The River Lathkill is a river in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England.
| Lathkill | |
|---|---|
 Tufa dam, River Lathkill | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Counties | Derbyshire |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Lathkill Head nr Monyash |
| • coordinates | 53°11′22″N 1°44′47″W / 53.1895°N 1.7463°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | River Wye nr Rowsley |
• coordinates | 53°11′19″N 1°38′21″W / 53.1887°N 1.6392°W |
| Length | 10.5 km (6.5 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | River Bradford, Ivy Bar Brook |
| Progression : Lathkill—Wye—Derwent—Trent—Humber—North Sea | |
First recorded in 1280, the name "Lathkill" possibly has Scandinavian roots, the old Norse hlada-kill translating as "narrow valley with a barn".[1]
Course
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In times of high rainfall the source of the river is Lathkill Head Cave (SK170658), but in normal conditions the river rises from springs slightly further down the Lathkill Dale valley,[2] close to the village of Monyash, west of Bakewell, and flows generally eastward past the village of Over Haddon and through the village of Alport (where it is joined by the River Bradford) until it meets the River Wye near Rowsley. Roughly six and a half miles from source to outfall, it is the only river in the district that flows over limestone for its entire length.[3]
The medieval Conksbury Bridge (SK211656) now carries the road from Bakewell to Youlgreave.
History
editThe dale has a history of lead mining, and among the trees on the north side of the valley are the remains of the 19th-century Mandale Mine, including an old aqueduct and the ruined pump house,[2] used as one of the last attempts to keep the mines drained and workable.
The water in the river is often clear, and Charles Cotton wrote in The Compleat Angler that it is:
... by many degrees, the purest and most transparent stream that I ever saw, either at home or abroad, and breeds, it is said, the reddest and best Trouts in England.[4]
Indeed, when the river is at its clearest the fish can be seen from one bank across to the other.
The river valley, known as Lathkill Dale, is popular with tourists who visit for its natural environment and wildlife.[citation needed]
Much of the river itself, and sections of the river valley, fall within the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve[2] and the Lathkill[5] and Upper Lathkill SSSIs.[6] Among the species that thrive there are brown trout, dipper, and the rare wild plant Jacob's ladder.
Through the use of Bluetooth, it is now possible at particular locations in the nature reserve for visitors to download pictures of flowers and birds, and also examples of birdsong, onto their mobile phones.
The dale was used as a filming location for The Princess Bride.[7][8]
Access
editThere are car parks at Over Haddon, Moor Lane, Youlgrave and Conksbury Bridge, and bus services run from Over Haddon, Monyash and Youlgreave.
See also
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References
edit- ^ White Peak Walks, The Northern Dales, Mark Richards, 1985 ISBN 0-902363-53-0
- ^ a b c "Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve (NE154)". Natural England. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Derbyshire Dales NNR". Natural England. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ Walton, Izaak (16 April 2013) [1653]. The Compleat Angler. Read Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-4465-4793-9. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Lathkill" (PDF) (SSSI citation). Natural England. 1972. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Upper Lathkill" (PDF) (SSSI citation). Natural England. 1989. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ Fox, Caroline (11 October 2020). "Where The Princess Bride Was Filmed: All Locations". Screen Rant. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "The Princess Bride Locations". LatLong.net. Retrieved 23 April 2021.