River Brathay near Clappersgate - geograph

The Brathay is a river of north-west

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Its name comes from

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

and means ''broad river''. It rises at a point 1289 feet (393 m) above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

near the Three Shire Stone at the highest point of Wrynose Pass () in the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...

. Its catchment area includes the northern flanks of

Wetherlam Wetherlam (763 m) is a mountain in the English Lake District. It is the most northerly of the Coniston Fells, the range of fells to the north-west of Coniston village; its north-east slopes descend to Little Langdale. Topography Wether ...

Great Carrs Great Carrs is a fell in the England, English Lake District. It stands above Wrynose Pass in the Southern Fells, southern part of the District. Topography The Coniston (or Furness) Fells form the watershed between Coniston Water and the Duddon ...

and others of the

Furness Fells The Furness Fells (archaic: Fournisfels) are a multitude of hills and mountains in the Furness region of Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, the Furness Fells or High Furness is the name given to the upland part of Furness, that ...

, as well as a substantial area of the Langdale Fells. It flows through Elter Water, marking the division between its upper and lower catchments.

Upper Brathay catchment

The small stream at the top of Wrynose quickly gathers pace as it descends some 930 feet (283 m) in a distance of about two miles (3.2 km), running roughly parallel to, and south of, the Wrynose Pass road. Before flowing into Little Langdale Tarn it subsumes Bleamoss Beck, the outflow from Blea Tarn. Little Langdale Tarn is also replenished by the Greenburn Beck. The Brathay drains Little Langdale Tarn at its eastern side. It continues in an easterly direction, over Colwith Force where it falls 40 feet (12 m), before turning north and flowing into the tarn of Elter Water at an elevation of 187 feet (57 m) above sea level. Elter Water is also replenished by the Great Langdale Beck.

Lower Brathay catchment

The Brathay drains Elter Water and flows for about half a mile (0.8 km) in a south-easterly direction to Skelwith Force where it descends 15 feet (4.6 m). Passing under the A593 road at Skelwith Bridge, and continues in an easterly direction, to the hamlet of Clappersgate. After another quarter of a mile (400 m) it joins the River Rothay close to Croft Lodge south-west of

Ambleside Ambleside is a town in the civil parish of Lakes and the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Westmorland and located in the Lake District National Park, the town sits at the ...

before flowing into the northern end of

Windermere Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the List of lakes and lochs of the United Ki ...

. The stretches of the Brathay around Clappersgate and Skelwith Force are popular with

canoeists A canoe is a lightweight, narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ''canoe'' ca ...

History

For its entire length the River Brathay forms part of the boundary between the historic counties of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

. Since local government re-organisation in 1974 the Brathay has been within the

administrative county An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until 1973 in Northern Ireland, 2002 in the Republic of Ireland. They are now abolished, although most Northern ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

. The river also gives its name to the Brathay estate where the Brathay Exploration Group is based, just south of its confluence with the River Rothay on the edge of

, and is home to the Brathay Trust youth-development charity.

References

External links

* Maddock, Robert (2018) {{YouTube, YiAZ1a_JxXY, Brathay Paddle – A canoe paddle up the Brathay River Brathay, River Westmorland 1Brathay

Upper Brathay catchment

Lower Brathay catchment

History

See also

References

External links