Nidd Gorge
Encyclopedia
River Nidd
The River Nidd is a tributary of the River Ouse in the English county of North Yorkshire. In its first few miles it is dammed three times to create Angram Reservoir, Scar House Reservoir and Gouthwaite Reservoir which attract around 150,000 visitors a year...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in which the river enters a deep ravine with sheer, tree covered valley sides. The river as a whole flows from its source
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
near Great Whernside
Great Whernside
Great Whernside is a mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, England, not to be confused with the better known Whernside, some to the west. Its summit is the highest point of the eastern flank of Wharfedale above Kettlewell...
in Nidderdale
Nidderdale
Nidderdale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is the upper valley of the River Nidd, which flows south through the dale, forming several reservoirs including the Gouthwaite Reservoir, before turning east and eventually joining the River Ouse.The only town in the dale is...
(part of the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
), to its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the River Ouse near Nun Monkton
Nun Monkton
Nun Monkton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated north of York at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Nidd. Cottages and houses are grouped around a village green of with a duck pond and a maypole...
. Nidd Gorge makes up approximately 3 miles of the entire length of the river and stretches from the now defunct Nidd viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
at Bilton
Bilton, Harrogate
Bilton is a major suburb of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, situated to the north-east of the town centre. It is a well-served suburb with access to four churches, two primary schools and its own library. In addition there are a number of shops and a wide variety of pubs. The Red Cat Cottage , a Grade...
in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
to Grimbald Bridge, just south of Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
.
Background
During the 18th century and the advent of the industrial revolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, mills began to operate along this stretch of the river, using the force of the water to drive the machinery. Scotton Flax mill
Flax mill
Flax mills are mills concerned with the manufacture of flax. The earliest mills were ones for spinning yarn for the linen industry.John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse , both of Darlington developed the process from Richard Arkwright's water frame, and patented it in 1787...
was erected in 1798 and run by the company Eteson Dearlove until it ceased operation in 1851. Although this mill was classified as being in Bilton
Bilton, Harrogate
Bilton is a major suburb of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, situated to the north-east of the town centre. It is a well-served suburb with access to four churches, two primary schools and its own library. In addition there are a number of shops and a wide variety of pubs. The Red Cat Cottage , a Grade...
, there was actually another Bilton
Bilton, Harrogate
Bilton is a major suburb of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, situated to the north-east of the town centre. It is a well-served suburb with access to four churches, two primary schools and its own library. In addition there are a number of shops and a wide variety of pubs. The Red Cat Cottage , a Grade...
mill on the other side of the weir, which shared the Scotton
Scotton, Harrogate
Scotton is a small village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England with a population 283 in the 2001 census. It is located four miles north of Harrogate, and less than two miles from Knaresborough....
weir with Scotton Flax mill
Flax mill
Flax mills are mills concerned with the manufacture of flax. The earliest mills were ones for spinning yarn for the linen industry.John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse , both of Darlington developed the process from Richard Arkwright's water frame, and patented it in 1787...
as its source of power. Most evidence of this mill has since disappeared, while the 'Scotton' mill still stands, although it has been deindustrialised and now exists as a private residence.
Management
In 1982, Harrogate Borough Council set up the Nidd Gorge Management Project in a bid to make the area more accessible to hikers and cyclists, as the path along the river became treacherous and often impassable when there had been heavy rain. In areas in which the path was particularly susceptible to becoming impassable after heavy rain, the council placed duck boards which enable users of the route to easily negotiate any areas of the path which are likely to become particularly muddy.Since this work has been carried out, the route is now popular among hikers and cyclists from all over Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a whole. The woodland in this area is also popular among birdwatchers, who come to observe the variety of species which inhabit the gorge. The project keeps a very close watch on the wildlife in this area as well as maintaining the route for hikers and cyclists, and as such is largely responsible for keeping the gorge an idyllic route for all members of the public. The woodland which surrounds Nidd Gorge is cared for by Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
who currently manage over 1000 areas of woodland within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Wildlife
A wide variety of wildlife inhabits the gorge. The area is especially known among local entomologists for the diverse range of butterflies, and high number of rare species of ladybirds. There are also many species of birds who live in the mixture of deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and coniferous woodland, such as treecreepers, nuthatches, and even the great spotted woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
.