If you’re a canoeist, the half-mile of the River Kent that descends, thunderously, through the limestone levels of this part of Cumbria is well known as an extreme test of skill… but there are other reasons to visit…

(400 words; a five minute read)

Our village, Sedgwick, owes its existence to the River Kent, which rises in the southern Lakeland mountains around Kentmere and flows out into the northern end of Morecambe Bay. The name derives from the ancient Viking language, meaning ‘Place of the River’. The Kent has many faces; some deadly, some beautiful.

For me, the river is at its most beautiful in the autumn. The gradual fading of colour is nearly complete by the early days of November; but the mists have just begun.

I was lucky with this shot, which wasn’t planned beforehand. I had taken Tess, our collie, for an early morning…