Killington Beck

Killington Beck
Map showing the location of Killington Beck within Cumbria

Killington Beck (grid reference SD 590 910) is a brook or beck in Cumbria, England about 9.3 miles (15.0 km) long. It starts at a height of about 980 feet (300 m) on Lambrigg Fell between Kendal and Sedbergh.[1]

About 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from its source it is dammed and forms the Killington Reservoir or Killington Lake. The Lancaster Canal were empowered by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1807 to deviate from their original route, and to extract water from Farleton Beck, Stainton Beck and Crooklands Beck (later called Peasey Beck), rather than the River Mint. They bought 86 acres (35 ha) of land in 1810, in order to build the reservoir, but over-stretched themselves, and construction had to wait until they had raised more money. It was eventually completed in 1819. It now covers an area of 140 acres (57 ha), as its banks have been raised several times.[2] The M6 Motorway passes immediately to the west of the reservoir, and Killington Services, which is only accessible to southbound drivers, is situated on the bank. The services were built in 1972, soon after the motorway opened.[3]

Below the dam, the water is not carried to the canal in an aqueduct; the reservoir merely controls the flow in the beck. A small dam about 6 miles (9.7 km) downstream near Crooklands diverts water into the canal. By this time, the beck has become the Peasey Beck which joins the River Bela near Milnthorpe and that in turn joins the River Kent.[4]

The reservoir offers fishing for rainbow and brown trout and of coarse fish: pike, tench and bream. Day tickets are available and the lake is easily accessible from the M6 motorway. It is prohibited to enter the beck without a ticket and violaters will be prosecuted by the local officials.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey, 1:25000 map, Sheet OL2
  2. ↑ Hadfield and Biddle (1970), pp.192-193
  3. ↑ Motorway Services Online, Killington Lake, accessed 2010-10-14
  4. ↑ Ordnance Survey, 1:25000 map, Sheet OL7
  5. ↑ Kent (Westmorland) Angling Association, Killington Lake Reservoir, accessed 2010-10-14

Bibliography

  • Charles Hadfield; Gordon Biddle (1970). The Canals of North West England, Vol 1 (pp.1-236). David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4956-2. 

External links

Coordinates: 54°18′47″N 2°37′54″W / 54.31294°N 2.63171°W / 54.31294; -2.63171

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