River Hull

River Hull
A large lifting structure, providing a tidal barrier over a river
The tidal barrier and the Millennium Bridge at the mouth of the river
Course of the river within the East Riding of Yorkshire
Location
CountryEngland
CountyEast Riding of Yorkshire
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationDriffield
 • elevation65 ft (20 m)
MouthHumber Estuary
 • location
Kingston upon Hull
 • coordinates
53°44′20.17″N 0°19′52.3″W / 53.7389361°N 0.331194°W / 53.7389361; -0.331194
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Discharge 
 • locationHempholme Lock[1]
 • average3.4 m3/s (120 cu ft/s)[1]
River Hull
Elmswell Beck
Little Driffield Beck
Driffield Trout Stream
Driffield Railway Bridge
Feeder
River Head bridge
Driffield Basin
Locks (5)
Frodingham Beck
Corpslanding Bridge
River Hull
Emmotland Junction
Bethells Bridge
Scurf Dyke
Driffield Navigation
Beverley and Barmston Drain
Struncheon Hill Lock and weir
River Hull
(from here to Humber)
Aike Beck
Leven Canal
Arram Beck
 A1035  New Hull bridge
Hull bridge
Grovehill lift bridge, Weel
Beverley Beck
 A1033  Ennerdale Link bridge
Sutton Road Bridge
 A1165  Stoneferry bridge
Hull swing railway bridge
Wilmington Bridge
Sculcoates Bridge
Beverley and Barmston Drain
Scott Street Bridge
 A165  North Bridge
Dry dock (to Queens Dock)
Drypool Bridge
Drypool basin + Victoria Dock
 A63  Myton Swing Bridge, Hull
Tidal Barrier
Humber Estuary

The River Hull is a navigable river in the East Riding of Yorkshire in Northern England. It rises from a series of springs to the west of Driffield, and enters the Humber Estuary at Kingston upon Hull. Following a period when the Archbishops of York charged tolls for its use, it became a free navigation. The upper reaches became part of the Driffield Navigation from 1770, after which they were again subject to tolls, and the section within the city of Hull came under the jurisdiction of the Port of Hull, with the same result.

Most of its course is through low-lying land that is at or just above sea level, and regular flooding has been a long-standing problem along the waterway. Drainage schemes to alleviate it were constructed on both sides of the river. The Holderness Drainage scheme to the east was completed in 1772, with a second phase in 1805, and the Beverley and Barmston Drain to the west was completed in 1810. Since 1980, the mouth of the river has been protected by a tidal barrier at the estuary, which can be closed to prevent tidal surges entering the river system and causing flooding upriver.

Most of the bridges which cross the river are movable, to allow shipping to pass. There are six swing bridges; four bascule bridges, two of which have twin leaves, one for each carriageway of the roads which they carry; and three Scherzer lift bridges, which are a type of rolling bascule bridge. The former Scott Street Bridge (taken out of use 1994 and dismantled 2020) was originally powered from a high pressure water main maintained by the first public power distribution company in the world.