photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Robert Strachan | all galleries >> Landscapes >> The Lake District > Aira Force
previous | next
27-MAR-2014

Aira Force

Aira Force is a waterfall in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria.

The stream which flows over the waterfall is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow Dodd at a height of 720 metres (2,362 ft) and flows north-easterly before turning south, blocked by the high heather-covered slopes of Gowbarrow Fell. It turns south on its eight-kilometre journey to join Ullswater, at a height of 150 metres (492 ft). One kilometre before entering the lake, the beck makes the 20 metres (66 ft) leap down a rocky ravine at the falls known as Aira Force.

The river name Aira is derived from Old Norse eyrr, a gravel bank, and Old Norse á, a river, hence The river at the gravel bank, a reference to Aira Point, a gravelly spit where the river enters Ullswater. The Old Norse word fors, waterfall, has been adopted into several northern English dialects and is widely used for waterfalls, with the English spelling 'Force'. Thus, The waterfall on gravel-bank river.


other sizes: small medium original auto
share
Commenting on this page requires a PBase account.
Please login or register.