River Mite

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Mite
Muncaster Mill Bridge over the River Mite - geograph.org.uk - 840286.jpg
The River Mite near Muncaster Mill
Cumbria UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth within Cumbria
Location
Country United Kingdom
Constituent country England
County Cumbria
Physical characteristics
Source 
  coordinates 54°25′47″N3°16′57″W / 54.42972°N 3.28250°W / 54.42972; -3.28250
  elevation550 metres (1,800 ft)
Mouth Irish Sea
  location
Ravenglass
  coordinates
54°20′17″N3°25′42″W / 54.33806°N 3.42833°W / 54.33806; -3.42833
  elevation
0 metres (0 ft)

The River Mite is a river in the county of Cumbria in northern England. The valley through which the river Mite runs is called Miterdale. [1] [2]

The name Mite is thought to be of British origin and related to a root such as 'meigh': to urinate or dribble, possibly a wry reflection of the relatively minor nature of the Mite.[ citation needed ]

The Mite rises on Tongue Moor, immediately below the peak of Illgill Head to the north west, at an altitude of around 550 metres (1,800 ft). After coalescing into a stream, the upper Mite runs over the waterfalls of Miterdale Head and descends into the narrow but steep-sided upper Miterdale valley. It then flows to the south west, past the Bakerstead outdoor pursuit centre. It flows to the north of both the village of Eskdale Green and Muncaster Fell, before reaching Muncaster Mill, just after which the river becomes tidal. Finally, the River Mite meets the River Esk and River Irt at the estuarine confluence of the three, near the ancient village of Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast. [1] [3]

Between Eskdale Green and Ravenglass, the Mite runs parallel to the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, and one of their steam locomotives is named after the river. Upper Miterdale formed one of the archetypes upon which Arthur Ransome based the valley of Swallowdale in the eponymous volume of Swallows and Amazons series of stories.[ citation needed ]

Tributaries

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References

  1. 1 2 OS Explorer: Map of The Lake District: South-western area (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN   9780319242452.
  2. Ekwall, Eilert (1960). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (4 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 328. ISBN   0-19-869103-3.
  3. "West Cumbria Rivers Trust (WCRT)". www.westcumbriariverstrust.org. Retrieved 8 April 2022.