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River Derwent | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United Kingdom |
Country within the UK | England |
Counties | Cumbria |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Styhead Tarn |
• coordinates | 54°28′41″N3°13′12″W / 54.478°N 3.220°W |
Mouth | |
• location | Irish Sea at Workington |
• coordinates | 54°38′58″N3°34′8″W / 54.64944°N 3.56889°W |
Discharge | |
• location | Workington |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | River Cocker, River Marron |
• right | River Greta |
The Derwent is a famous river in the county of Cumbria in the north of England; it rises in the Lake District and flows northwards through two of its principal lakes, before turning sharply westward to enter the Irish Sea at Workington
The name Derwent is shared with three other English rivers and is thought to be derived from a Celtic word for "oak trees" [1] (an alternative is dour "water" and (g)-went "white / pure". [2] The river's Old Welsh name was Derwennydd and it is believed to be to be the setting of the medieval Welsh lullaby Dinogad's Smock. [3]
The river rises at Sprinkling Tarn underneath Great End and flows in a northerly direction through the valley of Borrowdale, before entering Derwentwater, which it exits to the north just outside Keswick and is joined by the waters of the River Greta. The Derwent then enters Bassenthwaite Lake at its southern end; it exits it at its northern end, thereafter flowing generally westward to Cockermouth, where the River Cocker joins it from the south. William Wordsworth's childhood home in Cockermouth backed onto the Derwent, and he briefly mentions it in The Prelude:
... the bright blue river passed
along the terrace of our childhood walk;
A tempting playmate whom we dearly loved) [4]
From Cockermouth, the river continues westward past Papcastle, site of the Roman fort of Derventio, is joined by the River Marron near Bridgefoot and continues and onwards to Workington, where it flows into the Irish Sea.
The River Derwent was officially named by Sir Braelyn Smith in 1634 after he laid claim to the baronies of Allerdale.
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, Lancashire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Carlisle.
The Derwent is a river in Derbyshire, England. It is 50 miles (80 km) long and is a tributary of the River Trent, which it joins south of Derby. Throughout its course, the river mostly flows through the Peak District and its foothills.
Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is a lake in the Lake District in North West England, immediately south of Keswick. It is in the unitary authority of Cumberland within the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It is the third largest lake by area, after Windermere and Ullswater. It has a length of 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), a maximum width of 1.91 kilometres (1.19 mi), and an area of 5.4 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi). Its primary inflow and outflow is the River Derwent, which also flows through Bassenthwaite Lake before reaching the Irish Sea at Workington. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited. Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills, and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and there is an extensive network of footpaths in the hills and woods surrounding the lake.
Workington is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in Cumbria, England. At the 2011 census it had a population of 25,207.
Keswick is a market town and civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. Historically, until 1974, it was part of the county of Cumberland. It lies within the Lake District National Park, Keswick is just north of Derwentwater and is four miles from Bassenthwaite Lake. The parish had a population of 5,243 at the 2011 census.
Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cockermouth has a population of 8,204, increasing to 8,761 at the 2011 Census.
Buttermere is a lake in the Lake District in North West England. It has a length of approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) and a maximum width of 0.54 kilometres (0.34 mi), an area of 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi), a maximum depth of 28.6 metres (94 ft), and a surface elevation of 100.3 metres (329 ft) above sea level. Its primary outflow is Buttermere Dubs, a short stream which connects the lake to Crummock Water. From Crummock Water the River Cocker flows to Cockermouth, where it joins the River Derwent and finally enters the Irish Sea at Workington. The lake is in the unitary authority of Cumberland, and the ceremonial county of Cumbria.
The Coast to Coast or Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C) is a 140 miles (230 km) cycle route opened in 1994. Combining sections of National Cycle Route 7, 14, 71 and 72; it runs from Whitehaven or Workington on the west coast of Cumbria, and then crosses the Lake District and the Pennines in the north of England by using a variety of both on and off-road trails, ending on the north-east coast in Tyne and Wear at Sunderland or Tynemouth. Sustrans state that it is the UK's most popular challenge cycle route, it is designed for the whole range of cyclists, from families to cycling club riders. Although a challenge with some hard climbs—the highest point being over 609 m (1,998 ft)—the C2C is completed by an average of between 12,800 and 15,000 cyclists every year.
The River Cocker is a river in the Lake District in North West England, in the county of Cumbria. Its source is at the head of the Buttermere valley. It flows north through Buttermere and then Crummock Water, through Lorton Vale, to the town of Cockermouth, where it joins the River Derwent. It is roughly 12 miles (19 km) long. The river takes its name from the Brythonic Celtic word kukrā, meaning 'the crooked one.'
Crummock Water is a lake in the Lake District in North West England. It is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) wide, 140 feet (43 m) deep, and has an area of 2.5 square kilometres (0.97 sq mi). The lake's primary inflow is Buttermere Dubs, itself the outflow of Buttermere, and its outflow is the River Cocker, which meets the River Derwent at Cockermouth before entering the Irish Sea at Workington. It is in the unitary authority of Cumberland and the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It is in the parish of Buttermere, and its western shore forms part of the western boundary of the parish.
Loweswater is one of the smaller lakes in the English Lake District. The village of Loweswater is situated to the east of the lake.
Cumbrian toponymy refers to the study of place names in Cumbria, a county in North West England, and as a result of the spread of the ancient Cumbric language, further parts of northern England and the Southern Uplands of Scotland.
The River Greta is a river in Cumbria, England. It is a tributary of the River Derwent and flows through the town of Keswick. "Greta" derives from the Old Norse "Griótá", meaning "stony stream". The name is in records dating from the early 13th century, and also appears in Latinised form, as "Gretagila", at the time of Magna Carta.
Workington Bridge railway station was situated at the northern end of Workington Bridge next to the River Derwent, and was originally served by the Cockermouth and Workington Railway, later absorbed by the London and North Western Railway; the road at the north end of the bridge having to be raised to allow the railway to pass under it. It served eastern Workington, Cumberland, England.
Dearham is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. It lies about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Maryport and 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Cockermouth.
Camerton is a small village and civil parish in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. According to older maps, it was originally called "Camberton".
Great Broughton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Broughton, in the Cumberland district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. It caters strongly for visitors. The estimated resident population was 1,823 in 2017.
Workington was historically a part of Cumberland now Cumbria, an historic county in North West England; the area around Workington has long been a producer of coal, steel and high-grade iron ore.
Marron Junction railway station was a later addition to the Cockermouth and Workington Railway. It opened on 2 April 1866 with a single, eastbound, platform when the adjacent Marron Junction opened, two months before the company was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway.
Papcastle railway station was on the single track Derwent Branch of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway (M&CR) in the then county of Cumberland, now Cumbria, England.