River Leven, Cumbria

The River Crake is a short river in the English Lake District. The name probably derives from the Celtic languages (most likely Brythonic languages; ie Cumbric language) and means rocky stream. The river drains Coniston Water from its southernmost point and flows for about 6 miles (9.5 km) in a southerly direction before joining the upper estuary of the River Leven at Greenodd. The river is in the historic county of Lancashire, but in an area that formed part of the county Cumbria after the 1974 reorganisation of local government. The villages of Water Yeat, Blawith, Lowick Bridge, Spark Bridge and Penny Bridge are located close to the river in the Crake Valley. As well as receiving the outflow from Coniston the river also drains Beacon Tarn in the Blawith Fells above the southern end of Coniston. In the 19th century numerous industries including a cotton mill and iron foundry flourished along the river, making use of the fast flowing water to drive machinery. A bobbin mill at Spark Bridge, which manufactured wooden bobbins for the Lancashire cotton industry, used water-powered lathes to turn the wood. The factory survived into the 1970s using Gilkes water turbines to generate electricity and turn the lathes. The factory was eventually forced to close by the punitive water usage charges levied by the North West Water Authority. Today there are no obvious signs of any of the riverside industries. The Crake is a noted salmon river. The River Crake is the model for the Amazon River in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series of children's novels according to Hugh Brogan, although the Crake flows out of Coniston Water but the Amazon flows into the Lake. The Allan Tarn at the beginning of the river became the Octopus Lagoon.

Greenodd is a village in the Furness area of the county of Cumbria, England, but within the historical county of Lancashire. For local government purposes the village is also within the South Lakeland local area of Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. It is located 3 miles (5 km) north-east of Ulverston at the junction of the A590 trunk road and the A5092 trunk road. The village is just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park at 54°14′N 3°3′W (OS grid ref. SD 315825). Greenodd was within the Crake Valley area of South Lakeland District. The 2001 UK census, gives a population of 1823 for the Crake Valley. Greenodd and adjacent Penny Bridge are the main districts in the Crake Valley. The River Crake flows into the estuary of the River Leven at Greenodd.

Greenodd railway station was on the route between Ulverston and Lakeside, built by the Furness Railway. It served the village of Greenodd, then in Lancashire and now in Cumbria, England, and trains were withdrawn from 30 September 1946 but was not officially closed until 1955. Train movements through the station continued until 1965, with the closure of the line to Lakeside. A section of the line has reopened as part of the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, but the station itself has since been demolished and the trackbed between itself and to the south towards Ulverston used for road improvements. However, if you walk down by the embankment of the estuary, you will see the east side platform buried underneath the road grass verge, with some remnants of the back wall and shelter building visible as well.

Egton with Newland, sometimes written as "Egton-with-Newland", is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of the English county of Cumbria. It includes the villages of Greenodd and Penny Bridge, and the hamlets of Arrad Foot, Newland and Newland Bottom. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 898, decreasing at the 2011 census to 817.It has a joint parish council with the parishes of Mansriggs and Osmotherley.

St Mary's Church is on a site overlooking the villages of Penny Bridge and Greenodd, in the parish of Egton with Newland, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Furness, the archdeaconry of Westmorland with Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of St Andrew, Coniston, St Luke, Torver, St Luke, Lowick, and Holy Trinity, Colton.

Arrad Foot is a hamlet in South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. The hamlet is situated on a minor road just off the A590 road, with the village of Greenodd to the north, and the town Ulverston to the south.

Rusland Pool is a small stream or beck running through the administrative county of Cumbria. Before 1974, Rusland Pool was in Lancashire. The source of Rusland Pool is to be found in Grizedale Forest Park, where several streams draining Monk Coniston Moor and Hawkshead Moor converge near Jack Gap Plantation (where Rusland Pool is known as Grizedale Beck). The beck then follows a southerly course through Grizedale Forest Park, flowing past the settlements of Grizedale and Satterthwaite (where it collects Farra Grain, becoming Force Back) and being joined by Ashes Beck at Rusland, taking its name from this settlement, before continuing its course through the Rusland Valley, before its waters join the estuarine River Leven at Pool Foot near Haverthwaite. The name of the stream has not always been Rusland Pool - John Speed's 1610 map of Lancashire records the name as Foße fl. (i.e. River Fosse - cf the tributary Force Beck). In 2007, otters were found to have returned to Rusland Pool after many years absence.

Spark Bridge is a former mill village in Cumbria, England, within the Lake District National Park, and within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. The village is situated away from the main road on the river Crake which flows from Coniston Water to Morecambe Bay at Greenodd. The village green which is next to and gives access to the river is in the middle of the village surrounded by well maintained white painted cottages.

Holy Trinity Church is located to the east of the village of Colton, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Furness, the archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice has been united with those of St Andrew, Coniston, St Luke, Torver, St Mary the Virgin, Egton-cum-Newland, and St Luke, Lowick. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Colton is a village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 765, decreasing at the 2011 census to 672. It was historically part of Lancashire. Its name has been recorded as Coleton (which is Old English for 'village') and Coulton, and its existence has been recorded as early as 1202.The village is in the historical district of Furness and within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. It is about 2 km north of the A590 between Newby Bridge and Ulverston. The settlement is situated on an incline, at the top of which is Colton Church, which was built in 1575 and rebuilt 25 years later. Colton Beck, which runs beside the village, was once known as Cole, meaning 'hazel stream'. Three miles from the village there is an historic Quaker meeting house at Colthouse. The parish includes Finsthwaite, Lakeside, Oxen Park, Nibthwaite, Bouth, and Rusland within its boundaries.

Bouth is a village in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. Historically, it was part of the county of Lancashire. It is within the Lake District National Park. The village's pub, the White Hart, was shown in the short-lived 1990 ITV sitcom Not with a Bang.

Beck Bottom is a village in Cumbria, England.