Our Hidden Gem of the month is Walking in Cumbria’s Eden valley. Lesley Williams took a while to discover this delightful ‘secret’ area for walking.
Walking in Cumbria's Eden Valley
30 walks between the Yorkshire Dales and the Solway salt marshes
£11.66
Guidebook to 30 graded walks in Cumbria's Eden Valley. The routes, which range from 3 to 15 miles and are best from bases such as Kirkby Stephen and Appleby, explore the region's diverse landscapes and offer dramatic views, either of the Pennines, Lake District or the Scottish hills. Linear routes link with the Settle-Carlisle railway.
Vital stats:
- Stretching from the Yorkshire Dales north and west towards Carlisle, the valley includes nature reserves, historic tracks, castles and dramatic geology.
- Short walks and longer day walks, both upland and river valley routes
- Beautiful in any season – bleak moorlands in winter, spring flowers and lambs in the fields, summer away from the crowds of neighbouring Yorkshire Dales and Lake District honeypots, and autumn colours of the trees and purple heather hillsides.
Where is it?
What does the author say?
If Cumbria’s beautiful Eden Valley were anywhere but right next to the Lake District, it would be full of tourists. As it is though, few venture this far from the National Park, leaving locals to delight in the fact that they have this wonderful area, with its rich natural and human heritage, all to themselves.
What is so special about this book?
Despite living within an hours drive of every walk described, I hadn’t explored the area in any depth. The book is great – interesting and cleverly devised circular walks, picking out the best views and landscapes. Working through the routes in the book I have come to appreciate what a delightful ‘secret’ area this is for walking.
A one-line review:
Between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, these are lovely walks for all abilities. Don’t tell everyone about how special it is!
