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 ...

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 cou ...

, 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 and Great Whernside 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 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 The River Cover is a river in the Yorkshire Dales in Nor ...

and

Horsehouse Horsehouse is a small village in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The River Cover runs near the village. The village is home to St. Botolph's Church, a Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed ...

. It turns to the north north-east towards Gammersgill before returning north-east between West Scrafton 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 1870–72 Joh ...

, 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 Co ...

. 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 Grayling or Greyling may refer to: Animals Fish * Grayling, generically, any fish of the genus ''Thymallus'' in the family Salmonidae ** European grayling (''Thymallus thymallus''), the European species of the genus ''Thymallus'' ** Arctic grayli ...

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)