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Humber

Coordinates:53°32′34″N0°05′32″E/ 53.5427°N 0.0923°E/53.5427; 0.0923
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeHumber (disambiguation).

Humber
A long suspension bridge over a large expanse of water
Humber Bridgeviewed from the south-east
Humber is located in England
Humber
Mouth of the Humber
Location
CountryEngland
CountiesEast Riding of Yorkshire,Lincolnshire
CitiesKingston upon Hull
TownsBrough,Grimsby,Immingham,Barton upon Humber,Cleethorpes
Physical characteristics
Source
• locationTrent Falls
• coordinates53°42′03″N0°41′28″W/ 53.7008°N 0.6911°W/53.7008; -0.6911
Mouth
• location
North Sea,betweenSpurn Head
• coordinates
53°32′34″N0°05′32″E/ 53.5427°N 0.0923°E/53.5427; 0.0923
Length38.5 mi (62.0 km)[1]
Basin size24,240 km2(9,360 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• locationfreshwater inflow[1]
• average250 m3/s (8,800 cu ft/s)[1]
• maximum1,500 m3/s (53,000 cu ft/s)[1]
Basin features
Tributaries
• leftRiver Ouse,River Hull
• rightRiver Trent,River Ancholme,River Freshney
Designation
Official nameHumber Estuary
Designated28 July 1994
Reference no.663[2]
Map

TheHumber/ˈhʌmbər/is a largetidal estuaryon the east coast ofNorthern England.It is formed atTrent Falls,Faxfleet,by the confluence of thetidal riversOuseandTrent.From there to theNorth Sea,it forms part of the boundary between theEast Riding of Yorkshireon the north bank andNorth Lincolnshireon the south bank. Also known as theRiver Humber,it is tidal its entire length.[3]

Below Trent Falls, the Humber passes the junction with theMarket Weighton Canalon the north shore, the confluence of theRiver Ancholmeon the south shore; betweenNorth FerribyandSouth Ferribyand under theHumber Bridge;betweenBarton-upon-Humberon the south bank andKingston upon Hullon the north bank (where theRiver Hulljoins), then meets theNorth SeabetweenCleethorpeson the Lincolnshire side and the long and thin headland ofSpurn Headto the north.

Ports on the Humber include thePort of Hull,thePort of Grimsbyand thePort of Immingham;there are lesser ports atNew HollandandNorth Killingholme Haven.The estuary is navigable for the largest of deep-sea vessels. Inland connections for smaller craft are extensive but handle only a quarter of the goods traffic handled in theThames.[4]

Names

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There are numerous theories for how thehydronymofHumberis derived fromCelticorPre-Celticlanguages. For example, it may be aBrittonicformation containing-[a]mb-ṛ,a variant of the element*ambmeaning "moisture", with the prefix*hu-meaning "good, well" (c.f.Welshhy-,inHywel,etc).[5]

The first element may also be*hū-,with connotations of "seethe, boil, soak", of which a variant forms the name of the adjoiningRiver Hull.[5]

The estuary appears in someLatinsources asAbus(A name used byEdmund SpenserinThe Faerie Queene). This is possibly a Latinisation of the Celtic formAber(Welshfor river mouth or estuary) but is erroneously given as a name for both the Humber andThe Ouseas one continuous watercourse.[6]BothAbusandAbermay record an olderIndo-Europeanword for water or river, (as in the 'Five Rivers' of thePunjab). An alternative derivation may be from the Latin verbabdomeaning "to hide, to conceal". The successive nameHumbre/Humbri/Umbrimay continue the meaning via the Latin verbumbroalso meaning "to cover with shadows".[7]

Geography

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The Humber from theInternational Space Station

Although it is now anestuaryits entire length, the Humber had a much longer freshwater course during theIce Age,extending acrossDoggerland,which is now submerged beneath theNorth Sea.[8]

History

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The Humber features regularly in medieval British literature. In theWelsh Triads,the Humber is (together withthe Thamesand theRiver Severn) one of the three principal rivers of Britain, and is continually mentioned throughout theBrut y Brenhineddas a boundary between the southern kingdom (Lloegyr) and various northern kingdoms. InGeoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century historically unreliable chronicle (Historia Regum Britanniae), the Humber is named for "Humber the Hun",an invader who drowned there during battle in the earliest days of the chronicle.

The Humber remained an important boundary throughout theAnglo-Saxonperiod, separatingNorthumbriafrom the southern kingdoms. The nameNorthumbriaderives from theAnglo-SaxonNorðhymbre(plural) = "the people north of the Humber".[9]

The Humber is recorded with the abbreviationFl. Abi(The Abus river,Ancient Greek:Ἄβος) inPtolemy'sGeographia,discharging into the German Ocean (theNorth Sea) south ofOcelum Promontorium(Spurn Head). Ptolemy also gives theIron Age tribesof the area as theCoritanisouth of the Humber and theParisito the north.[10][11]

In the 1719 novelRobinson Crusoe,Crusoe leaves England on a ship departing from The Humber.

On 23 August 1921, the BritishairshipR38crashed into the estuary near Hull, killing 44 of the 49 crew on board.[12]

From 1974 to 1996, the areas now known as theEast Riding of Yorkshire,North LincolnshireandNorth East Lincolnshireconstituted the county ofHumberside.The Humber, from 1996, forms a boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire (to the north) and North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, to the south.

Fortifications

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TheHumber Fortswere built in the mouth of the estuary for theFirst World War.Planned in 1914, their construction started in 1915 and they were not completed until 1919.[13][14]A coastal battery at Easington,Fort GoodwinorKilnsea Battery,faced the Bull Sands Fort.[15]They were also garrisoned during the Second World War, and were finally abandoned for military use in 1956.

Fort Paullis further upstream, a Napoleonic-era emplacement replaced in the early 20th century byStallingborough BatteryoppositeSunk Island.[16]

Crossings

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TheHumber Bridgewas the longest single-spansuspension bridgein the world from its construction in 1981 until 1998. It is now thetwelfth longest.

Before the bridge was built, a series ofpaddle steamersoperated from theCorporation Pier railway station[17]at theVictoria Pierin Hull to therailway pier in New Holland.Steam ferries started in 1841, and in 1848 were purchased by theManchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.They, and their successors, ran the ferry until the bridge opened in 1981.[17]Railway passenger and car traffic continued to use the pier until the end of ferry operations.[18]

The line of the bridge is similar to an ancient ferry route fromHessletoBarton upon Humber,which is noted in theDomesday Bookand in a charter of 1281. The ferry was recorded as still operating in 1856, into the railway era.[19]The Humber was then one mile (1.6 km) across.[20]

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Graham Boanas, a Hull man, is believed to be the first man to succeed in wading across the Humber sinceancient Romantimes. The feat in August 2005 was attempted to raise cash and awareness for the medical research charity,DebRA.He started his trek on the north bank atBrough;four hours later, he emerged on the south bank atWhitton.He is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall and took advantage of a very low tide.[21]He replicated this achievement on the television programmeTop Gear(Series 10 Episode 6) when he beatJames Maywho drove anAlfa Romeo 159around the inland part of the estuary in a race without using the Humber Bridge.

Swimming

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On Saturday 26 August 1911, Alice Maud Boyall became the first recorded woman to swim the Humber. Boyall, then aged 19 and living in Hull, was the Yorkshire swimming champion. She crossed the Humber from Hull to New Holland Pier swimming the distance in 50 minutes, 6 minutes slower than the existing men's record.[22]

Since 2011, Warners Health have organised the 'Warners Health Humber Charity Business Swim'. Twelve swimmers from companies across the Yorkshire region train and swim in an ellipse from the south bank to the north bank of the estuary under the Humber Bridge over a total distance of approximately1+1⁄2miles (2.4 km).[23]Since then, an organised group crossing at the Humber Bridge has become an annual event, with a small number of pre-selected swimmers crossing in a 'pod' which remains close together, in aid of Humber Rescue.[24]

In 2019, Hull-based competitive open water swimmer Richard Royal became the first person to attempt and complete a two-way swim across the estuary,[25]beginning and finishing at Hessle foreshore, with Barton on the south bank as the mid-way point, fulfilling the land-to-land criteria, covering a total of 4,085 m (4,467 yd). Royal holds the record for the fastest one-way swim across the Humber (35 minutes 11 seconds) and the fastest two-way swim (1 hour, 13 minutes, 46 seconds), certified by Guinness World Records and the World Open Water Swimming Association.[26]He raised over £900 for Humber Rescue, who provided safety support during the swim.

Ecology

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The Humber is home both to resident fish and those returning from the sea to their spawning grounds in Yorkshire,[27]LincolnshireandDerbyshire.Salmon,sole,cod,eel,flounder,plaice,sprat,lampreyandsand gobyhave all been caught within the estuary.[28]It is also used by over-wintering birds,[29]is a good breeding ground forbitterns,marsh harriers,little ternsandavocets,[30]and forms part of theSevern-Trent flyway,a route used bymigratory birdsto crossGreat Britain.[31]

In 2019 theYorkshire Wildlife Trustand theUniversity of Hullre-introduced theriver oyster[which?]into the Humber after a sixty-year absence.[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdeCave, Rachel (2002)."The Humber Catchment and its Coastal Area"(PDF).University of East Anglia. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2 February 2014.Retrieved12 October2013.
  2. ^"Humber Estuary".RamsarSites Information Service.Retrieved25 April2018.
  3. ^"Get-a-map online".Ordnance Survey.Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2013.Retrieved6 March2009.
  4. ^"Department of transport figures for 2009. See table 2-1".Department of Transport. Archived fromthe original(Excel)on 4 May 2011.Retrieved24 January2013.
  5. ^abJames, Alan."The Brittonic Language in the Old North"(PDF).Scottish Place Name Society.Retrieved29 April2021.
  6. ^Rivet; Smith (1979).The Place-Names of Roman Britain.London.ISBN9780713420777.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^Beda."De Temporum Ratione".CAPUT LXV, number 269.Retrieved24 January2013.
  8. ^Cowper Reed, F R (1900).The geological history of the rivers of East Yorkshire.London: Clay & Sons. pp. 65–66.OCLC11368522.
  9. ^"Northumbria".Online Etymology Dictionary.Retrieved12 August2017.
  10. ^Public DomainSmith, William,ed. (1854–1857). "Abus".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography.London: John Murray.
  11. ^Ptolemy,Geography,2.3.6.
  12. ^Historic England."Airship Memorial in Hull (1512866)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.Entry includes considerable details about the ship, flight, and crash.
  13. ^Historic England."Bull Sand Fort (915963)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  14. ^Historic England."Haile Sand Fort (1429147)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  15. ^Historic England."Fort Godwin (929478)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  16. ^Historic England."Stallingborough Battery (1429224)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  17. ^abHistoric England."Hull Corporation Pier station (498352)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  18. ^Historic England."New Holland Pier station (498365)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  19. ^Historic England."Barton Ferry (79005)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved14 January2013.
  20. ^Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1848).A Topographical Dictionary of England.London: Samuel Lewis & Co. pp. 164–168 'Barton, St Michael – Basing'.Retrieved24 January2013.The ancient ferry to Hessle, across the Humber, which is here about a mile broad, is appurtenant to the manor, which is vested in the crown...(entry for Barton-upon-Humber)
  21. ^ "Humber crossing after 1,000 years".BBC News Online.BBC.22 August 2005.Retrieved28 July2008.
  22. ^"Annual Humber Swim".Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer.28 August 1911. p. 5.
  23. ^"Business people to swim the Humber for charity challenge".Hull Daily Mail.4 August 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 28 June 2013.Retrieved26 June2013.
  24. ^"Countryfile star takes Humber challenge".BBC News.7 July 2019.Retrieved30 July2019.
  25. ^"Man from Hull completes 'first swim across the Humber and back' in aid of rescue charity".ITV News.Retrieved30 July2019.
  26. ^Winter, Phil (27 July 2019)."Hull man becomes first to swim solo across River Humber and back".Hull Daily Mail.Retrieved30 July2019.
  27. ^"Salmon are spawning along the River Burn in North Yorkshire for the first time in 100 years".The Rivers Trust.21 June 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 2 April 2019.Retrieved23 March2019.
  28. ^Potts, Geoffrey; Swaby, Silja (1993). "Review of the status of estuarine fishes".English Nature Research Report(34). Plymouth: Marine Biological Association: 68–69.OCLC182887652.
  29. ^"Humber Management Scheme Fact sheet: Wintering and passage birds"(PDF).humbernature.co.uk.p. 2.Retrieved23 March2019.
  30. ^"Humber Management Scheme Fact sheet: Breeding birds"(PDF).humbernature.co.uk.pp. 4–6.Retrieved23 March2019.
  31. ^RSPB Where To Go Wild in Britain.Dorling Kindersley. 2009. p. 265.ISBN978-1405335126.
  32. ^Mitchinson, James, ed. (19 March 2019). "River oysters come back out of their shell".The Yorkshire Post.p. 1.ISSN0963-1496.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related toHumber estuary.
Wikisourcehas the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle "Humber".
  • River Humber Ferries—Private web site about the Steam era ferries
  • humber—Associated British Ports, Humber group. Includes daily details of major shipping movements
  • humberpacketboats.co.uk—Extensive private web site about history of river trading in Humber and tributaries.
  • D'Orley, Alun (1968).The Humber Ferries.Knaresborough: Nidd Valley Narrow Gauge Railways.
  • Storey, Arthur (December 1971).Hull Trinity House: Pilotage and Navigational Aids of the River Humber, 1512–1908.Ridings Publishing Co.ISBN978-0-901934-03-1.
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