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Sour Milk Gill
runs into:-    Buttermere lake

civil parish:-   Loweswater (formerly Cumberland)
civil parish:-   Buttermere (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   river
locality type:-   boundary
locality type:-   parish boundary
1Km square:-   NY1615 (etc) 
10Km square:-   NY11


photograph
BVP97.jpg (taken 1.1.2011)  
photograph
BVP99.jpg  From below.
(taken 1.1.2011)  

evidence:-   old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.
image
BO18NY11.jpg
wiggly line from Bleaberry Tarn 
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old map:- Jefferys 1770 (Wmd) 
source data:-   Map, 4 sheets, The County of Westmoreland, scale 1 inch to 1 mile, surveyed 1768, and engraved and published by Thomas Jefferys, London, 1770.
image
J5NY31SW.jpg
single or double wiggly line; river 
item:-  National Library of Scotland : EME.s.47
Image © National Library of Scotland

evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NY11NE.jpg
single or double wiggly line; a river from Bleaberry Tarn 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library

evidence:-   descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P131, button  goto source
Page 131:-  "... large hollow craters scooped in their bosoms, once the seeming seats of raging liquid fire, though at present overflowing with the purest water, that foams down the craggy brows; ..."
image WS21P135, button  goto source
Page 135:-  "in whose bosom it is formed, appears to have been the focus of a volcano, in some distant period of time, when the cones were produced by explosion. At present it is the reservoir of water, that feeds the roaring cataract you see in the descent to Buttermere. Here all is barrenness, solitude, and silence, only interrupted by the murmurs of a rill, that runs unseen in the bottom of a deep dell. ..."

evidence:-   old map:- Crosthwaite 1783-94 (But/Cru/Low) 
placename:-  Sour Milk Gill
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, An Accurate Map of Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater Lakes, scale about 3 inches to 1 mile, by Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, Cumberland, 1794, version published 1800.
image
CT8NY11T.jpg
"Sour Milk Gill"
item:-  Armitt Library : 1959.191.2
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old map:- West 1784 map
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, about 1784.
image
Ws02NY11.jpg
item:-  Armitt Library : A1221.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P046, button  goto source
Page 46:-  "SOUR-MILK GILL is a name applied to some mountain torrents, on account of their frothy whiteness resembling Butter-milk from the churn. We have Sour-milk Gill near Buttermere, Sour-milk Gill in Grasmere, and Sour-milk Gill near the Black-lead Mine in Borrowdale."

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Sour Milk Force
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P179, button  goto source
Page 179:-  "WATERFALLS."
No. Name and Situation of Fall. Height.
7 Sour Milk Force, near Buttermere 60 feet

evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Sourmilk Force
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NY11.jpg
"Sourmilk Force"
two lines across a stream, waterfall 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
placename:-  Sourmilk Ghyll
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P133, button  goto source
Page 133:-  "[the torrent] flowing down the steep into the lake [Buttermere] is called (as others in the district are) Sourmilk Ghyll; and it issues from Bleaberry, or Burtness Tarn, on the side of Red Pike. ..."

evidence:-   old print:- Nelson 1859
source data:-   Print, engraving, Buttermere from near the Fish Inn, drawn by Keeley Halswelle, Edinburgh, published by T Nelson and Sons, Paternoster Row, London, and Edinburgh and New York, United States, 1859.
image  click to enlarge
NS01F.jpg
Frontispiece to a guide book, The English Lakes. 
printed at bottom:-  "BUTTERMERE FROM NEAR THE FISH INN."
item:-  JandMN : 336.1
Image © see bottom of page


photograph
Click to enlarge
BVQ03.jpg  Running out of Bleaberry Tarn,
(taken 1.1.2011)  
photograph
BVQ01.jpg (taken 1.1.2011)  
photograph
BVQ02.jpg (taken 1.1.2011)  
photograph
BVP98.jpg (taken 1.1.2011)  
photograph
BJZ32.jpg  From across the lake.
(taken 7.11.2005)  

places:-  
NY17271629 footbridge, Buttermere (2) (Buttermere)
NY17231629 footbridge, Loweswater (3) (Loweswater)
NY17231629 water gate, Loweswater (Loweswater)
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