River Lune
| Lune | |
| River | |
 The River Lune, Lancaster
|
|
| Country | England |
|---|---|
| Counties | Cumbria, Lancashire |
| Source | |
| - location | Wath, Ravenstonedale, Cumbria |
| Mouth | |
| - location | Plover Scar, Lancaster, Lancashire |
| - coordinates | 53°59′6″N 2°52′39″W / 53.985°N 2.8775°W |
| Length | 71 km (44 mi) |
| Wikimedia Commons: River Lune | |
The River Lune is a river in Cumbria and Lancashire, England.
It is formed at Wath, in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, at the confluence of Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck. The river then passes the remnants of a Roman fort near Low Borrowbridge at the foot of Borrowdale, and flows through south Cumbria, finally meeting the Irish Sea at Plover Scar near Lancaster, after a total journey of about 44 miles (71 km).
The valley of the Lune has three parts. The northern part between its source and Tebay is called Lunesdale, which is followed by the spectacular Lune Gorge through which both the M6 motorway and the West Coast Main Railway Line run. The part after the gorge in which the valley broadens out is known as Lonsdale.
Bridges over the Lune include the Devil's Bridge near Kirkby Lonsdale and the Lune Millennium Bridge in Lancaster, through which it passes. At Caton, about 5 miles (8.0 km) upstream from Lancaster, there is a cluster of three bridges (one stone road bridge and two disused iron rail bridges now used as foot/cyclepaths) at the Crook o' Lune. Here in a 180 righthand the Lune turns back on itself, followed by another lefthand 90 degree bend forming the shape of a shepherd's crook and creating a beauty spot which was one of the locations in the area painted by J. M. W. Turner.[1]
The Lune is now tidal only below Skerton Weir in Lancaster. Four bridges in close proximity cross the estuary in Lancaster: Skerton Bridge (road), Greyhound Bridge (built as rail but now carries a road), Lune Millennium Bridge (pedestrian) and Carlisle Bridge (carrying the West Coast Main Line railway) which is the presently most downstream bridge. A Lancaster Western Bypass has been under discussion for many years. If it ever proceeds, a new bridge downstream from Carlisle bridge would be built. This part of the Lune is also the site of the old Port of Lancaster. Probably a port from Roman Times, the Lancaster Port Commission was established in 1750[2] to improve navigation on the estuary. Between 1750 and 1767, St George's Quay and New Quay were built in Lancaster and in 1779 the decision was taken to extend port facilities closer to the Irish Sea at Glasson Dock.
Lancaster (and hence also Lancashire) is named after the Lune. The river is a County Biological Heritage Site.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
There are these theories about this river's name "Lune":
- From a Celtic word meaning "clean", "pure".
- Via Anglo-Saxon Ēa Lōn (ēa = "river") as a phonetic adaptation of a Celtic name referring to a Celtic god Ialonus who was worshipped in the area.[3]
[edit] Images
-
A November Morn in the Lune Valley by Reginald Aspinall
-
Devil's Bridge over the River Lune in Kirkby Lonsdale
-
Near the mouth of the Lune, at Sunderland Point
-
Lune at the Lune Millennium Bridge, with Lancaster in background
-
Disused railway bridge at the Crook o' Lune, once part of the "little" North Western Railway, now a cycle path
[edit] Tributaries
|
|
|
|
[edit] Notes
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: River Lune |
- ^ Crook of Lune, Looking towards Hornby Castle, Tate Collection, accessed 2009-08-15
- ^ http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/cnwrs/papers%20on%20the%20web/arch%20conf%20synopses%201996.rtf Dalziel N., The Port of Lancaster in the 18th Century, University of Lancaster - Archaeology Conference 2nd March 1996
- ^ Ian G. Smith, Some Roman Place-names in Lancashire and Cumbria, Britannia xxix (1998), 372-383
