The source of the river is on Warren Moor, part of Kildale Moor, just south of the village of Kildale. The river flows east until it reaches the Whitby to Middlesbroughrailway line where it turns around to flow west to Kildale. It then flows south-south-west through woodland to its confluence with Dundale Beck where it turns north-west through Low Easby and Little Ayton, before turning west and then south-west at Great Ayton. It runs parallel to the A173 to Stokesley. The river becomes increasingly meandering as it continues south-west past Skutterskelfe to Hutton Rudby and Rudby, where it turns north-west and then west again over Slape Stones waterfall. At Crathorne it turns north and then north-east as far as Middleton-on-Leven before passing under the A19 in a north-west direction. The final couple of miles are north and north-west between Ingleby Barwick and Yarm, before the river joins the River Tees.[1]
In October 2022, a new flood defence project was opened on the river above Stokesley. When river levels are high, a new flood channel diverts the excess water around the town, meeting the Leven again further downstream. The Environment Agency funded the project at a cost of £3.7 million.[3]
Geologyedit
The river drains from the Cleveland Hills across a mixed geology of mostly Permian and Jurassic age bedrock of low permeability. Most of the deposits on top of the bedrock are boulder clay. There is mixed agriculture, with some moorland and forestry near the source.[4]
Natural historyedit
Since a weir on the lower river was built during the Industrial Revolution, migratory and territorial fish and mammals had been missing from the river. In 2007, the Environment Agency built a fish bypass at the weir. In 2011, they announced the return of spawning salmon for the first time in 150 years.[5]
In 2020, it was confirmed that crayfish plague had infected the river after 40 dead white-clawed crayfish were found along a 700-metre (2,300 ft) stretch of river.[6]
Historyedit
In Stokesley, the river is crossed by Taylorson's Bridge, a 17th-century packhorse bridge,[7] which was once the only crossing in the town.[8] The Domesday Book records a water mill on the banks of the river in the town.[9] In Hutton Rudby, a plaque on a bridge marks the site of a water mill that, amongst several uses, once made sailcloth.[10]
^. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
January 01, 1970
river, leven, north, yorkshire, river, leven, pronounced, north, yorkshire, england, tributary, river, tees, rises, warren, moor, part, kildale, moor, north, york, moors, flows, north, moors, join, river, tees, yarm, river, leventhe, mouth, leven, locationcoun. The River Leven pronounced ˈ l i v en in North Yorkshire England is a tributary of the River Tees It rises on Warren Moor part of Kildale Moor in the North York Moors and flows to the north of the moors to join the River Tees at Yarm River LevenThe mouth of the Leven LocationCountryEnglandPhysical characteristicsSource locationKildale Moor North Yorkshire coordinates54 27 50 N 1 2 47 W 54 46389 N 1 04639 W 54 46389 1 04639 elevation279 metres 915 ft Mouth locationRiver Tees at Yarm coordinates54 30 31 N 1 20 12 W 54 50861 N 1 33667 W 54 50861 1 33667 elevation16 metres 52 ft Length46 2 kilometres 28 7 mi Basin size196 3 square kilometres 75 8 sq mi Contents 1 Course 1 1 Water levels 2 Geology 3 Natural history 4 History 5 Lists 5 1 Tributaries 5 2 Settlements 5 3 Crossings 6 Gallery 7 Sources 8 ReferencesCourse editThe source of the river is on Warren Moor part of Kildale Moor just south of the village of Kildale The river flows east until it reaches the Whitby to Middlesbrough railway line where it turns around to flow west to Kildale It then flows south south west through woodland to its confluence with Dundale Beck where it turns north west through Low Easby and Little Ayton before turning west and then south west at Great Ayton It runs parallel to the A173 to Stokesley The river becomes increasingly meandering as it continues south west past Skutterskelfe to Hutton Rudby and Rudby where it turns north west and then west again over Slape Stones waterfall At Crathorne it turns north and then north east as far as Middleton on Leven before passing under the A19 in a north west direction The final couple of miles are north and north west between Ingleby Barwick and Yarm before the river joins the River Tees 1 Water levels edit Monitoring station 2 Station elevation Low water level High water level Record high level Easby 101 3 m 332 ft 0 11 m 0 36 ft 0 4 m 1 3 ft 1 25 m 4 1 ft Great Ayton 83 m 272 ft 0 03 m 0 098 ft 0 5 m 1 6 ft 1 64 m 5 4 ft Stokesley 67 m 220 ft 0 09 m 0 30 ft 0 8 m 2 6 ft 1 62 m 5 3 ft Foxton Bridge 56 m 184 ft 0 21 m 0 69 ft 1 5 m 4 9 ft 2 63 m 8 6 ft Low and High Water Levels are an average figure In October 2022 a new flood defence project was opened on the river above Stokesley When river levels are high a new flood channel diverts the excess water around the town meeting the Leven again further downstream The Environment Agency funded the project at a cost of 3 7 million 3 Geology editThe river drains from the Cleveland Hills across a mixed geology of mostly Permian and Jurassic age bedrock of low permeability Most of the deposits on top of the bedrock are boulder clay There is mixed agriculture with some moorland and forestry near the source 4 Natural history editSince a weir on the lower river was built during the Industrial Revolution migratory and territorial fish and mammals had been missing from the river In 2007 the Environment Agency built a fish bypass at the weir In 2011 they announced the return of spawning salmon for the first time in 150 years 5 In 2020 it was confirmed that crayfish plague had infected the river after 40 dead white clawed crayfish were found along a 700 metre 2 300 ft stretch of river 6 History editIn Stokesley the river is crossed by Taylorson s Bridge a 17th century packhorse bridge 7 which was once the only crossing in the town 8 The Domesday Book records a water mill on the banks of the river in the town 9 In Hutton Rudby a plaque on a bridge marks the site of a water mill that amongst several uses once made sailcloth 10 Lists editTributaries edit Lonsdale Beck Dundale Beck Otter Hills Beck Main Stell Ings Beck Eller Beck West Beck River Tame Grange Beck Alum Beck Carr Stell Coul Beck Hundale Gill Magpie Gill Fanny Bell s Gill East Gill Settlements edit Kildale Low Easby Little Ayton Great Ayton Stokesley Skutterskelfe Rudby Hutton Rudby Crathorne Middleton on Leven Low Leven High Leven Ingleby Barwick Levendale Yarm Crossings edit Petlar s Bridge near Kildale Unnamed road near Kildale Whitby to Middlesbrough Railway Line Unnamed road north of Kildale Whitby to Middlesbrough Railway Line Unnamed road north of Easby Cross Lane Little Ayton Holmes bridge Little Ayton foot Holly Garth Great Ayton A173 Levenside Great Ayton A172 Stokesley B1257 Stokesley Bridge Manor Close Levenside Stokesley ford Malvern Drive Stokesley B1365 Bense Bridge Stokesley Hutton Bridge Hutton Rudby Crathorne Mill Bridge Crathorne Foxton bridge near Middleton on Leven A19 near Middleton on Leven A1044 Leven Bridge Low LevenGallery edit nbsp Bridge over the Leven at Great Ayton nbsp Coul Beck joining the River Leven near Rudby nbsp River Leven Great Ayton nbsp River Leven Low Green Great AytonSources editOrdnance Survey Open Viewer https www ordnancesurvey co uk business government tools support open data support Google Earth National Environment Research Council Centre for Ecology and Hydrology 1 Environment Agency 2 References edit Moors Knowledge Retrieved 24 August 2011 River levels Archived from the original on 9 October 2011 Retrieved 23 December 2010 Chapman Hannah ed 7 October 2022 3 7m flood defences are completed to protect town Darlington amp Stockton Times No 2022 40 p 16 ISSN 2516 5348 Geology Retrieved 24 August 2011 Salmon returns Archived from the original on 9 October 2011 Retrieved 24 August 2011 McCandlish Sophie 22 August 2020 River plague threat The Yorkshire Post Country Week p 13 ISSN 0963 1496 Hinchliffe Ernest 1994 A Guide to the Packhorse Bridges of England Milnrow Cumbria Cicerone Press p 81 ISBN 1 85284 143 5 Local history Retrieved 24 August 2011 Stokesley History Retrieved 21 August 2011 Hutton Rudby History Archived from the original on 1 October 2011 Retrieved 24 August 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title River Leven North Yorkshire amp oldid 1217124722, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
