Lakeland Morning at Newby Bridge:
A beautiful frosty morning at Newby Bridge.
Here Newby Bridge crosses the River Leven, which flows out of Lake Winderemere.
The stone bridge has five arches dates back to 1651 and has always been a significant crossing point for travellers going up the west side of Windermere towards Lakeside and Hawkshead.
Today, the bridge gets congested with traffic, but the distinctive triangular gaps provide a refuge for walkers across the bridge.
The Swan Hotel is a 17th-century inn on the banks of the River Leven with 300 yards of river frontage. It is full of character and charm with luxury rooms, cottages, and suites.
The hotel was once an important staging post and, in the nineteenth century became a key place in the tourist industry.
Over the years, it has been extended considerably and today it is known as a luxury hotel and spa.
The riverside terrace is delightful if you fancy a drink overlooking the river.
Due to its position at the southern end of Windermere and on the banks of the River Leven, the hotel is prone to flooding.
The area around Newby Bridge is home to a number of attractions including the Lakes Aquarium and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.
At one time, Cartmel Priory had a flour mill on the banks of the River Leven, which flows out of Windermere into Morecambe Bay.
Today, the old flour mill has become the Whitewater Hotel and time-share lodges, collectively known as ‘The Lakeland Village’.
Windermere is not only the largest lake in England (nearly 18km long and, at its widest point 2km across).
Newby Bridge is at the southern tip of Windermere and close to Fell Foot Park and Gummers How.
The shores of the southern reaches are well-wooded with hardwoods.
The most famous and long-lasting of local furnaces was sited here in 1711. The Backbarrow Iron Furnace, with its famous ironmaster – John Wilkinson, operated from here, making him the greatest ironmaster of the eighteenth century. The remains can still be seen if you turn off the A590 at Backbarrow.
If you are looking for a holiday cottage near Newby Bridge make your enquiry here.
