Old Cumbria Gazetteer

Bela, River

runs into:-

Kent Estuary

civil parish:-

Beetham (formerly Westmorland)

county:-

Cumbria

locality type:-

river

1Km square:-

SD5079 (etc)

10Km square:-

SD57

10Km square:-

SD57

BPY96.jpg Downstream of Hang Bridge.
(taken 30.1.2008)
photograph

BVT89.jpg At Beetham, after a few wet days.
(taken 6.1.2012)

evidence:-

old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 46 3)
placename:- Beetha, River
placename:- Belah, 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.
"River Belah / Ordinary Spring Tides flow to this point"

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.
"River Beetha"

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.
"River Beetha"

evidence:-

old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760

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.

BO18SD37.jpg
double line with stream lines, river mouth, into the Kent Estuary
item:- Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Jefferys 1770 (Wmd)
placename:- Beelo River

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.

J5SD58NW.jpg

J5SD58SW.jpg

J5SD57NW.jpg
"Beelo River"

J5SD48SE.jpg
single or double wiggly line; river
item:- National Library of Scotland : EME.s.47
Images © National Library of Scotland

evidence:-

old map:- West 1784 map
placename:- Beela River

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.

Ws02SD47.jpg

Ws02SD57.jpg
item:- Armitt Library : A1221.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions)
placename:- Byth Water
placename:- Betham, River

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.

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Page 153:- "..."
"... "... By Bytham runneth Byth water, a pretty river." Below at the mouth of the river Betham is Milthorp, ..."

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.

CY24SD48.jpg
river running into the Kent Estuary
item:- JandMN : 129
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

road book:- Cary 1798 (2nd edn 1802)
placename:- Beloo, River

source data:-

Road book, itineraries, Cary's New Itinerary, by John Cary, 181 Strand, London, 2nd edn 1802.

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click to enlarge
C38315.jpg
page 315-316 "Cross the Beloo River."
item:- JandMN : 228.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Capper 1808
placename:- Betha, River

source data:-

Gazetteer, A Topographical Dictionary of the United Kingdom, compiled by Benjamin Pitts Capper, published by Richard Phillips, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London, 1808; published 1808-29.

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"[Milnthorpe] ... on the river Betha, which soon after joins the Ker near its mouth, and over which is a handsome stone bridge. In the neighbourhood are 2 paper mills. ..."

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:-

descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
placename:- Belo, River

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.

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Page 41:- "The Kent ... enters the sea near Milnthorp, where it is joined by the Belo."

evidence:-

old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:- Beetha, 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.

GAR2SD58.jpg
"Beetha R."
wiggly line, river
item:- JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913)
placename:- Peetha, River

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District Mining Field, Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by John Postlethwaite, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.

PST2SD58.jpg
"River Peetha"
wiggly line, running into Kent Estuary
item:- JandMN : 162.2
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- LMS 1920s maps
placename:- Beela, River

source data:-

Railway map, lithograph, 23 pages of strip maps, The Journey in Brief, the Route London to Carlisle, published by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, LMS, 1920s.