles from it's source in the village of Thelnetham on the Norfolk / Suffolk border to where it meets with the River Great Ouse at Littleport in Cambridgeshire.

The river runs through the SSSI wetland sites of Blo'Norton and Thelnetham Fens, past the nineteenth century Button Mill, a grade II lIsted tower windmill built in 1819, on through the SSSI site of Buggs Hole Fen and through the villages of Rushford and Hockweld Cum Wilton in Norfolk, the Norfolk market town of Thetford, pictured above, and the Suffolk market town of Brandon.

Part of the river's course also flows through the sixty nine acre, SSSI site of Thetford Forest, the largest, low lying pine forest in Britain, and the gorse covered heath land known as Breckland, reportedly the driest area in the United Kingdom.

The river's main tributary is the River Thet, which it joins in the market town of Thetford in Norfolk.

The river is served by twelve bridges, three weirs, one sluice and one pumping station situated on Twelve Foot Drain.

RIVER OUSE, EAST SUSSEX / WEST SUSSEX.

Image courtesy of Ian Stannard, wikimedia commons

The River Ouse in Sussex flows for forty two miles from it's source at Plummer's Plain near Lower Beeding in West Sussex to it's mouth at the coastal town of Newhaven, pictured above, located on the English Channel.

The river at first, runs in an easterly direction and then in a southerly direction through the chalk covered landscape of the South Downs and on through the villages and towns of Barcombe Mills, Hamsey, Hayward's Heath, Isfield, Lewes, Newhaven, Piddinghoe and Slaugham, where it passes through several places of interest including the six hundred and twenty eight square mile, South Downs National Park, the SSSI Site at Heart of Reeds and the eight hundred and twenty two acre SSSI site at Lewes Brooks, both situated outside Lewes.

The river is navigable for twenty two miles between Lewes and Balcolme where it is served by nineteen locks.

The river has one notable tributary, the three mile long, River Uck, which it joins at Isfield.

The river is served by several bridges, including the Willey's Footbridge, the Phoenix Causeway road bridge and the Grade II listed, Cliffe Bridge, opend in 1732, all situated in Lewes and the Newhaven Swing Bridge, the Grade I Listed, Southease Swing Bridge which was opened in 1880 and the Grade II Listed, Ouse Valley Viaduct, a ninety six foot high, brick built viaduct with thrity seven semi circular arches which was opened in 1841 and situated between Hayward's Heath and Balcombe.

RIVER OUSE, YORKSHIRE

The River Ouse in Yorkshire begins life as a tributary of the seventy four mile long, River Ure, at a place called Cuddy Shaw Reach, just outside the Yorkshire village of Linton On Ouse.

The river travels for fifty two miles until it meets with the one hundred and eighty five mile long, River Trent, at Trent Falls near Flaxfleet, where they both flow into the Humber Estuary and then out into the North Sea.

The river flows through thirty four towns and villages along it's route, including Goole, Fulford, Selby, Skelton, Swinefleet and the ancient walled City of York.

The river is renowned for having several large tributaries, including the twenty eight mile long River Floss, the fifty eight mile long River Nidd and the Rivers Aire, Derwent, Don, Dutch River, Rother. Swale and Wharfe, all of which are between sixty and seventy miles long.

The river flows through the Ouse Valley which makes up part of the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors, National Parks. The river also forms part of the Blacktoft RSPB Reserve situated near Goole.

The river passes the house and grounds of the Georgian Mansion, Benington Hall, before arriving at the City of York, where it is spanned by nine bridges within the environs of the city centre.

The oldest of these bridges are the Ouse Bridge, which was completed in 1818, the Scarborough Railway Bridge, completed in 1845 and the Lendal Bridge, pictured above, which was completed in 1863.

The river then goes on to flow past Naburn Marina, the nineteen acre SSSI site of Howden Island and Goole Docks.

The river is tidal as far as Naburn where it is served by locks and a weir, another lock and weir at Linton and a lock at Castle Mill in the City of York.

The river also forms part of the twenty three mile long, Selby Canal, which begins at Selby.

The river is also served by two swing bridges, one at Cawood, which was completed in 1872 and one across the Selby Canal.

RIVER GREAT OUSE, ENGLAND.

The River Great Ouse has it’s source at Wappenham near Syresham in Northampton. It travels in a northeasterly direction for one hundred and forty three miles before it drains into The Wash situated on the North Sea.

The river flows through extensive areas of low lying wetlands and fens as it passes through a multitude of towns and villages, including the Northamptonshire town of Brackley, the Buckinghamshire towns of Buckingham, Milton Keynes, Stoney Stratford and Newport Pagnel, the Bedfordshire towns of Olney, Kempston, Great Barford and Bedford, the Huntingdonshire towns of St Neots, Godmanchester, Huntingdon and Hemingford Grey, the Cambridgeshire towns of St Ives and Earith and the Norfolk towns of Downham Market and King’s Lynn.

The river has several tributaries, the largest of which are the forty mile long, River Cam, the thirty one mile long, River Wissey and the thirty mile long, River Lark. Other notable tributaries are the fifteen mile long, River Ivel, which it joins at Tempsford, the fifteen mile long, River Kym, which it joins at St Neots, the fifteen mile long, River Nar, which it joins at King’s Lynn and the twelve mile long, River Babingley, which it also joins at King’s Lynn.

The river is served by hundreds of bridges, the oldest two being the Grade II Listed bridge at Huntingdon, pictured above, which was completed in 1332 and the bridge at St Ives, which was completed in 1425.

There is also another Grade II listed bridge situated at Great Barford in Bedfordshire, which was completed in 1874.

The river flows through several drainage systems along it’s route, including the former Roman built locks at Salter’s Lode, the former Roman built locks at Soham Lode, the sixteenth century, Denver Sluice, which was built to re-route the river through to King’s Lynn and the Middle Levels Navigation, a network of drainage systems along the River Great Ouse and the River Nene situated in fen land between Cambridge and Peterborough, which was completed in 1862.

The river is also served by five sluices and twenty two locks.

Throughout it’s length the River Great Ouse is renowned for it’s vast stocks of course fish, for being the site of several water mills and wind mills and for it’s many boating marinas.

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