River Derwent, Cumbria


The Derwent is a river in the county of Cumbria in the north of England; it rises in the Lake District and flows northwards through two of its principal lakes, before turning sharply westward to enter the Irish Sea at Workington The name Derwent is shared with three other English rivers and is thought to be derived from a Celtic word for "oak trees".
The river rises at Sprinkling Tarn underneath Scafell Pike and flows in a northerly direction through the valley of Borrowdale, before entering Derwentwater, which it exits to the north just outside Keswick and is joined by the waters of the River Greta. The Derwent then enters Bassenthwaite Lake at its southern end; it exits it at its northern end, thereafter flowing generally westward to Cockermouth, where the River Cocker joins it from the south. From Cockermouth, the river continues westward past Papcastle, site of the Roman fort of Derventio and onwards to Workington, where it flows into the Irish Sea.