River Ouse, Yorkshire

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River Ouse
The River Ouse in York
Origin	Cuddy Shaw Reach, Linton-on-Ouse
Mouth	River Humber at Ousefleet
Basin countries	United Kingdom (England)
Length	60 miles
Source elevation	9 m (3 ft)

The River Ouse (pronounced "ooze") in North Yorkshire, England is formed by the confluence of the River Swale and the River Ure to the east of Boroughbridge in central North Yorkshire. However it continues as the River Ure until about 6 miles downstream of there at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse. It flows through York, Selby and Goole. It then joins the River Trent at Faxfleet, to form the River Humber.

Its system of tributaries (which includes the Derwent, Aire, Don, Wharfe, Rother, Nidd, Swale, Ure, and Foss) drains a large upland area of Northern England, including much of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.

The Ouse valley is a wide, flat plain; heavy rainfall in the river's catchment area can bring severe flooding to nearby settlements. In recent years both York and Selby, and villages in between, have been very badly hit.

Contents 1 Meaning 2 References 3 Settlements 4 See also

[edit] Meaning

The word 'ouse' is a very common name for rivers in England - it derives from the Celtic word 'Usa', from *udso-, which simply means 'water'. 'River Ouse' therefore actually means 'River Water', etymologically^[1].

[edit] References

1. ^ A. Room (ed.) 1992: Brewer's Dictionary of Names, Oxford: Helicon, p. 396-7.

[edit] Settlements

(From confluence of Swale and Ure)

• Lower Dunsforth
• Aldwark
• Linton-on-Ouse
• Newton-on-Ouse
• Nun Monkton
• Beningborough
• Overton
• Poppleton
• York
• Nunthorpe
• Fulford
• Eishopthorpe
• Acaster Malbis
• Acaster Selby
• Cawood
• Kelfield
• Barlby
• Selby
• Hemingbrough
• Barmby on the Marsh
• Booth
• Hook
• Skelton
• Goole
• Swinefleet
• Saltmarshe
• Reedness
• Little Reedness
• Whitgift
• Blacktoft
• Ousefleet
• Faxfleet

(Joins Trent to form Humber)

[edit] See also

• Rivers of the United Kingdom