What's the river called?
From Jack B
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
The Calder's tributary in Mytholmroyd that comes from up the Cragg Valley - what's it called! The Environment Agency refer to it as 'Cragg Brook' which you would think is the official name - yet many locals refer to it as 'Elphin Brook'. Are these two different rivers or one with two names?
From Andy C
Thursday, 18 August 2016
Mytholmroyd means "clearing where rivers meet", the rivers being Elphin Brook which comes down Cragg Vale and the River Calder.
From David Thompson
Thursday, 18 August 2016
Yes, that's what Mytholmroyd means, but what about Cragg Brook?
From Rob Blake
Friday, 19 August 2016
I think that the names Cragg Brook and Elphin Brook are interchangeable.
Years ago I did some research and the only place I could find a reference to the name was on Malcolm Bull's Calderdale companion:
"Aka The Elphin, Cragg Brook, Turvin Beck, and Turvin Clough. A stream which joins Withens Brook at Cragg Vale, and flows down through Dauber Bridge to join the Calder at Mytholmroyd. It forms the eastern boundary of Erringden. It has been suggested that the name means eel stream."
From Martin C
Thursday, 25 August 2016
For what its worth, Ordinance Survey maps refer to the river between Cragg Vale and Mytholmroyd as Cragg Brook and alongside the B6138 above Cragg Vale as Turvin Clough.