River Ouse

Confluence of the Rivers Ure and Swale Cawood, North Yorkshire Selby, North Yorkshire Goole Whitgift Ferry, East Yorkshire Trent Falls Aldwark Toll Bridge River Aire River Don River Nidd River Swale River Ure River Wharfe

River Ouse is in Humber Estuary.

The River Ouse is formed by the confluence of the River Ure and River Swale around 900m south-west of Myton-on-Swale [Map]; there are other theories as to where it starts. Thereafter it flows broadly south-east through York [Map], past Cawood, North Yorkshire [Map], Selby, North Yorkshire [Map], Goole [Map] and the location of the former Whitgift Ferry, East Yorkshire [Map] before joining the Humber Estuary at Trent Falls [Map].

The River Ouse appears to start at the Aldwark Toll Bridge [Map], or therabouts, before which it is known as the River Ure. It isn't clear why it changes its name? An alternative view is that the River Ouse begins at the Confluence of the Rivers Ure and Swale [Map].

On 3rd December 1614 brothers John Sheffield, Edmund Sheffield (age 25) and Philip Sheffield (age 21) were drowned whilst attempting to cross the flooded River Ouse at the Whitgift Ferry, East Yorkshire [Map].

River Aire

River Calder

The River Calder rises on Heald Moor near Todmorden [Map] after which it passes Hebden Bridge [Map], Mytholmroyd [Map], Sowerby Bridge [Map], Dewsbury [Map], Sandal Castle [Map], under Wakefield Bridge [Map] before joining the River Aire at Castleford [Map].

River Don

The River Don rises at Dunford Bridge [Map] after which it flows broadly east through Penistone [Map] then south through Oughtibridge [Map], Sheffield [Map] then east through Rotherham [Map], past Conisbrough Castle [Map], Doncaster [Map] and Stainforth [Map] before joining the River Ouse at Goole [Map]. Originally the River Don was a tributary of the River Trent forming the northern boundary of the Isle of Axholme [Map] but was re-engineered by Cornelius Vermuyden as the Dutch River in the 1620s.

Between 43AD and 68AD an earth and wood Roman fort was first built at Templeborough [Map]. It was later rebuilt in stone. It is thought to have been occupied until the Roman withdrawal from Britain c. 410. Icknield Street crossed the River Don near the fort.

River Rother

The River Rother rises at Clay Cross, Derbyshire [Map] then flows through Chesterfield, Derbyshire [Map] and Sheffield [Map] after which it joins the River Don which then flows through Rotherham [Map] to which the River Rother gives its name.

River Nidd

River Swale

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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Around 70AD a fort was commissioned at Cataractonium [Map] by Julius Agricola. During the first century a large bank was created north of the River Swale with an associated gate across Dere Street to control access.

The initial fort appears to have gone out of use by about AD 120 but there were further forts at the site during the next 300 years.

River Ure

River Wharfe