the falls. Both bridges were constructed in honour of two members of the Spring family early in the 20th century. Cecil Spring Rice was the British ambassador to the USA during the First World War, while Stephen Spring Rice was a senior civil servant. The bridges are of particular interest: the lower is made of vertical stones, not traditional in this area of Cumbria, while the higher has horizontal stones, more in keeping with the dale customs. In 2021, the lower bridge was rendered inaccessible after a tree fall during heavy storms. Poetry The Lake Poet William Wordsworth paid many visits to the area around Aira Force; he was probably inspired to write his poem "Daffodils", with the opening line "I wandered lonely as a cloud", as he observed daffodils growing on the shore of Ullswater near where Aira Beck enters the lake near Glencoyne Bay. The falls themselves are mentioned in three Wordsworth poems, the most famous reference being in "The Somnambulist", where in the final verse he writes: Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, Airey Force, to an engraving of a painting by Thomas Allom, refers to a legend that a hermit once lived beneath the falls. References External links Ullswater and Aira Force information at the National Trust Lake District Walks - Aira Force Waterfall Video on the Legend of Lady Emma and Sir Eglamore Video of the Aira Force Wish Tree Video footage of the Aira Force Pier Video of the Glenridding to Glencoyne Bay walk Tourist attractions in Cumbria National Trust properties in the Lake District Waterfalls of Cumbria