Eden Valley

The Eden Valley is the wide, farmed country east of the Lake District, following the River Eden north from its source near Mallerstang towards Carlisle. On this site it covers Penrith, Appleby-in-Westmorland and Kirkby Stephen, plus the red sandstone villages between them, with the North Pennines rising along the eastern skyline and Alston just over the top.

It is a calmer, slower Cumbria. The towns are working market towns rather than resorts, built from the rose coloured local stone, and the walking is gentler riverside and limestone country rather than crag and scree. Penrith has the castle, the shops and the main line station. Appleby has its broad Boroughgate and the June horse fair. Kirkby Stephen is the waymark for Coast to Coast walkers before they head over Nine Standards Rigg.

The Settle to Carlisle railway is the best way to see it, crossing the valley through Kirkby Stephen and Appleby with the Pennine scarp on one side and the Lakeland fells on the other. The valley is also good cycling country, with quiet lanes and the long climb to Hartside for anyone who wants a proper test. Spring lambing time and the autumn colours along the river are the best seasons, and the towns are busiest on their market days.

The downside is that the bus network thins out quickly once you leave the A66 and the A6, so a car or the train is the practical choice. Appleby during the horse fair in early June is crowded and roads are busy, which is either the point of going or the reason to pick another week.