User:The joy of all things/subpage 14
| Bishop Dike Bishop's Dike Bishop's Dyke | |
|---|---|
 Bishop Dike looking west towards Sherburn-in-Elmet | |
  | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Barkston Ash |
| • coordinates | 53°49′12″N 1°15′07″W / 53.820°N 1.252°W |
| • elevation | 10 metres (33 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Cawood |
• coordinates | 53°49′59″N 1°07′41″W / 53.833°N 1.128°W |
• elevation | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| Length | 17 kilometres (11 mi) |
| Basin size | 25.6 square kilometres (9.9 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | River Ouse, Humber Estuary, North Sea |
| EA waterbody ID | GB104027063660 |
Bishop Dike is an artificial watercourse in North Yorkshire, England. The dike was built in the 15th century to carry stone from Huddleston Quarry to York to enable building works to be undertaken on York Minster. The dike is now used as a drainage channel.
History
[edit]During the 15th century, stone from Huddleston Quarry was used in the building of York Minster. To transport the stone, the Bishop Dike was constructed which went eastwards from the quarry site past Sherburn-in-Elmet, Biggin, and on to Cawood, where the stone could be transported upstream on the River Ouse into York.[1] The dike still exists, and forms a drainage channel that flows into the River Ouse at Cawood, being part of the Ouse Catchment.[2] After use as a means of transport, several corn mills were built along the dike in the Sherburn-in-Elmet area.[3]
The greatest source for the watercourse is several springs in Barkston Ash, and the dike extends for 17 kilometres (11 mi) and drains an area of 25.6 square kilometres (9.9 sq mi). The Environment Agency consider the watercourse to have a poor ecological status.[4][5]
Flooding
[edit]Flooding on the watercourse is alleviated by two overflow sections just east of Sherburn-in-Elmet which are known locally as The Bathtubs. These allow water to flow into two dikes running south through the Selby Dam catchment.[6] A project was undertaken between 2020 and 2023 to reduce the agricultural run-off in the upper reaches of the dike, which was promoting weed growth in the lower section and causing flooding.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bishop Dike". heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Bishop Dike – Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP)". icasp.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Genuki: Sherburn In Elmet, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1834., Yorkshire (West Riding)". genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Fire near Church Fenton". The Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald. No. 4879. 2 June 1866. p. 5. OCLC 1325754826.
- ^ "Bishop Dike (Trib of Ouse) | Catchment Data Explorer | Catchment Data Explorer". environment.data.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Bishop Dike History & Background" (PDF). cawoodvillage.org.uk. Environment Agency. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Bishop Dike". ydrt.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2023.