River Kent

The River Kent rises in the hills around Kentmere within the Lake District National Park. It flows south for about thirty-two kilometres through villages such as Staveley and Kendal before reaching Morecambe Bay. Near Sedgwick the river cuts through a rock gorge that creates several low waterfalls, a stretch favoured by kayakers when recent rain swells the flow. The river has powered mills since the 13th century. Kentmere Reservoir was built in 1848 to keep water levels steady for downstream mill owners. Corn, bobbin, paper, woollen and snuff mills once lined its banks, and some still generate hydroelectricity today. The remains of a gunpowder mill stand within Low Wood caravan park, a reminder of the river’s industrial past. Kendal’s centre lies close to the river, which has flooded the town in 1898, 1954, 1968 and again in 2015. After the 1968 flood a six-stage defence scheme widened and deepened the channel and created a lagoon to trap gravel. The Environment Agency later proposed new defences. The Kent is a Special Area of Conservation, supporting white-clawed crayfish and game fish, while fish passes built in 1986 have helped young salmon reach the upper reaches.