River Lune
The
River Lune is a
river 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 (70 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 of 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.
For the fictional river in
J. R. R. Tolkien's
Middle-earth, see
Lhûn.
