{{Short description|River in Cumbria, England}} {{Other uses|Lowther (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox river | name = Lowther | image = RiverEamontAtBroughamCastle(SimonLedingham)Jun2004.jpg | image_caption = The River Lowther where it joins the [[River Eamont]] close to [[Brougham Castle]] | source1_location = the confluence of the Keld Gill and the Keld Dub near the village of Keld | mouth_location = confluence with River Eamont | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United Kingdom | length = | source1_elevation = | discharge1_avg = | basin_size = }} The '''River Lowther''' is a small river which flows through limestone rock in [[Cumbria]], [[England]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.penrithanglers.co.uk/River-Lowther.html|title=Penrith AA – River Lowther|website=www.penrithanglers.co.uk|access-date=2017-08-08}}</ref> It is a tributary of the [[River Eamont]] which in turn is a tributary of the [[River Eden, Cumbria|River Eden]] which flows into the [[Solway Firth]] near [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]]. The Lowther begins with the confluence of the [[Keld Gill]] and the [[Keld Dub]] near the village of [[Keld, Cumbria|Keld]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.knowledge.me.uk/areas/lakes/river_lowther.html|title=River Lowther|website=www.knowledge.me.uk|access-date=2017-08-08}}</ref> It flows north-west until it passes between Bampton and Bampton Grange, before turning north until it flows into the River Eamont close to Penrith.<ref name=":1" />

It is the main spawning area for Eden spring salmon, but is primarily a trout fishery.<ref name=":0" /> The river is held back by the Wet Sleddale dam, and so flows at a fairly consistent level (between 0.33&nbsp;m and 1.8&nbsp;m for 90% of monitoring time), with the highest level ever recorded at the River Lowther (2.93&nbsp;m) occurring at Eamont Bridge, Beehive, on Sunday 6 December 2015.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riverlevels.uk/river-lowther-yanwath-and-eamont-bridge-eamont-bridge-beehive-river-lowther|title=River Lowther at Eamont Bridge, Beehive, River Lowther: River level and flood alerts|website=www.riverlevels.uk|access-date=2017-08-08}}</ref>

Its name is recorded about 1175 as ''Lauder''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.poms.ac.uk/record/place/290/ | title = Place: Lauder | website = People of Medieval Scotland | access-date = 2020-06-30}}</ref> It may come from [[Common Brittonic|Brittonic]] ''lǭwadr'', "a washing or bathing place",<ref name="bliton">{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Alan |title=A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence |url=http://spns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Alan_James_Brittonic_Language_in_the_Old_North_BLITON_Volume_II_Dictionary.pdf |website=SPNS – The Brittonic Language in the Old North |accessdate=25 November 2018 |archive-date=13 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813011121/http://spns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Alan_James_Brittonic_Language_in_the_Old_North_BLITON_Volume_II_Dictionary.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> which would give it the same etymology as [[Lauder]], Scotland. Alternatively, it may come from [[Old Norse]] ''lauðr'' + ''á'', meaning "foamy river".<ref name="Sheard2011">{{cite book|author=K. M. Sheard|title=Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names for Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, Mages, Shamans & Independent Thinkers of All Sorts who are Curious about Names from Every Place and Every Time|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVyHTUQnnBgC&pg=PA362|year=2011|publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide|isbn=978-0-7387-2368-6|pages=362}}</ref>

==Settlements==

*[[Keld, Cumbria|Keld]] *[[Rosgill]] *[[Bampton Grange]] *[[Bampton, Cumbria|Bampton]] *[[Askham, Cumbria|Askham]] *[[Lowther, Cumbria|Lowther]] *[[Eamont Bridge]] *[[Brougham, Cumbria|Brougham]]

==Sights and attractions==

*[[Keld Chapel]] ([[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]]), Keld *[[Shap Abbey]], (English Heritage), near Shap *[[Askham Hall]], Askham *[[Lowther Castle]] *[[Castlesteads Ruins]], Yarnwath Woods *[[King Arthur's Round Table, Cumbria|King Arthur's Round Table Henge]], Eamont Bridge *[[Mayburgh Henge]], Eamont Bridge *[[Brougham Hall]] *[[Brocavum Roman Camp]] *[[Brougham Castle]] ([[English Heritage]])

==Tributaries== *[[Swindale Beck (Lowther)|Swindale Beck]] *[[Haweswater Beck]] *[[Gill Beck]] *[[Heltondale Beck]]

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Askham Bridge, River Lowther.JPG|The bridge over the Lowther at Askham </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

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[[Category:Rivers of Cumbria|Lowther, River]] [[Category:Eden catchment|2Lowther]]

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