The River Foulness is a river in the East Riding of Yorkshire

East Riding of Yorkshire

The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...

, England. Like the island in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, it's name is derived from old English fulga-naess meaning wild birds nest. The river is within the jurisdiction of the Market Weighton Internal Drainage Board, but managed by the Environment Agency. The river lies in an area known as the Humberhead Levels.

Course

The river rises in the fields north west of the village of Shiptonthorpe

Shiptonthorpe

Shiptonthorpe is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south east of the market town of Pocklington and north west of the market town of Market Weighton...

 which is close to the town of Market Weighton

Market Weighton

Market Weighton is a small town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of the main market towns in the East Yorkshire Wolds and lies midway between Hull and York, about from either one...

. It flows south through the village and then heads west south west towards Holme-on-Spalding-Moor

Holme-on-Spalding-Moor

Holme-on-Spalding-Moor is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Howden and south west of Market Weighton...

. Circumnavigating the town, the river then turns back in a south easterly direction until it joins the Market Weighton Canal

Market Weighton Canal

The Market Weighton canal ran from the Humber estuary to its terminus near Market Weighton. It gained its Act of Parliament in 1772 and opened in 1782. The closest to Market Weighton was abandoned in 1900 and the right of navigation through Weighton lock was lost in 1971...

 just north of the M62.

Natural History

The majority of the area is farmland with large rectangular fields bounded by hedgerow, mainly hawthorn with blackthorn; dog rose; elder and
hazel, with very few areas of woodland. This area would have been marshland prior to the introduction of the drainage system and the Market Weighton Canal. Wildlife surveys of the river show evidence of Water Vole

Water Vole

The European Water Vole or Northern Water Vole, Arvicola amphibius , is a semi-aquatic rodent. It is often informally called the Water Rat or Ratty, although it only superficially resembles a true rat...

, Otter

Otter

The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....

 and many amphibians.

Geology

The river flows over several soil types including Loam, Sand and Alluvium. There are many drainage ditches that feed into the river, but few natural tributaries.

History

The river valley has been populated since Palaeolithic times with many artefacts from that age being unearthed by archeologists. Remains from Mesolithic

Mesolithic

The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....

, Neolithic

Neolithic

The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

, Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

, Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

 and Roman

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

times have also been found by various digs in the area.

Leisure

There are very few Public Rights of Way in the river valley, it is not crossed by many roads and there are few major settlements, therefore leisure activity is limited mainly to angling.

Crossings

• Clayfield Lane, Shiptonthorpe
• A1079 Shipton Bridge, Shiptonthorpe
• Harswell Bridge (Bull Lane), Harswell
• Carr Bridge (footpath)
• Foxcarr Bridge (footpath)
• Minor road bridge, Seaton New Hall
• Foulness Bridge (footpath)
• Major Bridge, A163 Selby Road, Nr Holme-on-Spalding-Moor
• Welham Bridge (Minor Road) and A614 (Major Road)