Humber

Humber
Humber Bridge viewed from the south-east
Mouth of the Humber
Location
Country	England
Counties	East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire
Cities	Kingston upon Hull
Towns	Brough, Grimsby, Immingham, Barton upon Humber, Cleethorpes
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Trent Falls
• coordinates	53°42′03″N 0°41′28″W / 53.7008°N 0.6911°W / 53.7008; -0.6911
Mouth
• location	North Sea, between Spurn Head
• coordinates	53°32′34″N 0°05′32″E / 53.5427°N 0.0923°E / 53.5427; 0.0923
Length	38.5 mi (62.0 km)[1]
Basin size	24,240 km2 (9,360 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• location	freshwater inflow[1]
• average	250 m3/s (8,800 cu ft/s)[1]
• maximum	1,500 m3/s (53,000 cu ft/s)[1]
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	River Ouse, River Hull
• right	River Trent, River Ancholme, River Freshney
Designation
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Humber Estuary
Designated	28 July 1994
Reference no.	663[2]

v t e Humber
Legend
River Trent Trent Falls River Ouse Whitton Island Market Weighton Canal Wintringham Haven Ellerker Drain South Channel Redcliff Channel Read's Island Redcliff Middle Sand River New Ancholme Humber Bridge Barton Haven Hessle Haven Barrow Haven Albert Dock Humber Dock Marina River Hull Victoria Dock Alexandra Dock Goxhill Haven Holderness Drain King George Dock Old Fleet East Halton Skitter Hedon Haven Killingholme jetties North Channel Immingham Docks Cherry Cobb Sands Keyingham Drain Sunk Island Winestead Drain Middle Drain River Freshney Grimsby Docks North Sea (Spurn Point)

The Humber /ˈhʌmbər/ is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank and North Lincolnshire on the south bank. Although the Humber is an estuary from the point at which it is formed, many maps show it as the River Humber.^[3]

Below Trent Falls, the Humber passes the junction with the Market Weighton Canal on the north shore, the confluence of the River Ancholme on the south shore; between North Ferriby and South Ferriby and under the Humber Bridge; between Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and Kingston upon Hull on the north bank (where the River Hull joins), then meets the North Sea between Cleethorpes on the Lincolnshire side and the long and thin headland of Spurn Head to the north.

Ports on the Humber include the Port of Hull, the Port of Grimsby and the Port of Immingham; there are lesser ports at New Holland and North 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 the Thames.^[4]