was opened in January 1772. The Leeds and Thirsk Railway bought the navigation in January 1846. The navigation was neglected, and the lack of dredging resulted in boats having to be loaded with less cargo. There was a brief upturn in trade in the 1860s, but the decline continued after that. By 1892, no traffic proceeded past Boroughbridge, and the North Eastern Railway took action to prevent the waterway above Boroughbridge being used. Until 1999 the navigation authority to Swale Nab was the Linton Lock Navigation Commissioners. The Commissioners had insufficient income to maintain the navigation, and in 1999 it was transferred to British Waterways. The navigation authority for the whole navigation is now the Canal & River Trust. Natural history The differing habitats of the area have their own populations of flora such as cranesbill, bistort, pignut and buttercup. Other species that can be seen in the area are wood anemones, violets, primroses, purple orchids, cowslips and herb paris. Some plants, such as spring sandwort, have managed to grow where the lead mining took place. There are large populations of badgers, roe deer, red foxes and rabbits in the valley. Among the variety of birds that can be seen in the valley are golden plovers, curlews and oystercatchers. Fish populations along the river include: brown trout, grayling, barbel, chub, roach and perch. Gallery Lists Tributaries From the source of the river: Tongue Gill Grass Gill Scars Gill Keld Gill Johnston Gill South Lunds Sike Tarn gill Scothole Gill Carr Gill Mossdale Beck Cottersdale Beck Widdale Beck Hardraw beck Thorne Sike Gayle Beck Blackburn Sike Eller Beck Nicholl Gill Raygill Sike Grays Beck River Bain Paddock Beck West Mawks Sike Newbiggin Beck Craike Sike Gutter Sister Ings Beck Starra Beck Wanley Beck Gill Beck Eller Beck Low Beck Bishopdale/Walden Becks Kendall Beck Belden Beck/Swan River Mill Beck Wensley Beck Mill Beck Harmby/Spennithorne Becks River Cover Harker Beck River Burn Black Robin Beck River Skell River Tutt River Swale Settlements From the source of the river: Blades South Lunds Appersett Hawes Bainbridge Worton Woodhall Aysgarth Wensley Spennithorne Middleham Ulshaw Bridge Masham Mickley West Tanfield North Stainley Nunwick Hutton Conyers Ripon Roecliffe Boroughbridge Lower Dunsforth Aldwark Crossings From the source of the river: Green Bridge (foot) How Beck Bridge Footbridge Blades Footbridge Unnamed road Unnamed road Thwaite Bridge A684 Footbridge A684 New Bridge Footbridge Haylands Beck, Hawes Footbridge Yore Bridge, Bainbridge Worton