The River Ouse has been used for transporting people and goods since the ice age. The Romans had a wharf further up the River Foss and later the Vikings used the river first to plunder and then to settle and trade.
Alcuin, the 10th century Anglian scholar wrote of ‘flowery meadows’ leading to the ‘high walls and lofty towers’ of the city.In 1066 a Viking army sailed up as far as Riccall before marching on to York and the battle of Fulford, the first of three battles that year that led to the Norman Conquest.
Trade with Europe led to York becoming the second richest city in the land. However the river at that time was tidal all the way to York and as ships became larger, York gave way to Hull as the sea port. Goods would be loaded onto smaller shops or barges to continue up the Ouse.
In 1857 Naburn was built maintaining water levels back up to the city but the lock was too narrow for the larger ships and goods continued to be brought up to the city in barges from Hull.
The opening of the East Coast Main Line route from Selby to York was a further blow to the river trade which could soon only compete with rail and later road in the transport of bulk goods where time was not of the essence.
A short lived attempt to deliver newsprint to the York Press site on the River Foss was the last commercial use of the river for the transport of goods and the River Ouse is now only used for recreation.
The Solar System Greenway crosses the River Ouse between Naburn and Bishopthorpe and users often stop to watch the sailing club boats that are parked beneath the iconic swing bridge. Although no longer in use the bridge is the twin of the bridge at Selby which is still in use.
Thanks to Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Group for these notes. More of their work on the history of the Rivers Foss and Ouse can be found in the archive.