The River Ouse is liable to flooding! It is tidal up to Naburn Lock. The swing bridge was built in 1872 to replace the ferry. Bishop's Dyke empties into the river near the bridge, and the river Wharfe enters the Ouse just above Cawood. The flood wall was being built in the big floods of 1982, the wall protects most of the village from flooding. The opposite bank of the river is about one foot lower, so the water pours over that side first. Floods usually happen when a lot of snow melts quickly in the Pennines. Back to Cawood Castle page To Cawood Floods, November 2000 page

{River Ouse in flood, summer 2000} {Cawood Bridge}
River in flood, summer 2000 (above left and right) - we had more rainfall than usual this summer! Pity about the Ferry Inn's new garden furniture! Old photo of Cawood Bridge (right) - Cawood Castle visible top centre left, now masked by Cardinal's Court. More pictures of the floods below: {Cawood bridge at the turn of the last century}

Bishopdyke is a man made water course, the stones for Cawood Castle and for York Minster were floated along it from the quarry at Huddlestone. The dyke was culverted some 20 or so years ago, it still runs behind the houses and through the gardens in Sherburn Street, Market Place and High Street, into the pumping station next to the bridge. In the 18th century, it was used to drive several mills in the village. When the dyke was dredged, the water level dropped so that the mills fell into disuse. The River Ouse is tidal as far as Naburn lock, which is some considerable distance from the sea - the Ouse becomes the Humber and empties into the North Sea at Kingston upon Hull. The tidal range is 6 feet on neaps and 12 feet on spring tides. The highest recorded flood is 25 feet 3 inches above normal river level.

{Pam getting her skates on} In February 1991 we had a lot of snow and it was extremely cold - so cold that the pond in the garth froze over, and I was able to use it as it was intended, as a skating pond.

{flooded Cawood from the air, 1991}
(Back to top) Above: floods from the air
Below: Daisy and duck - February 1991
After the snow and ice came a sudden thaw - the river flowed over the banks like Niagara Falls, the fields and road were submerged, but the flood wall on the village side of the river held the water back. Cawood church can be seen rising above the flood waters.(Back to home page)
 {Daisy was fascinated by all that water!}