The River Cover is a river in the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four co ...

, England. The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust has a remit to conserve the ecological condition of the River Cover. The river forms a limestone dale with ancient woodlands.

Course

The source of the river lies in the shake holes that are found between

Buckden Pike Buckden Pike is a fell at the head of Wharfedale, a valley in the Yorkshire Dales, that stands above the village of Buckden, England. At , it narrowly misses out on being the highest peak in the area, the title instead going to nearby Great Wh ...

and

Great Whernside Great Whernside is a fell in the Yorkshire Dales, England, not to be confused with Whernside, some to the west. Its summit is the highest point of the eastern flank of Wharfedale above Kettlewell. Great Whernside forms the watershed between ...

that feed many small gills, such as East Stone Gill, West Stone Gill and Downs Gill. Where these conjoined flows meet Hazel Bank Gill is where the river becomes known as the River Cover. It flows in a north-east direction past

Woodale Woodale is a hamlet in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales in England. It lies in the civil parish of Carlton Highdale in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. The River Cover flows nearby. The name Woodale stems from Old English an ...

Braidley Braidley is a hamlet in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It lies in the civil parish of Carlton Highdale in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. The River Cover flows nearby, and the peak of Little Whernside Little Wh ...

and

Horsehouse Horsehouse is a small village in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The River Cover The River Cover is a river in the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust has a remit to ...

. It turns to the north north-east towards

Gammersgill Gammersgill is a hamlet in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It is about south-west of Leyburn Leyburn is a market town and civil parish in the district of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England, sitting abov ...

before returning north-east between

West Scrafton West Scrafton is a village and civil parish in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is located south west of Leyburn. It falls within the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. The population was estimated at 70 in 2013. T ...

and Carlton, North Yorkshire. Immediately east of

Agglethorpe Agglethorpe is a hamlet in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, it lies in northern Coverdale, approximately south west of Leyburn. History In 1086 it was recorded as Aculestorp in the '' Domesday Book.'' In 1870–7 ...

, the river turns east until it joins the River Ure south-east of

Middleham Middleham is an English market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream from the junction of the River Ure and River ...

. The river flows north eastwards for and drains an area covering over .

Ecology

The river is home for

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morp ...

and grayling.

Geology

The river runs along a U-shaped glacial valley over Great Scar limestone with Yoredale rock forming the valley sides. It is a gently meandering river with a characteristic stony channel and beaches leading to wooded low banks. The wooded areas extend up into the many gills that join the river.

Lists

Tributaries

* Hem Gill Brook * Middle Gill * Slape Gill * Crab Gill * Burn Gill * West Gill * Lords Gill * Ridge Gill * Fall Gill * Slate Gill * Pear Tree Gill * Short Gill * Side Gill * Harkers Gill * Dixon Gill * Arkleside Gill * Deer Close Gill * Hindlethwaite Gill * Fleemis Gill * Turn Beck * Goodmans Gill * Great Gill * Clint Gill * Thorow Gill * Humph Gill * South Runner * Caldbergh Gill * Red beck Gill

Settlements

* Woodale * Braidley * Arkleside * Horsehouse * Swineside * Gammersgill * West Scrafton * Carlton * Melmerby * Caldbergh * Agglethorpe * Middleham

Crossings

* Cover Bridge * Braidley Footbridge * Arkleside Bridge * Footbridge near Hindlethwaite Hall * Track to Hindlethwaite Hall * Hall Farm stepping stones * Nathwaite Bridge * Caygill Footbridge * Bird Ridding Bridge (footbridge) * St Simon's Bridge (footbridge) * Coverham Bridge * Hullo Bridge (footbridge) * Straight Lane stepping stones * A6108 Cover Bridge

Gallery

River Cover from St. Simons Bridge.jpg, River Cover from St Simons Bridge River Cover - geograph.org.uk - 1344057.jpg, River Cover Stepping stones over the River Cover - geograph.org.uk - 416069.jpg, Stepping stones over the River Cover Caygill footbridge over the River Cover - geograph.org.uk - 345288.jpg, Caygill footbridge over the River Cover

References

External links

{{authority control

Cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

Coverdale (dale)