River Bela
Encyclopedia
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. From there, it skirts around the town of Milnthorpe
to the south, before pouring into the River Kent
as it approaches its estuary
.
During World War II
a prisoner of war
camp was built beside the river at . After the war the camp became an open prison
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Cumbria
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...
. It is in the ancient county of Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
.
The river is formed by the confluence of 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....
and Stainton Beck
Stainton Beck
Stainton Beck is a watercourse in Cumbria, England.The source of the stream, then known as St. Sunday's Beck, is close to New Hutton, whence it passes Stainton, where it is renamed Stainton Beck....
at Overthwaite. From there, it skirts around the town of 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...
to the south, before pouring into 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...
as it approaches its estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp was built beside the river at . After the war the camp became an open prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.