River Gelt
Encyclopedia
The River Gelt is a river in Cumbria
, England
and a tributary
of the River Irthing
.
The source
of the Gelt is close to Cumbria's border with Northumberland
, where it rises (as New Water) at Butt Hill. The stream
runs down Geltsdale Middle in the direction of Cumrew Fell, before turning northwards.
After a short while, New Water is joined by Old Water in the King's Forest of Geltsdale. Old Water runs from Crookburn Pike. After the two streams combine, the river continues flowing to the northwest, passing between Talkin Fell and Castle Carrock Fell, then the villages of the same names.
Having flown through Greenwell and under the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
, the Gelt continues through Gelt Woods, overlooked by a Roman
inscription dating from 207 AD and known as "the written rock of Gelt". Other stories and legends are associated with Abraham's Cave. In 1570 it saw the Battle of Gelt Bridge, when Leonard Dacre
and his forces were defeated by Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
, cousin of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Gelt joins the River Irthing at Edmond Castle
, about 10 miles east of Carlisle.
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...
and a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Irthing
River Irthing
The River Irthing is a river in Cumbria, England and a major tributary of the River Eden.Rising in the hills around Paddaburn Moor in Border Forest Park, for the first 15 miles of its journey south it defines the border between Northumberland and Cumbria. After passing Butterburn Flow raised bog,...
.
The source
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
of the Gelt is close to Cumbria's border with Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, where it rises (as New Water) at Butt Hill. The stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
runs down Geltsdale Middle in the direction of Cumrew Fell, before turning northwards.
After a short while, New Water is joined by Old Water in the King's Forest of Geltsdale. Old Water runs from Crookburn Pike. After the two streams combine, the river continues flowing to the northwest, passing between Talkin Fell and Castle Carrock Fell, then the villages of the same names.
Having flown through Greenwell and under the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...
, the Gelt continues through Gelt Woods, overlooked by a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
inscription dating from 207 AD and known as "the written rock of Gelt". Other stories and legends are associated with Abraham's Cave. In 1570 it saw the Battle of Gelt Bridge, when Leonard Dacre
Leonard Dacre
Leonard Dacre was an English nobleman, one of the promoters of the Northern Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth.-Life:He was the second son of William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland and brother of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre....
and his forces were defeated by Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, of Hunsdon was an English nobleman.He was the son of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn and also the mistress to King Henry VIII of England...
, cousin of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Gelt joins the River Irthing at Edmond Castle
Edmond Castle
Edmond Castle is a nineteenth century structure north of the village of Hayton, Cumbria in England. The history of Edmond castle is intertwined with the Graham family....
, about 10 miles east of Carlisle.