Pooley Bridge

For the former bridge located in the village, see Pooley Bridge (structure).

Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge is located in the former Eden District
Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge
Location in Eden, Cumbria
Pooley Bridge is located in Cumbria
Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge
Location within Cumbria
OS grid referenceNY471244
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPENRITH
Postcode districtCA10
Dialling code017684
PoliceCumbria
FireCumbria
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cumbria
54°36′43″N 2°49′14″W / 54.61197°N 2.82058°W / 54.61197; -2.82058

Pooley Bridge is a village in the Eden District of the northwestern English county of Cumbria, within the traditional borders of Westmorland.

The mid-18th century Pooley bridge, which was completed in 1764, was washed away by floodwaters in December 2015.

The village takes its name from a bridge over the River Eamont at the northern end of Ullswater. The bridge, erected in 1764 and replacing an earlier bridge from the 16th century,[1] collapsed on 6 December 2015 when Cumbria was hit by heavy flooding as a result of Storm Desmond. A temporary replacement bridge was opened on 20 March 2016.[2] A new stainless steel bridge was lifted into place in May 2020,[3] and opened in October 2020.[4]

There is a pier from which ferries (known as the Ullswater 'Steamers') provide connections to Glenridding and Howtown. Pooley Bridge was formerly known as Pooley or Pool How meaning the hill by the pool or stream. The name Pool How was derived from the Old English word pollr plus the Old Norse haugr meaning hill or mound.[5]

Pooley is mostly situated in the civil parish of Barton and Pooley Bridge, of which it is the main settlement. The few houses on the northern or Cumberland side of the bridge are in Dacre parish.[6] The village is popular with tourists, especially during the summer, and has several hotels, guest houses and camping sites.

  1. ^ "Pooley Bridge, Cumbria". Britain Express. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Celebration as Pooley Bridge opens". ITV News. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Washed away bridge replacement lifted into place". BBC News. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. ^ Wainwright, Oliver (22 November 2020). "Sheep and Land Rovers rejoice: Pooley Bridge reunites the Lake District". The Observer. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  5. ^ Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Farms Place Names in the Lake District Archived 2008-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
    - Towns and Villages of Cumbria
  6. ^ Lake District Lets Go Illustrated details