Liddel Water

Liddel Water
Upper reaches of Liddel Water
Map
Native nameLiddel Watter (Scots)
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Constituent countriesScotland, England
Physical characteristics
SourcePeel Fell (Scottish side)
 • locationnear Saughtree, Scottish Borders, Scotland
 • coordinates55°17′17″N 2°35′31″W / 55.288185°N 2.591997°W / 55.288185; -2.591997
Source confluenceRiver Esk
 • locationCarwinley, Cumbria, England
 • coordinates55°02′36″N 2°55′58″W / 55.043427°N 2.932672°W / 55.043427; -2.932672

Liddel Water is a river running through southern Scotland and northern England, for much of its course forming the border between the two countries, and was formerly one of the boundaries of the Debatable Lands.[1]

Liddel Water's source is beneath Peel Fell in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders, where it is formed by the confluence of Caddroun Burn, Wormscleuch Burn and Peel Burn (burn is the Scots term for a stream). Soon afterwards, the nascent Liddel Water is fed by Dawston Burn near the village of Saughtree.

The river continues to pick up tributaries (listed below) as it follows its southwesterly course, which takes it through the village of Newcastleton (also known as Copshaw Holm) to that of Kershopefoot, where the burn begins to mark the Anglo-Scottish border.

Liddel Water then flows into the River Esk at Willow Pool, overlooked by the earthworks of the former castle of Liddel Strength near Carwinley, Cumbria.

Scottish border
Blaeu - Atlas of Scotland 1654
Liddel Strength. Site of a Norman motte and bailey castle
  1. ^ "Liddel Water from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 29 February 2024.