River Eamont (Part 2)

A break in the rain and wind and we made it back to Pooley Bridge and I was able to take a picture of the outflow of Ullswater – as promised.
 
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District. It is around 8 miles long, but has three distinct reaches, so it is impossible to see the whole length from any point on the shore. It’s my favourite lake, which is perhaps as well as it is the one closest to where we live. It is a very popular place, especially in the summer time, when the water is thronging with boats and water sports of all kinds. Then there are the Ullswater ‘Steamers’ taking people from one landing stage to another, or all round the lake. On days like this, when you meet hardly a soul and nothing moves on the water except ducks and swans, it’s hard to imagine all the activity that will go on later in the year.
 
And this huge lake outflows and becomes the River Eamont. This picture, taken from the bridge at Pooley Bridge, shows the point at which this happens. In the distance you can see the lake with surrounding fells and then the narrow point at which the river flows out. Water levels in the lake are very high at the moment, because of all the rain we have had, and the river was flowing very fast and very wide as it approached the bridge on which I was standing. In fact, from what we could see as we walked by the side of the river, and as we drove back to Penrith, it would appear that the Eamont was breaking its banks and flooding fields along most of its length.
 
So this is the starting point of the journey of the Eamont. (to be continued)