Cock Beck

Cock Beck
River Cock
Bridge over the Cock Beck, Aberford
Cock Beck is located in North Yorkshire
Cock Beck
Position of river mouth
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates53°50′02″N 1°27′00″W / 53.834°N 1.450°W / 53.834; -1.450
Mouth 
 • coordinates
53°52′26″N 1°15′07″W / 53.874°N 1.252°W / 53.874; -1.252
Length25 miles (41 km)
Basin size27 square miles (71 km2)
Basin features
EA waterbody IDGB104027063940

Cock Beck is a stream in the outlying areas of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from its source due to a runoff north-west of Whinmoor, skirting east of Swarcliffe and Manston (where a public house has been named 'The Cock Beck'), past Pendas Fields, Scholes, Barwick-in-Elmet, Aberford, Towton, Stutton, and Tadcaster, where it flows into the River Wharfe.

It is a tributary of the River Wharfe, formerly known as the River Cock or Cock River,[1][2] having a much larger flow than today.[2] The name 'cock' may refer to a mature salmon, as it was a spawning ground for salmon and trout.[3] Industrial pollution reduced the fish stock, but it has been recovering in the 21st century, aided by work from the Environment Agency.[3] In places the beck was relatively narrow, but too deep to cross unaided; a feature which can still be seen today at many points.

  1. ^ Langdale, Thomas (1822). A Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire (2nd ed.). J. Langdale. p. 211.
  2. ^ a b Armfield, H. M. (2011). A History of Aberford (2nd ed.). available from St Ricarius Church, Aberford. p. 2.
  3. ^ a b "River cleared for returning salmon". BBC News. 18 December 2002. Retrieved 24 October 2014.

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