{{Short description|River in Cumbria, England}} {{Refimprove|date=February 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=February 2024}} thumb|Cunsey Beck between Esthwaite Water and Windermere '''Cunsey Beck''' is one of several rivers and streams that replenish the lake of Windermere in the English Lake District. Being just over two miles (3.2&nbsp;km) in length and generally slow flowing, the stream descends some 87 feet (27 m) from the southern end of Esthwaite Water, which it drains, to the western banks of Windermere near an island called Ling Holm.<ref name="fletcher">{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Joe |title='Disaster' as pollution strikes beck in Lake District |url=https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/20228917.disaster-pollution-strikes-cunsey-beck/ |access-date=16 February 2024 |work=The Westmorland Gazette |date=23 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

After flowing out of Esthwaite Water, the Cunsey Beck replenishes the small Out Dubs Tarn. Draining the tarn at its southern end, the beck then flows in a south-easterly direction between the conifer-wooded slopes of Grizedale Forest to the south and west, and the deciduous woodland of Bishop Woods to the north. Just before entering Windermere, the beck passes through the deciduous Cunsey Wood. Immediately before entering the lake, Cunsey Beck is crossed by a footbridge, which is part of a public footpath along a stretch of the western shore of Windermere.

In 2022 the beck was the scene of a major pollution incident and many fish were killed.<ref name=fletcher /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Laville |first1=Sandra |title=Huge loss of invertebrates detected in stream feeding into Windermere |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/23/invertebrates-decline-stream-cunsey-beck-lake-windermere |access-date=16 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=23 January 2024}}</ref> Local campaigners believe the cause was inadequately investigated at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Save Windermere demands Environment Agency reopens Cunsey Beck fish kill investigation |url=https://www.savewindermere.com/news/cunsey-beck-fish-kill-investigation |website=Save Windermere |access-date=16 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How events unfolded in the Cunsey Beck pollution cover-up |url=https://wildfish.org/latest-news/how-events-unfolded-in-the-cunsey-beck-pollution-cover-up/ |website=Wildfish |access-date=16 February 2024 |date=18 December 2023}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Cumbria}} *River Brathay *River Rothay *Trout Beck *River Leven

==References== {{reflist}}

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Category:Rivers of Cumbria 1Cunsey Category:Beck watercourses

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