About the River Eden

The River Eden and its tributaries are located in the Eden Valley, Cumbria and flow through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe. The catchment covers an area of around 2200 km2.

Parts of the Eden have landscape designations including the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, North Pennines, the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB’s), and the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

Its source is 675 metres (2,057 feet) above sea level on Mallerstang Common near the Cumbria and North Yorkshire border. Formed by the merging of two streams, Red Gill and Little Grain, to create Hell Gill Beck, it flows until Hell Gill Force after which it becomes the River Eden. Continuing North West for approximately 145 kilometres (90 miles) it comes to its estuary on the Solway Firth.

The River Eden flows over calcareous limestone, new red sandstone and volcanic geology giving it a broad range of ecological conditions.

It has Special Area of Conservation status for white-clawed crayfish, bullheads, three species of lamprey, Atlantic salmon, water crowfoot and otters. The headwaters comprise one of the most important British sites for the native white-clawed crayfish. The river is also of high invertebrate interest for species associated with river shingles and sandbanks.

The Eden supports a high diversity of breeding birds. The sand martins nesting in the riverbanks comprise the largest colony in Cumbria and this area is of regional importance for wintering wildfowl and otters. Ospreys have been sighted in recent years.

The variations in the physical and chemical character of the Eden result in an unusual and exceptionally rich aquatic flora with 183 plant species recorded; the highest of all rivers in Britain. The aquatic flora includes uncommon species and those at the geographical limit of their British distribution.

The Eden’s special status is reflected in the designations it has been awarded.