River Ribble

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River Ribble
Image:River Ribble at Ribchester.jpg] The River Ribble at Ribchester. Photograph by Stuart Grimshaw
Origin	Confluence of Gayle Beck and Cam Beck, Selside
Mouth	Irish Sea at Lytham
Basin countries	England
Length	121 km (75 miles)
Source elevation	246 m (807 ft)

The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England.

The Ribble begins at the confluence of the Gayle Beck and Cam Beck near the famous island viaduct at Ribblehead, in the shadow of the Yorkshire three peaks.

It flows through Settle, Clitheroe and Preston, before emptying into the Irish Sea near Lytham, a length of 75 miles.

The main tributaries of the Ribble are the Hodder and Calder which join the river near Great Mitton, the River Darwen which joins at Walton-le-Dale and the River Douglas which joins near Hesketh Bank.

The Ribble Way is a long-distance footpath which follows the river for much of its course. The Ribble marked the ancient northern boundary of Mercia^{[citation needed]}; and at the time of the Domesday Book was the northern boundary of Cheshire.

The river is connected to both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the Lancaster Canal (via the Ribble Link).

Its estuary forms part of the Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area for wildlife.

The River Ribble catchment is covered by the Mersey Basin Campaign, a partnership which was established in 1985 to improve water quality and encourage waterside regeneration.

Preston City Council have published controversial plans to build a barrage across the River Ribble, in their 'Riverworks' proposals. The aim of these proposals is to build a water sports park on a section of the Ribble, coupled with over 4000 units of high quality housing and businesses in the river's flood plain. Some local residents are opposing these plans, arguing that they endanger wildlife, increase flood risk to local housing and damage greenbelt areas. These residents have set up the 'Save The Ribble' campaign. Parts of the river are a County Biological Heritage Site.

The Ribble would appear to have been known in Roman times as the Belisama,<ref>Ronald Hutton (1991). The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles. Oxford: Blackwell. p.218</ref> possibly giving its name to Samlesbury. Ptolemy's "Belisama aest." seems to represent the estuary of the Ribble.

1 Settlements
2 Tributaries
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Settlements

[edit] Tributaries

Crossens Pool
Main Drain
- Liggard Brook
- Wrea Brook
Hundred End Gutter
Pool Stream
River Douglas
- River Yarrow
  - River Lostock
    - Wymott Brook
    - Clayton Brook
    - Slack Brook
    - Whave's Brook
  - Syd Brook
  - Culbeck Brook
  - River Chor
  - Clancutt Brook
  - Eller Brook
  - Black Brook
    - Fill Brook
  - Limestone Brook
  - Green Withins Brook
- River Tawd
Freckleton Pool
- Dow Brook
  - Spen Brook
  - Carr Brook
    - Wrongway Brook
- Middle Pool
Savick Brook
Mill Brook
The Mains Brook
River Darwen (please see the article for a full list)
- River Roddlesworth
- River Blakewater
Swill Brook
Bezza Brook
- Wilcock Brook
  - Mellor Brook
Tun Brook
Stydd Brook
- Boyce's Brook
  - Cowley Brook (rising on Longridge Fell)
  - Page Brook
- Duddel Brook
Starling Brook
Dean Brook
- Bailey Brook
- Brownslow Brook
Dinckley Brook (runs past Brockhall, home of Blackburn Rovers' training ground)
- Park Brook
  - Showley Brook
    - Knotts Brook
  - Zechariah Brook
River Calder
River Hodder
Barrow Brook
Pig Hill Brook
Barrow Clough
Pendleton Brook
- Mearley Brook
  - Shaw Brook
  - Worston Brook
    - Rad Brook
- Howcroft Brook
Bashall Brook
- Hollins Clough
- Cow Hey Brook
  - Sandy Ford Brook
- Braddup Clough
- Elm Clough
Waddington Brook
- Coplow Brook
Greg Sike
West Bradford Brook
- Brocklehurst Brook
- Drakehouse Brook
  - Porters Brook
    - Bradford Brook
Moor Roads Sike
West Clough Brook
Grindleton Brook
Chatburn Brook
Smithies Brook
- Swanside Beck
- Ings Beck
  - Twiston Beck
Rathmill Sike
Hollins Syke
Skinners Sike
Sliping Brook
- Hell Syke
Skirden Beck
Holden Beck
- Kirk Beck
- Bier Beck
Fooden Gill
Park House Beck
Wheatley Beck
Ellenthorpe Gill
Stock Beck
East Beck
- Carholme Beck
Ray Gill
Ged Beck
Swinden Gill Beck
- Mallardale Beck
Mansell Beck
Pan Beck
- Hellifield Beck
- Gallaber Syke
  - Bend Gate Syke
- Kell Well Beck
Candle Rush Beck
Deep Dale Syke
Long Preston Beck
- Bookil Gill Beck
- Scaleber Beck
Old Field Syke
- Crow Hill Syke
Wigglesworth Beck
- Tofts Syke
- Rough Syke
Rathmell Beck
- Hollow Gill Beck
- Rathmell Goit
Skir Beck
Mear Beck
Swaw Beck
- Carr Beck
Tems Beck
- Huntworth Beck
Lodge Gill
Stainforth Beck
- Catrigg Beck
  - Cowside Beck
- Tongue Gill
  - Fornah Gill
How Beck
Blind Beck
Turn Dub
Selside Beck
- Gillgarth Beck
Coppy Gill
Cam Beck (aka Ling Gill Beck)
- Brow Gill Beck
- Ling Gill Beck
- Labour Gill
- Poverty Gill
- Hard Turf Gill
- Dry Gill
- Little Bank Gill
  - Foul Gutter
- Rush Gill
- Lamb Fold Gill
- Little Intake Gill
- Middle Gill
- Tur Gill
- Grainings Gill
- Red Sike
- Pot Close Gill
- Far End Gill
  - Cold Keld Gill
Gayle Beck
- Axletree Gill
- Gate Cote Gill
- White Earth Gill
- High Springs
- Lat Gill
- Long Gill
  - Mares Gill
  - Far Mares Gill
  - Shivery Gill
  - Jam Sike
- Ouster Gill