River Skell

River Skell
The River Skell in Studley Royal Park
Country	England
Basin features
Main source	Howson Ridge near Wath-in-Nidderdale 350 metres (1,150 ft) 54°7′2″N 1°44′59″W / 54.11722°N 1.74972°W / 54.11722; -1.74972
River mouth	River Ure near Ripon 23 metres (75 ft) 54°8′0″N 1°30′3″W / 54.13333°N 1.50083°W / 54.13333; -1.50083Coordinates: 54°8′0″N 1°30′3″W / 54.13333°N 1.50083°W / 54.13333; -1.50083
Physical characteristics
Length	12 miles (19 km)
Discharge	Average rate: 1.54 cubic metres per second (54 cu ft/s)

The River Skell is a 12-mile-long (19 km) tributary of the River Ure in North Yorkshire, England.

The source of the river lies in boggy ground on moorland 2 miles (3 km) north of Pateley Bridge. For its first 2 miles (3 km) the river is known as Skell Beck. Descending from the moor the river enters a narrow wooded valley known as Skell Gill. The river valley gradually broadens, but remains well wooded, passing the villages of Skelding and Grantley and the 17th century Grantley Hall.

The river then enters Studley Royal Park and flows past Fountains Hall and the ruins of Fountains Abbey. Below the abbey the river was dammed in the 18th century to form an ornamental lake and water garden. Below the park the river enters the city of Ripon, and on the outskirts of the city receives its largest tributary, the River Laver. The Skell enters the River Ure 0.5 miles (1 km) east of the centre of Ripon.

The name is from the Old Norse skjallr, meaning "resounding", from its swift and noisy course. In the Middle Ages the river was also known as "Heaven Water", presumably from its association with Fountains Abbey.

The flow of the River Skell has been measured at Alma Weir in Ripon, near to its confluence with the Ure since 1984. The thirty year record shows that the catchment of 120 square kilometres (46 sq mi) to the gauging station yields an average flow of 1.54 cubic metres per second (54 cu ft/s). In June 2007 the highest river level was recorded of 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) over the weir, which was estimated to have a flow of 103 cubic metres per second (3,600 cu ft/s).