Killington Beck
Encyclopedia
Killington Beck is a stream or beck in Cumbria
, England
about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long. It starts at a height of about 300 metres (984.3 ft) on Lambrigg Fell between Kendal
and Sedbergh
.
About 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from its source it is dammed and forms the Killington Reservoir or Killington Lake. The Lancaster Canal
were empowered by an Act of Parliament
obtained in 1807 to deviate from their original route, and to extract water from Farleton Beck, Stainton Beck and Crooklands Beck (later called Peasey Beck), rather than the River Mint
. They bought 35 hectares (86.5 acre) of land in 1810, in order to build the reservoir, but over-stretched themselves, and construction had to wait until they had raised more money. It was eventually completed in 1819. It now covers an area of 55 hectares (135.9 acre), as its banks have been raised several times. The M6 Motorway passes immediately to the west of the reservoir, and Killington Services, which is only accessible to southbound drivers, is situated on the bank. The services were built in 1972, soon after the motorway opened.
Below the dam, the water is not carried to the canal in an aqueduct
; the reservoir merely controls the flow in the beck. A small dam about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) downstream near Crooklands diverts water into the canal. By this time, the beck has become the Peasey Beck
which joins the River Bela
near Milnthorpe
and that in turn joins the River Kent
.
The reservoir offers fishing for rainbow
and brown trout
and of coarse fish: pike
, tench
, bream. Day tickets are available and the lake is easily accessible from the M6 motorway
. It is prohibited to enter the beck without a ticket and violaters will be prosecuted by the local officials.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long. It starts at a height of about 300 metres (984.3 ft) on Lambrigg Fell between Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
and Sedbergh
Sedbergh
Sedbergh is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about east of Kendal and about north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park...
.
About 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from its source it is dammed and forms the Killington Reservoir or Killington Lake. The Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
were empowered by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
obtained in 1807 to deviate from their original route, and to extract water from Farleton Beck, Stainton Beck and Crooklands Beck (later called Peasey Beck), rather than the River Mint
River Mint
The River Mint is a river in Cumbria, England. The Mint starts life at Whelpside at the confluence of Bannisdale Beck, running south-east from Bannisdale Head, and a smaller stream draining a group of small valleys from headwaters in The Forest, Combs Hollow and Mabbin Crag.The river runs south to...
. They bought 35 hectares (86.5 acre) of land in 1810, in order to build the reservoir, but over-stretched themselves, and construction had to wait until they had raised more money. It was eventually completed in 1819. It now covers an area of 55 hectares (135.9 acre), as its banks have been raised several times. The M6 Motorway passes immediately to the west of the reservoir, and Killington Services, which is only accessible to southbound drivers, is situated on the bank. The services were built in 1972, soon after the motorway opened.
Below the dam, the water is not carried to the canal in an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
; the reservoir merely controls the flow in the beck. A small dam about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) downstream near Crooklands diverts water into the canal. By this time, the beck has become the Peasey Beck
Peasey Beck
Peasey Beck is a watercourse in Cumbria, England.The source of the beck is on Lambrigg Fell between Kendal and Sedbergh though, for the first few kilometres, the beck is known as Killington Beck....
which joins the River Bela
River Bela
The River Bela is a short river in the county of Cumbria, England. It is in the ancient county of Westmorland.The river is formed by the confluence of Peasey Beck and Stainton Beck at Overthwaite...
near Milnthorpe
Milnthorpe
Milnthorpe is a large village within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. Straddling the A6 road, the town contains several old hostelries and hosts a market in The Square every Friday...
and that in turn joins the River Kent
River Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
.
The reservoir offers fishing for rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and of coarse fish: pike
Esox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
, tench
Tench
The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...
, bream. Day tickets are available and the lake is easily accessible from the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
. It is prohibited to enter the beck without a ticket and violaters will be prosecuted by the local officials.