River Hull. Stage 11. Baswick Landing to Hempholme Lock

After a couple of days of heavy rain the river was the highest level I've seen, but the water was still quite clear. Clumps of vegetation rafted downstream. I joined the west bank of the river by the Beverley and Barmston drain, opposite High Baswick and walked upstream. This section of the path is by the Yorkshire Water Treatment works and Tophill Low Nature reserve, but there is no access to the reserve from the river bank, something that would increase disturbance to these sensitive bird breeding wetlands. In this stage the river is quite wide in places and there are some areas of flooded willow carr. Shortly after reaching the bank I surprised a couple of fox cubs, who scuttled away after giving me a curious look. A little further a young buck Roe Deer was dozing on the bank and took a long way to react to my presence. When it noticed me it jumped and bounded along the bank for a long while.
 It wasn't long before I reached the junction with Mickley Dike, which brings water to the river from the Beverley and Barmston drain, pumped up at Hempholme pump station nearby. The Beverley and Barmston drain was a key development to drain the low lying terrain of the west side of the river floodplain.
 The stage finished at Hempholme (or Struncheon Hill) Lock, by the side of a low weir, where it is possible to cross to the other side of the river over a foot bridge.
 This stage is just less than 5 km long. After the quick walk up the river I spent the rest of the day at Tophill Low Nature Reserve, but I've written that in a separate blog post.

The path by Beverley and Barmston Drain as it joins the river bank. 

Fox cub. 

Roe Deer buck.  

River Hull, looking north. 

Some Willow and Glyceria fen/carr. 

The river is joined by Mickley Dike, a lovely spot with plenty of emergent vegetation, pools and willows. 

One of many Swifts flying low over the trees today. 

Approaching Hempholme Lock. A pair of Tufted ducks on the river. 

A view of the straightened river upstream from the lock. This is part of Driffield Navigation.

This is the first weir in the river. At this point the river stops being tidal. 

A male Swallow near the lock.

For more details of each stage click on the Walking the River Hull tab above.