Swindale Beck (Lowther)

{{Short description|Stream in Cumbria, England}}

{{For|other Swindale Becks|Swindale Beck (disambiguation){{!}}Swindale Beck}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:Swindale Beck - geograph.org.uk - 801536.jpg

Swindale Beck is a river in Shap Rural parish of Cumbria, England, near Haweswater. It starts at Swindale Head where Mosedale Beck, from the slopes of Tarn Crag, joins Hobgrumble Beck from Selside Pike.{{cite web|url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB102076070670|title=Swindale Beck (Lowther)|website=Environment Agency}} The stream flows north-east along Swindale and joins the River Lowther near Rosgill between Shap and Bampton. Its waters then flow via the

River Eamont and River Eden into the Solway Firth.

Prior to 1859, Swindale Beck had been straightened to clear land for grazing.{{Cite news |date=6 January 2017 |title=Swindale Beck restored bends benefit breeding fish |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cumbria-38531521 |access-date=8 June 2021}} In 2016, {{convert|750|m}} of straightened channel{{efn|The channel is in Swindale Meadows, Ordnance Survey grid squares {{Ordnance Survey coordinates|NY5012}} and {{Ordnance Survey coordinates|NY5112}}}} was replaced with {{convert|890|m|abbr=on}} of a new sinuous channel, reconnecting the stream to its surrounding floodplain.{{cite web |title=Case study:Swindale Beck Restoration |url=https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study%3ASwindale_Beck_Restoration#Site |website=Restoring Europe's Rivers |accessdate=30 July 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Schofield |first1=Lee|author-link=Lee Schofield |title=The Shining River - RSPB England - Our work - The RSPB Community |url=https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/rspb-england/posts/the-shining-river |website=community.rspb.org.uk |access-date=8 June 2021}} This resulted in a rapid and marked improvement in its diversity.{{cite news |title=Diversity returns to Lakeland stream after restoration puts its bends back |first1=Sandra |last1=Laville |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/26/diversity-returns-to-lakeland-stream-after-restoration-puts-its-bends-back |access-date=26 December 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=26 December 2022 }} In 2022, the project was part of Cumbria-wide river restoration work which was awarded the European River Prize by the International River Foundation.{{cite web |title=Cumbrian Rivers |url=https://www.riverfoundation.org.au/prizes/cumbrian-rivers/ |website=International River Foundation |access-date=5 March 2025 |date=2022}}