River Rye, Yorkshire

River Rye
The catchment area of the River Rye
Basin features
Main source	Cleveland Hills 660 ft (200 m)
River mouth	Howe Bridge
River system	River Derwent, Yorkshire
Basin size	330 sq mi (850 km2)

The River Rye is a river in the English county of North Yorkshire. It rises just south of the Cleveland Hills, east of Osmotherley, and flows through Hawnby, Rievaulx, Helmsley, Nunnington, West and East Ness, Butterwick, Brawby, and Ryton, before joining the River Derwent at 54°10′N 00°44′W / 54.167°N 0.733°W / 54.167; -0.733 near Malton.

On some stretches of the river there is a conflict of interests between abstraction of water for economic purposes and the maintenance of a flow which is of sufficient quantity and quality to support the ecology of the area.

The upper valley of the river is known as Rye Dale. the river rises at Rye Head in the Cleveland Hills, then collects the River Seph which flows along Bilsdale. It passes Rievaulx Abbey then enters the Vale of Pickering at Helmsley. In its eastward course from Helmsley the Rye receives the River Dove from Farndale which has previously added the Hodge Beck from Bransdale. Hodge Beck is partly swallowed by the limestone aquifer in Kirkdale and issues again further down the valley. Kirkbymoorside is on the River Dove which, like Hodge Beck has a partly subterranean course. Rosedale sends down the River Seven which comes by Sinnington to join the Rye. The steep sided Newtondale gives Pickering Beck which joins the Costa Beck before it enters the River Rye just before its mouth.