About the river
Set in North Lincolnshire, the 19 mile (31 kms) River Ancholme is a tributary of the Humber Estuary.
You can navigate the river by boat from the entrance of the River Humber to Harlam Hill Lock.
The Ancholme Valley has a rural character and lies within a broad clay vale. The historic landscape of fresh and salt water marshes and meadows is now replaced with productive arable land.
The Ancholme has a long history of waterborne transport. In the past this was dominated by commercial trade where sailing barges were used to transport essential goods such as coal, wool and grain.
Today the river is used predominantly for leisure and the Ancholme is flourishing in the variety of ways people enjoy it.
Activities on the Ancholme
South Ferriby provides excellent access to the tidal Humber and many sailing craft take advantage of the seasonal moorings and facilities on offer. During the summer, traditional ‘Keel and Sloop' sailing barges berth at Ferriby and offer a glimpse into the past.
Further upstream the popular Glanford Boat Club benefits from their connection with Brigg Town. At Brandy Wharf the recently installed slipway allows small craft to access the upper river and navigate, with passage through Harlam Hill Lock, to the terminus at Bishopbridge.
Boats have travelled on the Ancholme for many hundreds of years and boating remains strong with other activities such as canoeing, rowing, angling and recently some successful quadrathlon events growing in popularity and importance.
If you're visiting the Ancholme look out for the historic bridges, seven of which are listed, and are best viewed by boat.