Rambles

Discover some of Eden's beautiful countryside, scenic routes and history with some of these rambles.

Appleby 

Appleby Riverside Walk.  Enjoy waterside walking along the River Eden and Hoff Beck on this circular walk around Appleby-in-Westmorland. The route runs for about 7 miles on fairly flat paths, with wonderful views of the Eden Valley and nice woodland trails.  

• Appleby Riverside Walk (around 7 miles/11.2km)

A Primrose by the River.  A Circular walk from Appleby to / from Ormside.  Full route 8 miles, short route 6.5 miles. More details are available on the Visit Appleby website.

Ullswater

Enjoy the beauty of the Lake District National Park with walks around Ullswater.

The National Trust website lists some great walks around Ullswater:

• Aira Force and Gowbarrow trail (4.5 miles / 7km / 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours) has some dramatic walking routes, renowned in Victorian times as a beauty spot situated by Lake Ullswater near Watermillock. There is a tearoom and dogs on leads are welcome. There are Information boards situated in the car park which describe the walks or visit the Aira Force website.
  
  
• Patterdale and Glenamara Park trail (2 miles / 3.2 km / 1 hour) this walk offers stunning views of mountains and water and is suitable for all - but bring waterproof boots depending on the season as it can get pretty wet underfoot!
  
  
• Aira Force Glencoyne Farm trail, 3 miles (4.8km / 2 hours). Glencoyne is one of the largest hill farms in the Lake District. This circular trail will take you through the Grade II listed farm buildings (the earliest part built in 1629) and along to the remains of old charcoal pitsteads.  It passes Glencoyne wood, before bringing you back to the car park.
  
  
• Hayeswater Gill trail, 2 miles (3.2km / 2 hours). Hayeswater Gill runs down from Hayeswater Reservoir, which once fed into north-west England's water supply. From Hartsop village near Ullswater, follow the beck up to the reservoir on a circular walk surrounded by towering Lake District fells. Discover local mining and milling history as you go.

The Ullswater 'Steamers' website lists some great walks around Ullswater.  This includes walks from Howtown to Pooley Bridge, Howtown to Glenridding and a circular walk to Aira Force.

Acorn Bank to Temple Sowerby walk

The National Trust website has a walk which takes in the industrial heritage of Acorn Bank, as well as offering panoramic views across the Eden Valley to the Lakeland mountains.

• Acorn Bank to Temple Sowerby - (3.2 miles / 5.12km / 1 hour 30 minutes
  
  

Armathwaite and Coombs Wood, Armathwaite

This route starts from one of the loveliest of the Eden Valley's villages and then enters pretty woodland beside the river. Having visited the hamlet of Longdales, the route heads along a seemingly forgotten track between hedgerows that are a riot of colour in the early autumn.

This walk has been extracted from the Cicerone guidebook 'Walking in Cumbria's Eden Valley' by Vivienne Crow. The book is available to buy from Penrith Tourist Information Centre.

The Eamont Way

The Eamont Way (5.5 mile/8.8km) is walking route from Penrith Railway Station to Pooley

Bridge Steamer Pier, offering an ‘Active Travel’ alternative to the car, bus, or taxi.  

The route closely follows the course of the river Eamont, crossing it twice. It starts with a series of signed pedestrian crossings from the railway station to the edge of the town, then follows a series of signed footpaths, bridleways and ‘permitted paths’ to exit at ‘The Sun Inn’ in Pooley Bridge. From there it is less than 1/2 mile to the pier for the Ullswater Steamers where onward lake travel to Howtown and Glenridding is on offer and onward from Glenridding to Aira Force.

• For more information visit the Friends of the Ullswater Way website.

 

The Eden Valley Daffodil Walk

The Eden Valley Daffodil Walk is a picturesque walk through paths and lanes linking three Eden villages.  The walk is in memory of the lives lost to coronavirus.

The walk covers a six-mile route between Armathwaite, High Hesket and Low Hesket.  24,000 bulbs have been planted by the local community as a memorial to all those who died during Covid-19 (both directly and indirectly).  A species of narcissi have been especially chosen as they have nectar which will help the insect population along with the birds as well. 

The route will be marked with numerous areas of different species of daffodil displays.

The route will be accessible on foot or by car, and has public transport links at Low Hesket and Armathwaite. Although, there are no public car parks on the route, the majority of which is on country lanes, there are places where a car can be parked at either end of the walk.

More information and map is available on the Eden Valley Daffodil Walk Facebook page. 

 

Westmorland Dales Geotrails

Discover three geology walks in the Westmorland Dales produced by the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme with grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Written by Elizabeth Pickett and designed by Marcus Byron with contributions from Cumbria Geoconservation.

The three walks include a Smardale Geology Walk, Orton Scar and Knott and Kirkby Stephen and Stenkrith. 

• Download the guides on the Friends of the Lake District website.

Walks in Eden's Nature Reserves

Why not explore one of the Nature Reserves in Eden? This gives you the chance to see meadows, ancient woodlands and grasslands as well as flowering plants, butterflies and dragonflies, birds and lots more wildlife.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Natural England manage several Nature Reserves in Eden including:

• Thacka Beck, Penrith
• Newton Reigny, Penrith
• Argill Woods, near Brough
• Argill Pasture, near Brough
• Waitby Greenriggs, near Kirkby Stephen
• Smardale Gill, near Kirkby Stephen
• Tarn Sike, near Orton, Penrith
• Cliburn Moss, near Penrith
• Great Asby Scar, Orton
• Tarn Moss, near Penrith
  
  

Eden Rivers Trust walks

Brougham and Eamont Bridge: (3.75 miles/6 km). A walk with two rivers, a Roman fort, a castle, a fortified manor house, and two ancient henges

• Brougham and Eamont Bridge

Gilwilly Long Power Walk: (1.5 miles/2.4km)
Recharge Eden Rivers Trust's long power walk. Step out, stretch the legs and clear your head. Taking in Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Thacka Beck Nature Reserve and a short loop around Gilwilly Industrial Estate.

• Gilwilly Long Power Walk
  
  

Gilwilly: Mid Morning Meander (1.25 miles/2km) 
Escape the daily grind and discover a haven for wildlife and people in the middle of Penrith.

• Gilwilly: Mid Morning Meander
   

Gilwilly: Short Power Walk (1 mile/1.6km)
Recharge with Eden Rivers Trust's ultra short power walk. Step out, stretch the legs and clear your head. Skirting Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Thacka Beck Nature Reserve and a short loop around Gilwilly Industrial Estate.

• Gilwilly: Short Power Walk
   

Gilwilly: The Clear Your Head Circuit (2.65miles/4.26km)
Take an hour and discover a quieter Eden. A short walk from town taking in Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Thacka Beck Nature Reserve and a quiet country road snaking through rural countryside.

• Gilwilly: The Clear Your Head Circuit
   

Gilwilly: The Focus Loop (2.5miles/4.02km)
This 50 minute walk is ideal for a mental recharge. A quick jaunt around Penrith’s town centre for a refresher to clear your mind and maybe time for a well-earned pit stop in Castle Park.

• Gilwilly: The Focus Loop
   

Gilwilly: The Productivity Path (2 miles/3.21 km)
A short walk from Gilwilly Industrial Estate into Penrith town outskirts, passing the Castle and Penrith station and following a circular route retuning through Penrith Business Park.

• Gilwilly: The Productivity Path

Long Meg and her Daughters (2.4miles/3.86km)

A short circular walk near Great Salkeld taking in a druid's circle - Long Meg and her Daughters - and St Michael's Church.

• Long Meg and her Daughters