Until the new road bridge was built to carry the heavy traffic of the A590, Newby Bridge was the only means of crossing the often wild Leven as it pours out of Lake Windermere and into Morecambe Bay. On one bank of the river at this point is the Newby Bridge Hotel and on the other is the partly Tudor built Swan Hotel.
    It is no longer possible for any boat to pass from the lake to the sea. The ancient settlement here is likely pre-Roman and would have played a major part in trade.
    The name Leven (OE llyffen - smooth) is certainly a misnomer at many times of the year.

Lakeside Station, at the northern end of the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, has been the setting for many period dramas, including the adventures of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.