The Holme of the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England is a tributary of the River Colne, West Yorkshire. The source is via Digley Reservoir, fed firstly by the run-off from Brownhill Reservoir, then by Dobbs Dike. Banks along the upper valley are mostly urbanised and are in the Holme Valley civil parish.
Course From Digley Reservoir, the river flows north-east through Holmbridge and Holmfirth. It flows NNE to Thongsbridge and Brockholes, then north to reach Honley, Berry Brow and Lockwood. In Honley it is crossed by the Grade II listed Honley Bridge, dated 1791. It wends northwards and joins the Colne (one of five rivers of that name) just south of Huddersfield town centre at Folly Hall.
The Environment Agency has a gauging station at Queen's Mill in Huddersfield, where the recorded average monthly levels are , versus . The record high is , in 2011.
Flooding
The river was prone to flooding, the earliest recorded in 1738. In 1840 the dam of Bilberry Reservoir was built over a stream, but the work had not been done properly and the stream not correctly redirected. Thus in February 1852, the reservoir broke its confines and flooded the valley as far as Holmfirth. It caused 81 deaths and the destruction of many homes and businesses.
Geography Natural upper catchment The top of the valley is surrounded by the high hills, wooded on their lower slopes, of Holme Moss, Harden Moss and Cartworth Moor.
Geology The underlying bedrock was laid down in the late Carboniferous period and is primarily of Millstone Grit with some sandstone interspersed with thin coal seams.
Lists
Tributaries Dobb Dike Black Sike Dike River Ribble Hebble Dike/Mark Bottoms Dike New Mill Dike Mag Brook Dean Clough
Settlements Holmbridge Holmfirth Wooldale Netherthong Thongsbridge Brockholes Honley Netherton Huddersfield
Road crossings A6024 Woodhead Road, Holmbridge Dobb Lane, Holmbridge Hollowgate, Holmfirth A635, Victoria Road, Holmfirth Bridge Lane, Holmfirth Miry Lane, Thongsbridge Smithy Place Lane, Brockholes A6024, Honley Northgate, Honley Magdale, Honley B6110, Armitage Road, Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield A616, Bridge Street, Huddesfield Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield
Gallery
See also Holmfirth Floods
References