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Spark Bridge is a village in Cumbria, England, within the Lake District National Park, and within the historic boundaries of Lancashire.[1] The former mill village is situated away from the main road on the River Crake which flows from Coniston Water to Morecambe Bay at Greenodd. The village green which is next to and gives access to the river is in the middle of the village surrounded by well maintained white painted cottages.
| Spark Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Road into Spark Bridge from the north | |
  Spark Bridge Location in South Lakeland  Spark Bridge Location within Cumbria | |
| OS grid reference | SD305849 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ULVERSTON |
| Postcode district | LA12 |
| Dialling code | 01229 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Most of the village is in the civil parish of Egton with Newland, which has a joint parish council with Mansriggs and Osmotherley;[2] an area including the Farmer's Arms pub is in the adjacent parish of Lowick, to the north, and the area east of the River Crake is in the parish of Colton.
History
editSpark Bridge bobbin mill, using power from the river, employed 60 people in the 1857, at which time it produced "1800 gross" (ie 1800x144 =259,200) bobbins per week.[3] The mill diversified after the cotton industry declined, and was active for much of the 20th century.[4]
Facilities
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There are two public houses, The Royal Oak Inn at the centre of the village, and The Farmers Arms, a listed building rescued in 2021 by local arts charity Grizedale Arts, supported by loan stock investors and local and international donors. The diversified pub now offers crafts classes, talks and events and a holiday apartment as well as a bar, restaurant, cafe and outdoor pizza oven.[5][6] The village also has its own postbox, a telephone box and a bus stop. The bus X 12 runs Monday to Saturday to Coniston or in the other direction to Ulverston and Barrow in Furness.
Canoeists use the village green to leave the river at this point, often using the nearby village hall as a base.
River Crake
editThe River Crake passes from Coniston Water four miles away through Spark Bridge en route to the Leven Estuary.
In November 2009 many of the tributaries feeding the River Crake overflowed, feeding water on the local road network. It was described as a once in a thousand-year flooding event by the Environment Agency. Cumbria Police closed the main bridge on Thursday night around 7 p.m. to all on foot and in cars, they feared that the damage could have been caused to the bridge but a later examination showed that it was undamaged.
References
edit- ^ "Spark Bridge, South Lakeland". OS GetOutside. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to ENMO Parish Council". enmoparishcouncil.org.uk. Parish Council of Egton with Newland, Mansriggs and Osmotherley. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Woodland Industries". Industrial History of Cumbria. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Insight into life of bobbin makers". The Westmorland Gazette. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "The Farmer's Arms – Grizedale Arts". CONV confederacy of villages. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Homepage". The Farmer's Arms. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
External links
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Media related to Spark Bridge at Wikimedia Commons