Old Cumbria Gazetteer - Brathay, River

Brathay, River

runs into:-

Little Langdale Tarn, Little Langdale
Elter Water
Windermere lake

civil parish:-

Skelwith (formerly Lancashire)

civil parish:-

Lakes (formerly Westmorland)

civil parish:-

Coniston (formerly Lancashire)

county:-

Cumbria

locality type:-

river

1Km square:-

NY3503

1Km square:-

NY3303

10Km square:-

NY30

BMH01.jpg At Slater Bridge.
(taken 23.6.2006)
photograph

BMG91.jpg At Colwith Bridge.
(taken 23.6.2006)

evidence:-

old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 25 11)
placename:- Brathay, River

source data:-

Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
OS County Series (Wmd 26 9)
OS County Series (Wmd 26 10)
OS County Series (Lan 1 8)
"River Brathay"

evidence:-

old map:- Saxton 1579

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.

Sax9NY30.jpg
County boundary.
item:- private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Mercator 1595 (edn?)
placename:-

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandia, Lancastria, Cestria etc, ie Westmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire etc, scale about 10.5 miles to 1 inch, by Gerard Mercator, Duisberg, Germany, 1595, edition 1613-16.

MER5WmdA.jpg
""
double line with stream lines; river, running into Windermere lake, county boundary with Lancashire
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.3
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Speed 1611 (Wmd)

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, The Countie Westmorland and Kendale the Cheif Towne, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, 1610, published by George Humble, Popes Head Alley, London, 1611-12.

SP14NY30.jpg
double line, into Windermere; county boundary
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.5
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Jansson 1646

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.

JAN3NY30.jpg
Single wiggly line; county boundary.
item:- JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Ogilby 1675 (plate 96)

source data:-

Road strip map, hand coloured engraving, the Road from Kendal to Cockermouth, and the Road from Egremond to Carlisle, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by John Ogilby, London, 1675.

OG96m010.jpg
In mile 13, Westmoreland.
River alongside off the left of the road, running into lake Windermere.
item:- JandMN : 22
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Sanson 1679

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Ancien Royaume de Northumberland aujourdhuy Provinces de Nort, ie the Ancient Kingdom of Northumberland or the Northern Provinces, scale about 9.5 miles to 1 inch, by Nicholas Sanson, Paris, France, 1679.

click to enlarge
SAN2Cm.jpg
tapering wiggly line; river, county boundary
item:- Dove Cottage : 2007.38.15
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Seller 1694 (Wmd)

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorland, scale about 8 miles to 1 inch, by John Seller, 1694.

click to enlarge
SEL7.jpg
tapering wiggly line; river; county boundary
item:- Dove Cottage : 2007.38.87
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Morden 1695 (Wmd)
placename:- Brathey River

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorland, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695.

MD10NY30.jpg
"Brathey R"
item:- JandMN : 24
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Badeslade 1742
placename:-

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, A Map of Westmorland North from London, scale about 10 miles to 1 inch, with descriptive text, by Thomas Badeslade, London, engraved and published by William Henry Toms, Union Court, Holborn, London, 1742.

click to enlarge
BD12.jpg
""
tapering wiggly line; county boundary
item:- Dove Cottage : 2007.38.62
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Simpson 1746 map (Wmd)
placename:- Brathy River

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, Westmorland, scale about 8 miles to 1 inch, printed by R Walker, Fleet Lane, London, 1746.

SMP2NYF.jpg
"Brathy R."
Wiggly line; shown as the county boundary with Lancashire.
item:- Dove Cottage : 2007.38.59
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
placename:- Brathy River

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.

BO18SD29.jpg
"Brathy R."
wiggly line, into Windermere, county boundary Westmorland Lancashire
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Jefferys 1770 (Wmd)

source data:-

Map, 4 sheets, The County of Westmoreland, scale 1 inch to 1 mile, surveyed 1768, and engraved and published by Thomas Jefferys, London, 1770.

J5NY20SE.jpg

J5NY30SW.jpg

J5NY30SE.jpg
single or double wiggly line; river; county boundary
item:- National Library of Scotland : EME.s.47
Images © National Library of Scotland

evidence:-

descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821)

source data:-

Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.

goto source
Page 72:- "..."
"The principal feeders of Windermere-water, are the rivers Rothay and Brathay.- They unite their streams at the western corner of the head of the lake, below Clappersgate, at a place called the Three-foot-brander, and after a short course boldly enter the lake."

goto source
Rev Plumtre's Night Piece on Windermere, 1797
Page 229:- "..."
"Hark! along his rocky shore, / I hear impetuous Brathay roar; / In sullen majesty he leads, / Among the narrow winding meads, / His tributary tides. / Thee, Rothay, in thy course he meets, / Descending from thy flow'ry bed, / Swift to thee he fondly glides, / With strong embrace thy beauty greets: /"

goto source
Page 230:- "Then, with all your glittering train, / Together your proud course maintain, / And with imperial Windermere, / All your boastful honours share; / With loud acclaim, exulting, hail! / The monarch of the stately vale."
"Say, Brathay, as I walk your side, / List'ning to your murmuring tide, / What sights, what wonders have you seen, / Passing your barrier hills between? / View'd you old Langdale's solid towers, / And Elter-water's peaceful bowers; / Where the quarry's yawning scar / Hangs hideous in the midnight air! / Or, rather higher Langdale's rocks, / Hardknot and his mountain twin, / At whose rude base your streams begin, / Where the widely-straying floods, / And the fragrant smelling kine, / Their ample wealth combine, / And to their happy peasant's board, / A frugal, friendly meal afford; / Bestowing health and calm content, / The greatest blessing heaven has lent: / I heard you rattling through the wood, / and pass by Colwith's foaming flood; / His loose, dishevel'd, hoary head, / Affrighted, seeks a calmer bed, / Tumbling, from rock to rock, his course, / With wild majestic, sullen force; /"

goto source
Page 231:- "Till to his sister's [1] arms he flies, / And, wide-expanded to the skies, / On oozy bed supinely lies.- / Again behold him raise his head, / As if awaken'd from the dead, / Plumb down the rock of Skelwith dash, / With hoarse reverberated crash; / And, boist'rous boiling from below, / Again across the peaceful meadows flow."
"So the lorn maniac, in his moods, / Sullen o'er his sorrows broods; / With unaverted eye, he strays / Along the lonely desert ways, / With solemn, measur'd, thoughtful pace, / Despair depicted in his face: / Then starts, and with a stedfast gaze, / Replete with horror and amaze, / From rock to rock, from steep to steep, / Reckless he takes the dangerous leap; / Then scours along the level plain / Till, all his strength exhaust again, / He sinks upon the earth's cold breast, / Toil-worn, to take his broken rest."
"..."
"[1] The river Brathay is formed chiefly from two steams,- the one rising in Little Langdale, the other in Great Langdale, where it passes the Pikes and the slate quarry: these join in the small lake of Elter-water. Another of its feeders is the stream from Loughrigg Tarn, a very small but beautiful lake, in the bosom of the mountains, a little to the right of the road as you cross over from Elter-water, or Skelwith-bridge, to Grasmere. /"

goto source
Page 232:- "..."
"O Rothay! yours, and Brathay's stream, / Enfold (Well worth the Muse's theme) / A spot where Art with Nature vies / To catch the enraptur'd poet's eyes. / But be it most his pride to tell, / There Elegance and Virtue dwell; / There Hospitality is found / Dealing delight to all around, /"

goto source
Page 233:- "With innocence the hour beguiles, / And joys to see another's smiles."
"..."

evidence:-

old map:- Crosthwaite 1783-94 (Win/Ble)
placename:- Brathay River

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, An Accurate Map of the Grand Lake of Windermere, scale about 2 inches to 1 mile, by Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, Cumberland, 1783, version published 1819.

CT9NY30R.jpg
"Brathay R."
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.102
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- West 1784 map

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, about 1784.

Ws02NY20.jpg

Ws02NY30.jpg
The county boundary.
item:- Armitt Library : A1221.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Clarke 1787 map (Windermere N)

source data:-

Map, A Map of the Northern Part of the Lake Winandermere and its Environs, scale about 6.5 ins to 1 mile, by James Clarke, engraved by Samuel John Neele, 352 Strand, published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland and in London etc, 1787.

CLANY30R.jpg
The county boundary.
item:- private collection : 10.10
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions)
placename:- Brathey, River
item:- char; case char

source data:-

Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.

goto source
Page 154:- "..."
"Out of this lake there yearly passes up the river Routhey many very large trouts, and up the river Brathey great store of case, which are like char, but spawn at another season of the year. And although these two rivers do run a good way together in one channel before they disembogue into Windermere water, they are both very clear and bottomed alike, yet scarce ever any trouts are found in Brathey, or case in Rowthey. Some few salmon also, at the spawning season, come from the sea through the lake and up the river Rowthey, but none ever up the Brathey."

evidence:-

old map:- Cary 1789 (edn 1805)

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, Westmoreland, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Cary, London, 1789; edition 1805.

CY24NY20.jpg
river; county boundary

CY24NY30.jpg
river running into Windermere
item:- JandMN : 129
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old drawing:- Green 1790s-1820s

source data:-

Drawing, pen and wash, Confluence of the Rivers Rothay and Brathay, Westmorland, by William Green, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1810.

click to enlarge
PR1728.jpg

courtesy of Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal
item:- Abbot Hall : AH334.63
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Cooke 1802

source data:-

Map, The Lakes, Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 8.5 miles to 1 inch, engravedby Neele and Son, published by Sherwood, Jones and Co, Paternoster Road, London, 1824.

click to enlarge
GRA1Lk.jpg
tapering wiggly line; river
item:- Hampshire Museums : FA2000.62.5
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Laurie and Whittle 1806
placename:- Brathay River

source data:-

Road map, Completion of the Roads to the Lakes, scale about 10 miles to 1 inch, by Nathaniel Coltman? 1806, published by Robert H Laurie, 53 Fleet Street, London, 1834.

click to enlarge
Lw18.jpg
"Brathay R."
river; on county boundary
item:- private collection : 18.18
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Cooper 1808

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmoreland ie Westmorland, scale about 9 miles to 1 inch, by H Cooper, 1808, published by R Phillips, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London, 1808.

click to enlarge
COP4.jpg
tapering wiggly line; river; county boundary
item:- Dove Cottage : 2007.38.53
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Otley 1818

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, The District of the Lakes, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, 1818, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Jonathan Otley, Keswick, Cumberland, et al, 1833.

OT02NY30.jpg
item:- JandMN : 48.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Hall 1820 (Wmd)

source data:-

Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmoreland ie Westmorland, scale about 14.5 miles to 1 inch, by Sidney Hall, London, 1820, published by Samuel Leigh, 18 Strand, London, 1820-31.

click to enlarge
HA18.jpg
tapering wiggly line; river; county boundary
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.58
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
item:- fishing; char; trout

source data:-

Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.

goto source
Page 3:- "... The principal feeders of the lake [Windermere] are the Rothay, having its source in Grasmere; and the Brathay, issuing from Langdale. These two rivers unite their streams about half a mile before entering the lake; and a remarkable circumstance is, that the trout and char, both leaving the lake about the same time to deposit their spawn, separate themselves into the two different rivers; the trout making choice of the Rothay, and the char the Brathay."

goto source
Page 41:- "The becks of Great and Little Langdale combined form the Brathay, and those of Grasmere the Rothay, which unite in Windermere: ..."

evidence:-

descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843)

source data:-

Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.

goto source
Page 24:- "..."
"[Windermere] ... The chief feeders are the streams of the Rothay and Brathay, which unite at the landing-place. ... the bicipitous sources of the latter, rising in Langdale Head and Wry Nose, mingle their streams in Elter Water, and after dashing over Skelwith Force, flow gently to the lake. ..."

evidence:-

old drawing:- Aspland 1840s-60s

source data:-

Drawing, pencil, view from Holy Trinity, Brathay, Lancashire, by Theophilus Lindsey Aspland, 28 August 1845.

click to enlarge
AS0209.jpg
"from Brathay Church / Thursd. / Aug 28 / 45."
"see B.10. / p.13.70"
page number "7"
item:- Armitt Library : 1958.488.9
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old drawing:- Aspland 1840s-60s

source data:-

Drawing, pencil, view from the porch of Holy Trinity Church, Brathay, Skelwith, Lancashire, by Theophilus Lindsey Aspland, 20 August 1849.

click to enlarge
AS0118.jpg
"from the porch of Brathay ch. Aug 20. 1849"
item:- Armitt Library : 1958.487.18
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:- Brathay, River

source data:-

Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.

GAR2NY30.jpg
"Brathay R."
wiggly line, river; and county boundary
item:- JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Martineau 1855

source data:-

Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.

goto source
Page 19:- "..."
"Two rivers fall into the lake, uniting just before they reach it;- the Rothay, ... and the Brathay, which issues from Elterwater, a group of pools, rather than a lake, lying at the foot of the hills near Langdale. The valleys of the Rothay and the Brathay are separated by Loughrigg ..."

evidence:-

old map:- Prior 1874 map 1
placename:- Brathay, River

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving or lithograph? Winander Mere, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1874.

click to enlarge
PI03M1.jpg
"R. Brathay"
double line with stream lines; river
item:- private collection : 133.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, sepia, the River Brathay near Brathay, Skelwith, Lancashire, by Herbert Bell, photographer, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, River Brathay, Lancashire and Westmorland, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0420.jpg
stamped at reverse:- "HERBERT BELL / Photographer / AMBLESIDE"
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS74
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, Brathay Bridge, Clappersgate, Skelwith, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0192.jpg
stamped at rev:- "HERBERT BELL / Photographer / AMBLESIDE"
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS4
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old print:-
placename:- Brathay, River

source data:-

Print, uncoloured engraving, View on the River Brathay, near Ambleside, Skelwith, Westmorland, drawn by William Havell, engraved by E J Havell, 1800s-10s?

click to enlarge
PR0580.jpg
printed at bottom left, right, centre:- "Drawn by W. Havell. / Engraved by E. J. Havell. / VIEW ON THE RIVER BRATHAY, NEAR AMBLESIDE."
item:- Dove Cottage : 2008.107.528
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old print:-
placename:- Brathay, River

source data:-

Print, uncoloured engraving, View on the River Brathay, Westmorland, drawn by R R Reinagle, engraved by John Pye, 1800s?

click to enlarge
PR0297.jpg
printed at bottom left, right, centre:- "Drawn by R. R. Reinagle R.A. / Engraved by John Pye. / VIEW on the RIVER BRATHAY, near the Head of WINDERMERE, WESTMORELAND."
item:- Dove Cottage : 2008.107.297
Image © see bottom of page