River Eamont

The River Eamont winds through the northern edge of the Lake District, where it starts as the outflow from Ullswater. For its whole length it marks the old county line between Cumberland to the north and Westmorland to the south. Dacre Beck joins from the west and the River Lowther brings water from Haweswater before the Eamont reaches the Eden seven kilometres east of Penrith. The river has flooded many times, most recently during Storm Desmond in December 2015. The 300-year-old Pooley Bridge was swept away and a temporary crossing had to be built while repairs were made. Eamont Bridge, a Grade I listed structure, suffered damage but reopened in March 2016 after masonry repairs. A new permanent bridge replaced the temporary one in 2020. The Eamont is also home to one of Britain’s last strongholds of the endangered white-clawed crayfish. Its banks offer quiet walks beside farmland and moorland, with views of the fells in the distance. The river’s name comes from Old English and still points to the meeting of streams at Eamont Bridge.