The River Cover is a river in the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, or Dale (landform), dales, in the Pennines, an Highland, upland range in England. They are mostly located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, but extend into C ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, 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, North Yorkshire, Buckden, England. At , it narrowly misses out on being the highest peak in the area, the title instead ...

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 W ...

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, Braidley and Horsehouse. It turns to the north north-east towards Gammersgill before returning north-east between West Scrafton and Carlton, North Yorkshire. Immediately east of Agglethorpe, the river turns east until it joins the

River Ure The River Ure in North Yorkshire, England, is about long from its source to the point where it becomes the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only major dale now named after a village rather than its river. ...

south-east of

Middleham Middleham ( ; meaning "middle ''ham''", i.e. "middle village") is a market town and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream fr ...

. 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 species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...

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 Coverdale (dale)