Bradford Beck

Bradford Beck
Enclosed arches underneath a building with flowing water passing through
The Cathedral arches beneath Centenary Square
EtymologyBroad Ford Beck
Location
CountryEngland
CityBradford, West Yorkshire
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationClayton Beck, Cemetery Road, Lidget Green
 • coordinates53°47′42″N 1°47′31″W / 53.79513°N 1.79189°W / 53.79513; -1.79189
 • elevation120 metres (390 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Dockfield, Shipley, West Yorkshire
 • coordinates
53°50′15″N 1°46′20″W / 53.83744°N 1.77212°W / 53.83744; -1.77212
 • elevation
70 metres (230 ft)
Length6.8 miles (11 km)
Basin size22 square miles (58 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationShipley
 • average21 cubic feet per second (0.6 m3/s)
 • maximum1,210 cubic feet per second (34.3 m3/s) (1984)
Basin features
River systemRiver Aire
Tributaries 
 • leftRed Beck
 • rightWestbrook, Bowling Beck, Eastbrook, Trap Sike
Bradford Beck
Clayton Beck
Cemetery Road
 A6177  Bradford Ring Road
Underneath Listerhills area
Goitside millrace branch
Westbrook
Underneath city centre
Bowling Beck
Eastbrook
Valley Road
Under eastern  A6177 
Trap Sike
Gaisby Lane
Poplar Road
Red Beck
 B6149  Briggate
Bradford to Ilkley & Leeds line
Skipton to Leeds line
 A657  Saltaire to Bramley road
Leeds Liverpool Canal
Dockfield Road
Dockfield (into the River Aire)

Bradford Beck is a river that flows through Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, (then Bradford Dale) and on to the River Aire at Shipley. As it reaches Bradford city centre it runs underground after being built over in the 19th century. It is culverted as it runs from Bradford city centre to Queen's Road after which it runs mostly in an open channel to Shipley.[1] The beck used to be known as the filthiest river in England.

Bradford itself is so named after a crossing on Bradford Beck (the Broad Ford) which was located near to what is present day Church Street in the city centre, with a crossing named as Broadstones.[2] The beck is formed from a number of smaller watercourses, namely Pinch Beck, Pitty Beck, Middlebrook, Clayton Beck, Bull Greave Beck, Chellow Dene Beck, Westbrook, Dirkhill Beck, Bowling Beck, Eastbrook, Bolton Beck, Trap Sike, Northcliffe Beck and Red Beck.[3]

  1. ^ "Bradford – Shipley Canal Road Corridor Masterplan" (PDF). Bradford.gov. Bradford Council. September 2011. p. 6. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  2. ^ Gray, Johnnie (1891). Through Airedale from Goole to Malham. Leeds: Walker & Laycock. pp. 121–122. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Where I live – Bradford and West Yorkshire; The Sound of Music". BBC.co.uk. BBC. May 2005. Retrieved 9 April 2016.

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