River Lune

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Lune
River
none The Lune , with the local road, M6 motorway, and West Coast Main Line railway sharing the valley with the river
The Lune , with the local road, M6 motorway, and West Coast Main Line railway sharing the valley with the river
Country England
Source Wath, Cumbria
Length 71 km (44 mi)
Near the mouth of the Lune, at Sunderland Point
Near the mouth of the Lune, at Sunderland Point
Lune Millennium Bridge, with Lancaster in background and Ashton Memorial on skyline
Lune Millennium Bridge, with Lancaster in background and Ashton Memorial on skyline
For the fictional river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, see Lhûn.

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 upstream from Lancaster, there is a cluster of three bridges (one stone road bridge and two disued 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.

Lancaster (and hence also Lancashire) is named after the Lune. The river is a County Biological Heritage Site.

[edit] Tributaries

  • Janson Pool (draining Glasson Marsh near Glasson)
  • Wood Bridge Pool (draining Lades Marsh near Sunderland)
  • Lades Pool (via Lades Marsh, from Overton)
  • Chapel Pool (east of Overton)
  • River Conder
  • Brant Beck (near Ashton Hall)
  • Colloway Pool (opposite Stodday)
  • Peggymarsh Pool
  • Oxcliffe Pool
  • Newton Beck (at Newton in Lancaster)
  • Howgill Brook (at Beaumont in Lancaster)
  • Cote Beck (just west of Halton)
  • Denny Beck (opposite Halton)
  • Halton Green Beck
    • Monkley Gill Beck
  • Escow Beck (at Crook o'Lune)
    • Deys Beck
  • Artle Beck (near Caton)
    • Foxdale Beck
      • Crossgill Beck
      • Ragill Beck
        • Closegill Beck
      • Whitespout Gutter
      • Rushbed Gutter
    • Udale Beck
      • Sweet Beck
      • Bellhill Clough
      • Oval Syke
  • Highfield Beck
  • Bull Beck (near Brookhouse)
    • Kirk Beck
    • Tarn Brook
      • Traitor's Gill
  • Mears Beck
  • Westend Beck
    • Barncroft Beck
  • Clunter Beck (at Aughton)
  • Claughton Beck
    • Farleton Beck
  • River Wenning
  • Gressingham Beck (near Gressingham)
    • High Dam Beck
  • Spinks Gill Beck
  • Thrush Gill (in Thrush Gill Wood)
  • Old Lune
  • Bains Beck (near Arkholme)
  • Newton Beck
  • River Greta
  • Leck Beck
  • Sellet Mill Beck
  • Barbon Beck
    • Aygill
      • Hazel Sike
    • Barkin Beck
  • Ashdale Gill
  • Toss Beck
  • Luge Gill
    • Brow Gill
    • Wrestle Gill
  • River Rawthey
  • Crosdale Beck
  • Chapel Beck
    • Bram Rigg Beck
    • Calf Beck
    • Long Rigg Beck
  • Fairmile Beck
  • Carlin Gill
  • Borrow Beck
    • Crookdale Beck
  • Roundthwaite Beck
  • Birk Beck
    • Bretherdale Beck
    • Wasdale Beck
  • Chapel Beck
  • Tebay Gill
  • Rais Beck
  • Ellergill Beck
  • Langdale Beck
    • Churngill Beck
      • Udale Beck
  • Cote Beck
  • Bowderdale Beck
  • Sandwath Beck
    • Greenside Beck
      • Dale Gill
  • Weasdale Beck
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