River Riccal
| River Riccal | |
|---|---|
Footbridge over the river Riccal 54°18′3.38″N 1°3′28.26″W / 54.3009389°N 1.0578500°W | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Confluence of Bonfield Gill and Bogmire Gill near Helmsley |
| • coordinates | 54°17′52″N 1°3′40″W / 54.29778°N 1.06111°W |
| • elevation | 130 metres (430 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | River Rye |
• coordinates | 54°12′14″N 0°54′58″W / 54.20389°N 0.91611°W |
• elevation | 24 metres (79 ft) |
| Length | 18.36 km (11.41 mi) |
| Basin size | 57.6 km2 (22.2 sq mi) |
The River Riccal is a river of North Yorkshire, England, lying within the North York Moors National Park. It is a tributary of the River Rye, which in turn is a tributary of the River Derwent. The name originates in the fourteenth century as Ricolvegraines means Rye Calf, where Calf is a small island near a larger one. This describes the way the river, and those nearby, form islands as their nature changes due to meandering.
Some writers have misspelled the river Riccall, possibly in confusion with an unconnected village in North Yorkshire. The Riccal name was also the name of a Rural District before 1935. The river is under the management of the Rye Internal Drainage Board, a member of the Vale of Pickering IDBs.