River Allen, Northumberland

{{Short description|River in Northumberland, England}} {{use British English|date=November 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox river | name = River Allen | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology =  | image = River Allen, taken from the Cupola Bridge at Whitfield - geograph.org.uk - 5753.jpg | image_caption = River Allen from the Cupola Bridge<br>{{Coord|54.926596| -2.313870|display=inline}} | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = United Kingdom Northumberland | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= Location within Northumberland

| subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United Kingdom | subdivision_type3 = County | subdivision_name3 = Northumberland | length = {{convert|5|mi|0}} | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = | source1_location = | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = | mouth = | mouth_location = | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|54.9771|-2.3115|display=inline,title}} | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = River Tyne | basin_size = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }}

The '''River Allen''' is a river in the English county of Northumberland. The river has its sources in the hills of the Northern Pennines, and is formed by the confluence of the East and West Allen rivers. The Allen is a tributary of the River South Tyne, which itself, a tributary of the River Tyne. The Allen was formerly very polluted from mining activity upstream, but remediation schemes have been implemented to allow the water quality to improve.

The river is home to a variety of wildlife including voles and otters.

==History== The Allen, which is {{convert|5|mi|0}} long, is a tributary of the River South Tyne.<ref name="CDE1">{{cite web |title=Allen from Source to West Allen |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023074710 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref> Whilst the derivation of the river name itself is unknown,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mawer |first1=Alan |title=The place-names of Northumberland and Durham |date=1920 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |page=3|oclc=176868326}}</ref> it gives its name to Allendale and Allenheads.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ekwall |first1=Eilert |title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names |date=1947 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |oclc=12542596 |page=6 |edition=3}}</ref> The river is classed as the ''Allen'' from a place called ''Water Meetings'', which is just south of Cupola Bridge, a grade II listed structure built in 1778.<ref name="BRADT"/><ref>{{NHLE|desc=Cupola Bridge|num=1370236|grade=II|accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref> Upstream of there, the water is formed by the River West Allen and the River East Allen, which are {{convert|9|km|order=flip}} and {{convert|22|km|order=flip}} respectively.<ref name="CDE2">{{cite web |title=West Allen from Wellhope Burn to Allen |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023074700 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="CDE3">{{cite web |title=Allen from West Allen to South Tyne |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB103023074720 |website=environment.data.gov.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref>

Allen Valley Angling and Conservation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allenvalleyanglers.co.uk/|title=Allen Valley Angling & Conservation – Information and news about fly fishing and conservation efforts on the River East Allen, Northumberland, North East England|work=allenvalleyanglers.co.uk|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> provides permits to fish the River East Allen and supports conservation efforts to improve fish stock and riverside access. The river is home to wild brown trout and visiting spawning sea trout, salmon and otters.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Henderson|first1=Tony|title=Watch: Northumberland otter family captured on film by National Trust|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/watch-northumberland-otter-family-captured-8461803|accessdate=21 November 2016|work=Newcastle Chronicle|date=16 January 2015}}</ref> Conservation work in 2010 including the removal of weirs that were no longer necessary and the introduction of fish passes to allow the fish further upstream than has been possible since Victorian times.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fish get pass to spawning ground |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=River%20Allen%20Northumberland&docref=news/1443F2EF994CF590 |accessdate=2 March 2020 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=13 February 2010|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2017, voles were released in the upper catchment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=Tony |title=Welcoming the water vole back to our rivers |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=River%20Allen%20Northumberland&docref=news/1650F7CDC6EDE148 |accessdate=2 March 2020 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=16 June 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The riverside is noted for its broadleaved woodland and walks through the gorges and valleys that the river flows through.<ref name="BRADT">{{cite web |title=Allen Valleys and Allen Banks woodland Travel Guide and Information {{!}} Bradt Travel Guides |url=https://www.bradtguides.com/destinations/british-isles/england/northumberland/allen-valleys-and-allen-banks-woodland.html |website=www.bradtguides.com |accessdate=2 March 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Allen Banks and Staward Gorge is upstream on this river from the confluence with the Tyne.<ref>{{cite web|author=bus |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/allen-banks-and-staward-gorge |title=Allen Banks and Staward Gorge |publisher=National Trust |date= |accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hall |first1=Gemma |title=Northumberland : including Hadrian's Wall and the coast : local, characterful guides to Britain's special places |date=2019 |publisher=Bradt |location=Chalfont St Peter |isbn=978-1-78477-608-4 |page=299 |edition=2}}</ref> The gorge is evidence of ice streams escaping during the Devensian period, which carved their way through the limestone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northumberland landscape character assessment: Landscape classification |url=https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/Planning-and-Building/planning%20policy/Studies%20and%20Evidence%20Reports/Landscape%20Green%20Spaces%20Studies/1.%20Landscape%20Character/Landscape-Character-Part-A.pdf |website=northumberland.gov.uk |publisher=Land Use Consultants |accessdate=2 March 2020 |page=11 |date=August 2010}}</ref>

During the winter of 2015/2016, Storm Desmond affected the river with severe flooding, which led to the woodland alongside the river being closed to the public. However, this in turn meant that more wildlife was noted around the river, including red squirrels, roe deer and more otters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Walk: Allen Banks, Northumberland |url=https://www.countryfile.com/go-outdoors/walks/allen-banks-northumberland/ |website=countryfile.com |accessdate=2 March 2020 |language=en |date=26 September 2019}}</ref>

The river has been subjected to pollution from mining activity in the Northern Pennine Orefield;<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jarvis |first1=Adam |last2=Mayes |first2=William |title=Prioritisation of abandoned non-coal mine impacts on the environment |journal=Future Management of Abandoned Non-coal Mine Water Discharges |date=2012 |issue=R12 |page=13 |doi=10.13140/2.1.1606.3524 |publisher=Environment Agency}}</ref> both rivers have had mining activity close to them, with Allen Smelt Mill being located on the south bank of the East Allen.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=Tony |title=The beautiful Northumberland landscape which was once a powerhouse of North East industry - How a quiet corner of Northumberland was once the home of a huge smelt mill, producing one tenth of the lead output of the whole of Europe |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=River%20Allen%20Northumberland&docref=news/16FDA74103E924F8 |accessdate=2 March 2020 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=20 November 2018|url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, further downstream on the River Tyne, the metalliferous pollution has promoted certain types of grasses to grow which thrive on lead and zinc ores in the water.<ref>{{cite web |title=Close House Riverside {{!}} Northumberland Wildlife Trust |url=https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/close-house-riverside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222201658/https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/close-house-riverside |url-status=usurped |archive-date=22 February 2020 |website=www.nwt.org.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref>

==Catchment and hydrometry== The main river drains an area of {{convert|21|km2|order=flip}}, but with the addition of the West and East Allen rivers, the total area is {{convert|130|km2|order=flip}}.<ref name="CDE1"/><ref name="CDE2"/><ref name="CDE3"/> The water quality ranges from moderate to poor on account of previous mining activity. Due to the amount of water that can be drained into the river, the steep nature of the valley walls and the "impervious geology" of the underlying rock, the river is noted to be a problem for flash flooding, which can lead to inundation problems downstream.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northumberland County Council Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment|url=https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/Planning-and-Building/planning%20policy/Studies%20and%20Evidence%20Reports/Flood%20Water%20Studies/1.%20SFRA%20Level%201/Level-1-SFRA-September-2010.pdf |website=northumberland.gov.uk |publisher=Scott Wilson |accessdate=2 March 2020 |page=9 |date=September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tyne Catchment Flood Management Plan |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289171/River_Tyne_Catchment_Flood_Management_Plan.pdf |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |publisher=Environment Agency |accessdate=2 March 2020 |page=22 |date=December 2009}}</ref>

Whilst there no gauging stations on the River Allen, there is one on the East Allen near Allendale. The normal range for the river there is between {{convert|0.18|m|order=flip}} and {{convert|0.52|m|order=flip}} in normal weather conditions. The highest level recorded was in November 2000, when the peak flow was measured at {{convert|1.95|m|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=River East Allen at Allen Mill Bridge: River level and flood alerts |url=https://riverlevels.uk/river-east-allen-allendale-allen-mill-bridge#.Xl0rZZMzYUE |website=riverlevels.uk |accessdate=2 March 2020}}</ref>

==Tributaries== *Linn Burn (r) *Hood's Burn (l) *Kingswood Burn (l) *Harsondale Burn (r) *Front Burn (l) *River West Allen (l) - source *River East Allen (r) - source<ref>{{cite map|title =Hadrian's wall |map =OL43 |year =2019 |scale =1:25,000 |series =Explorer |publisher =Ordnance Survey |isbn =9780319263624 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category inline|River Allen, Northumberland}}

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