Each week, our mayor writes a brief diary about his previous week. This is available for you to view here in PDF format
Diary Notes (4.5Kb)
River Ure
Boroughbridge is located on the south bank of the River Ure which starts its
journey high above Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The upper reaches
of the River Ure provide excellent trout and grayling fishing where it flows through
the spectacular landscape of Wensleydale. Meandering through the flat-U-shaped
glacial valley floor, it tumbles over the Aysgarth Falls, then on to the brewing
and market town of Masham. Below Masham, the valley opens out into broad swathes
of rich agricultural land. The river loops through West Tanfield on its way to
Ripon, from whence it provides excellent coarse fishing and from where it is navigable
downstream to the sea from Ripon Canal basin. Navigation of the Ure to Ripon became
possible after Royal ascent was given to build the canal in 1767.
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Turning east from Ripon to Boroughbridge, the weir at Boroughbridge was bypassed
for navigable craft when Milby Lock and cut were completed in 1769 when a cast
iron bridge was built over the canal in Boroughbridge. At the time this was one
of the first such bridges to be constructed, it was replaced in 1946. This extension
to the Ure navigation helped Boroughbridge prosper as a port, due to its proximity
to the town of Knaresborough which was at the time one of our greatest linen manufacturing
towns.
The River Ure at Boroughbridge provides moorings and a marina and is just 7.5
miles from Ripon which takes approximately 3.5 hours to navigate (3 locks). It
takes approximately 5 hours to travel the 21 miles by boat toYork from Boroughbridge
(2 locks).
Below Boroughbridge the Ure is joined by the River Swale in the huge floodplain
at Myton-on-Swale. The Ure continues to just downstream of Little Ouseburn where
it becomes known as the River Ouse.
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Nicholson’s ‘Guide To The Waterways - Nottingham, York & The North East’
( ISBN 0-00-713669-2) provides useful information for anyone boating the River
Ure.
Click to view where to fish in the Harrogate District at the Harrogate & the
Yorkshire Dales website