River Brathay

The small stream at the top of Wrynose quickly gathers pace as it descends some 930 feet (283 m) in a distance of about two miles (3.2 km), running roughly parallel to, and south of, the Wrynose Pass road.

[1] The Brathay drains Elter Water and flows for about half a mile (0.8 km) in a south-easterly direction to Skelwith Force where it descends 15 feet (4.6 m).

Passing under the A593 road at Skelwith Bridge, and continues in an easterly direction, to the hamlet of Clappersgate.

After another quarter of a mile (400 m) it joins the River Rothay close to Croft Lodge south-west of Ambleside before flowing into the northern end of Windermere.

[2] For its entire length the River Brathay forms part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Westmorland.