Spark Bridge
Encyclopedia
Spark Bridge is a former mill village in Cumbria
, England
on the border of the Lake District National Park
. The village is small in population, due to the large amount of houses bought by tourists.
on the X 35, Barrow
taking the number 6 or, Millom and Broughton.
have recently placed a 30 mile per hour speed restriction on the village. Signs for these have recently been erected along with new signs reading the name of the village, these are located on all 5 main roads into the village
passes from Coniston Water
four miles away through Spark Bridge en route to the Leven Estuary.
On the first of November a small tributary over flowed, caused by the amount of water flowing into it from the fells at nearby Lowick. This caused the flooding of The Farmers Arms pub for over a month. The water also made its way into adjacent properties, flooding to the level of the downstairs windows. One property had its electricity supply severed by United Utilities as the resident was unavailable to turn it off themselves. The stream burst its banks due to blockage where it flows underground by debris from tress. This caused it to flow over the garden of Pocket Nook, down the road tearing it up as it went, down the drive of Dicky Crag destroying their drive. It then raced its way across two more properties before entering the River Crake at Sunny Glen. The wine cellar of the Royal Oak was flooded with water covering the tops of the beer barrels.
On a second occasion, the River Crake burst its banks and flooded several houses adjacent to the river. Some residents had to be rescued from their homes by an RAF Sea King helicopter. The river normally drops down at a weir like system, this time the river level stayed constant as it was so high and did not drop down the weir at all. It flooded the garden of Sunny Glen, damaged a pier and footbridge, and then flowed into the mill cottages and several barn conversions at full speed. A wall had to be cut out to let the water back into the river as it was filling up next to some of the homes. The village hall also flooded severely, the downstairs level was under several inches of water. The river road into the village became impassable, the river flowed over fields and then down the road at a considerable pace for a good 400 metres. Cumbria Police closed the main bridge on Thursday night around 7 p.m. to all on foot and in cars, they feared that the structure maybe considerably damaged as it was put under a huge amount of stress by the deluge of water.
Photos can be seen at - http://www.stridingedge.net/Walks/2009/11.November/20.11.09.htm
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...
on the border of the Lake District National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
. The village is small in population, due to the large amount of houses bought by tourists.
Facilities in the village
There are two public houses, The Royal Oak Inn is central to the village; this was awarded a 4 star food safety award in 2008. There is also Farmers Arms which is situated at the top of the village, next to the main road. The village also has its own postbox, a telephone box and a bus stop. The bus X 12 is run by Blueworks, and connects during the day with other local services to KendalKendal
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...
on the X 35, Barrow
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
taking the number 6 or, Millom and Broughton.
Speed restrictions
Cumbria County CouncilCumbria County Council
Cumbria County Council is the county council of Cumbria, a county in the North West of England. Established in 1974, following its first elections held a year before that, it is an elected local government body responsible for the most significant local services in the county, including county...
have recently placed a 30 mile per hour speed restriction on the village. Signs for these have recently been erected along with new signs reading the name of the village, these are located on all 5 main roads into the village
River Crake
The River CrakeRiver Crake
The River Crake is a short river in the English Lake District. The name probably derives from the Celtic language and means rocky stream. The river drains Coniston Water from its southernmost point and flows for about 6 miles in a southerly direction before joining the upper estuary of the River...
passes from Coniston Water
Coniston Water
Coniston Water in Cumbria, England is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is five miles long, half a mile wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet , and covers an area of . The lake has an elevation of 143 feet above sea level...
four miles away through Spark Bridge en route to the Leven Estuary.
2009 Flooding
During 2009 the village flooded twice.On the first of November a small tributary over flowed, caused by the amount of water flowing into it from the fells at nearby Lowick. This caused the flooding of The Farmers Arms pub for over a month. The water also made its way into adjacent properties, flooding to the level of the downstairs windows. One property had its electricity supply severed by United Utilities as the resident was unavailable to turn it off themselves. The stream burst its banks due to blockage where it flows underground by debris from tress. This caused it to flow over the garden of Pocket Nook, down the road tearing it up as it went, down the drive of Dicky Crag destroying their drive. It then raced its way across two more properties before entering the River Crake at Sunny Glen. The wine cellar of the Royal Oak was flooded with water covering the tops of the beer barrels.
On a second occasion, the River Crake burst its banks and flooded several houses adjacent to the river. Some residents had to be rescued from their homes by an RAF Sea King helicopter. The river normally drops down at a weir like system, this time the river level stayed constant as it was so high and did not drop down the weir at all. It flooded the garden of Sunny Glen, damaged a pier and footbridge, and then flowed into the mill cottages and several barn conversions at full speed. A wall had to be cut out to let the water back into the river as it was filling up next to some of the homes. The village hall also flooded severely, the downstairs level was under several inches of water. The river road into the village became impassable, the river flowed over fields and then down the road at a considerable pace for a good 400 metres. Cumbria Police closed the main bridge on Thursday night around 7 p.m. to all on foot and in cars, they feared that the structure maybe considerably damaged as it was put under a huge amount of stress by the deluge of water.
Photos can be seen at - http://www.stridingedge.net/Walks/2009/11.November/20.11.09.htm