Borrowdale is a valley in the English Lake District

Lake District

The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...

. It is located in the old county

Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...

 of Westmorland

Westmorland

Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...

, and is sometimes referred to as Westmorland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from a more famous Borrowdale

Borrowdale

Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...

 located in the traditional county of Cumberland

Cumberland

Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....

.

The valley straddles the eastern border of the Lake District National Park

Lake District

The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...

, and is part of Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

.

The valley carries Borrow Beck

Borrow Beck

Borrow Beck is a stream running through Cumbria, England.Rising at Borrowdale Moss near Lord's Seat, the beck runs a southeasterly course, being joined by Crookdale Beck before running through Borrowdale....

 for 11 kilometres, from Borrowdale Hole, through Borrowdale Moss to End of Borrowdale, crossing the A6 road at High Borrow Bridge and reaching the River Lune

River Lune

The River Lune is a river in Cumbria and Lancashire, England.It is formed at Wath, in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, at the confluence of Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck...

 at Low Borrow Bridge, site of a Roman

Roman Britain

Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...

 fort, and where the original bridge has been supplemented by a new bridge for the A685 road

A685 road

The A685 is a road in Cumbria, England, that runs 28 miles from Kendal to Brough.-Route:The A685 begins in Kendal town centre off the A6. It heads in a north-easterly direction to the village of Tebay and junction 38 of the M6 motorway. From the M6 the A685 has primary status as it heads in an...

, twin viaducts for the M6 motorway

M6 motorway

The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...

, and the West Coast Main Line

West Coast Main Line

The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...

railway.

The upper segment, above High Borrow Bridge, is very remote; the lower segment carries a bridleway along its length, and has easy parking at the eastern end just off the A685, but remains quiet even in the high season.