Firbank

Many thanks to The Waterside Caravan Park for facilitating The Farson Digital’s water level monitoring location and to The Lune Rivers Trust for capitally funding its installation. The River Lune is a significant watercourse located in Cumbria and Lancashire, England. Its formation occurs at Wath, situated in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, where the Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck converge. Progressing from this point, the river passes by the remains of a Roman fort near Low Borrowbridge, nestled at the foot of Borrowdale. It then flows through the southern region of Cumbria before reaching its destination at Plover Scar near Lancaster, where it meets the Irish Sea. The entirety of its journey spans approximately 44 miles.The Lune valley can be divided into three distinct parts. The northern segment between its source and Tebay is referred to as Lunesdale, followed by the remarkable Lune Gorge. This gorge serves as a passage for both the M6 motorway and the West Coast Main Railway Line. Beyond the gorge, the valley expands, and this particular section is known as Lonsdale.A notable feature in the vicinity is the Waterside Viaduct, located in Firbank, England. Concealed within the agricultural lands of rural Cumbria, this railway bridge stands as a relic of the past. Erected during the mid-19th century, the viaduct spans a valley and the River Lune in a remarkable manner. It stretches an impressive length of 530 feet and rises approximately 100 feet above the river below.Originally constructed by the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway between 1858 and 1861, the bridge formed a crucial part of the Ingleton Branch Line. Initially intended to be a significant component of the main railway line connecting London and Scotland, it ultimately served only a handful of small, rural towns. Due to conflicts among competing railway companies, trains terminated at the nearby Ingleton station, forcing passengers to descend one side of a steep valley and ascend the other to continue their journey, despite the presence of the awe-inspiring bridge between the two stations. As the stations were situated far from the towns they were meant to serve, and with the decline in freight usage, service on the line was ultimately discontinued in 1964. Today, the bridge remains nestled amidst farmland, largely forgotten, yet preserving a testament to its historic significance.