About Scalby Beck
Information about this lovely beauty spot
History
In 1799 there was severe flooding in the area which prompted local landowners to seek a solution in the form of the ‘sea cut” which was built in 1804. This consisted of digging a canal to link the river Derwent at Mowthorpe to Scalby Beck which would channel excess flood water out to the sea at Scalby Mills and so prevent flooding at East and West Ayton.
Today Scalby beck (the sea cut) is fed by many small streams and becks draining water away from the hills on the western side of Scalby and Newby.
It runs from just beyond Mowthorpe farm where it joins the Derwent, to the sea.
Ecology
Scalby Beck is the only sea trout spawning waterway between the River Esk at Whitby and the Humber Estuary. Sea trout reach the spawning grounds via two fish passes. In common with just about every other waterway American signal crayfish are prevalent. Amongst other things they eat fish eggs and are in turn eaten by larger fish.Otters have been recorded on the beck, too as have attacks on sea trout by them.The lower reaches of the beck have been designated a site of importance for nature conservation.