Central York in the Rain, 1977

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Photograph and text George P. Landow

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According to Britain Express,

York is located at the confluence of two rivers, the Foss and the Ouse. The smaller Foss joins the Ouse near Skeldergate Bridge. Until 1863, the Ouse Bridge was the only way across the river. The Ouse empties into the Humber Estuary, providing an easy passage from the sea. The Romans took full advantage of the Ouse, and their galleys made York, or Eboracum, as they called it, the premier trading centre in the north of England.

In medieval times the Ouse made York an important textile centre for trade with the European continent, and in Victorian times the river was a highway for distributing coal. Tides were a problem for navigation until the construction of the Naburn lock and weir in 1757.

The River Foss was an essential part of the city's defenses for many years. The river formed a marsh and a huge pond, called The King's Fishpool, which were so difficult to penetrate that no walls were needed between the Red Tower and the Layerthorpe Postern. The Foss also fed the moat of York Castle."

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Last modified 9 January 2006