River Worth

The River Worth is a river in West Yorkshire, England. It flows from minor tributaries on the moors above Watersheddles Reservoir down the Worth Valley to Haworth, where it is joined by Bridgehouse Beck which flows from Oxenhope. The River Worth is itself a tributary of the River Aire, which it joins at the end of the Worth Valley in Keighley.

River Worth
Bridge over River Worth – Coney Lane, Keighley
Location
Country	England
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Watersheddles Reservoir, Lancashire
• coordinates	53°50′17″N 2°2′49″W
• elevation	329 metres (1,079 ft)
Mouth
• location	River Aire, Keighley
• coordinates	53°52′31″N 1°53′7″W
• elevation	88 metres (289 ft)
Length	15.2 kilometres (9.4 mi)
Basin size	87.3 km^2 (33.7 sq mi)

River Worth
Watersheddles Reservoir overflow channels Little Spring Dyke Dean Clough Whitestone Clough Ponden Clough Beck Ponden Reservoir overflow channel Ponden Lane Ponden Mill Scar Top Road Lumb Beck Lumbfoot Road Sladen Beck Footbridge Lord Lane Springhead Mill Springhead Road Hebble Row Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Bridgehouse Beck Dry Clough Mytholmes Lane Mytholmes Mill Damems Mill Damems railway station Ingrow Bridge Mill A629 road Former mill Gingerbread Clough Woodhouse Lane Footbridge North Beck Park Lane/Coney Lane Great Northern Road Gresley Road Low Mill Lane Keighley railway station (K&WV) Footbridge Airedale line Dalton Lane A650 road Aireworth Road River Aire

Course

There are many small streams that feed Watersheddles Reservoir (yards over the border in Lancashire) from which the River Worth is fed. From the reservoir, the river flows east into Ponden Reservoir into the town of Haworth where it is joined by Bridgehouse Beck. It then flows east north-east through the suburbs of Keighley into the town centre where North Beck flows into it, it then continues down towards Stockbridge where it joins the River Aire. The typical river level range where it joins the River Aire is between 9 inches (0.22 m) and 3 feet 3 inches (1 m).[1]

Natural history

The river was once very polluted, but the lack of local industry nowadays has seen the river become much cleaner and it supports many forms of wildlife throughout its course. Herons, kingfishers and dippers are now a common sight. The river currently has a population of small brown trout and grayling, but they are restricted to certain parts by a number of high weirs left behind from its industrial past.[2]

History

The river provided power for the wool and clothing mills. Woollen and worsted manufacture was introduced here with the first cotton-mill erected in 1780.

Leisure

The river valley is home to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Bradford City Council have marked out a short/middle (circular) distance walk along the valley called The Worth Way.[3] Angling is also allowed by permit at certain places along the river.

Lists

Tributaries

• Little Spring Dike
• Dean Clough
• Whitestone Clough
• Ponden Clough Beck
• Lumb Beck
• Lower Pitcher Clough
• Sladen Beck
• Bridgehouse Beck
• North Beck

Settlements

• Stanbury
• Oldfield
• Haworth
• Oakworth
• Damems
• Keighley

Crossings

• Unnamed road, Silver Hill Bank
• Unnamed road, Old Snap Bottoms
• Old Lane, Old House
• Ponden Lane, Scar Top
• Ponden Bridge
• Lumbfoot Road, Lumb Foot
• Lord Bridge, Mytholmes
• Spring Head Road, Mytholmes
• Victoria Avenue, Mytholmes
• Mytholmes Lane, Oakworth
• Unnamed road, Damems
• Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
• A629, Keighley
• Woodhouse Road, Keighley
• Coney Lane, Keighley
• Gresley Road, Keighley
• Low Mill Lane, Keighley
• Main Line Railway
• Dalton Lane, Keighley
• A650 (Aire Valley Road), Keighley
• Aireworth Road, Keighley

Gallery

River Worth Images

• 
  Small brown trout from the River Worth
• 
  Footbridge over the River Worth near Lumbfoot
• 
  Bronte Way footbridge over the infant River Worth
• 
  Keighley - footpath alongside River Worth
• 
  River Worth - Coney Lane, Keighley
• 
  River Worth and Weir

Sources

Ordnance Survey Open Data

References

1. "River Levels". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
2. "Angling". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
3. "Leisure Walks" (PDF). Retrieved 19 August 2011.