List of crossings of the River Swale

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This article lists the current bridges and crossings over the River Swale in North Yorkshire, from the river’s mouth back toward its source. The Swale starts where Birkdale Beck meets Great Sleddale Beck (SE473604) and flows about 70 miles (110 km) to join the River Ure near Myton-on-Swale; the Ure later becomes the River Ouse. The list covers permanent bridges and crossings only; it does not include non-bridge structures like the conveyor belt at Killerby Quarry east of Catterick village.

Over the years some crossings have disappeared, especially old railway bridges. For example, the Leeds & Thirsk Railway crossing just north of Topcliffe is gone. Hoggarth's Bridge, a two-arched crossing above Wain Wath Force, was swept away in 1899 and was replaced a little downstream by High Bridge. The Gunnerside bridge was swept away in a flood in 1890, and the Reeth suspension bridge (installed in 1925) was swept away in a flood in 2000. Flooding is known on the Swale; the Grinton bridge can flood to 18 feet (5.5 m), sometimes leaving only the tops of the parapets visible. Like other Northern England river crossings, many bridges were built where fords once stood; Scabba Wath Bridge is one such example. Wath comes from the Old Norse word vað meaning ford.