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Caring for Eden
Exploring Eden
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Exploring Eden

Walks

Explore Eden's rivers and get closer to nature on one of our selection of walks. There are lots of places to discover in the Eden catchment, and there's no better way than to explore our beautiful countryside, rivers, and historic towns than on foot. 

Whether you want to go out for the day, a few hours, or just fancy a quick stroll, you can find a walk to suit you.

Railway heritage walk with Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust Two men and a woman are walking along a wooded path. One of the women has a toddler balanced on her hip as she walks.

River Irthing

River Eden

River Petteril

Find a walk in the Eden catchment
Dog Friendly Pram Friendly River Walk Stroll
1
Brougham and Eamont Bridge
A walk with two rivers, a Roman fort, a castle, a fortified manor house, and two ancient henges.
Easy
3hrs
3.75 miles
2
Gelt Woods and Greenwell
A walk in the footsteps of border raiders, with ancient woodland, a railway viaduct, a red sandstone gorge, a Roman quarry and a wild magical river.
Moderate
3hrs
5 miles
3
Gilwilly: Long Power Walk
Recharge with our 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.
Easy
30mins
1.5 miles
4
Gilwilly: Mid Morning Meander
Escape the daily grind and discover a haven for wildlife and people in the middle of Penrith.
Easy
30mins
1.25 miles
5
Gilwilly: Short Power Walk
Recharge with our 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.
Easy
20mins
1 mile
6
Gilwilly: The Clear Your Head Circuit
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.
Easy
1hr
2.65 miles
7
Gilwilly: The Focus Loop
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.
Easy
50mins
2.5 miles
8
Gilwilly: The Productivity Path
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.
Easy
40mins
2 miles
A large oblong stone stands outside of a circle of smaller stones; the red tones of the stone is brought out by the evening sun shining on it.
9
Long Meg and her Daughters
A short circular walk near Great Salkeld taking in a druid's circle - Long Meg and her Daughters - and St Michael's Church.
Easy
2hrs
2.4 miles

Enjoy a great, safe day out

Before you head out, take a moment to check out our helpful hints and tips for staying safe in the countryside and around rivers — whether you're walking, exploring, or simply relaxing by the water.

You'll find practical advice on:

What to wear and pack for your trip,

Staying safe while walking in the countryside and near rivers, and

Walking with dogs and keeping safe around livestock.

Make sure you're prepared so you and your loved ones can enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly.

Enjoy a safe day out in Eden

Discover Eden walks

Back in 2007, we launched a series of walks under the banner of Discover Eden.

Since then, the landscape has evolved — and so have the paths. Some of the information in the original guidebooks is now out of date, so volunteers are currently retracing the routes to check their condition and suitability for inclusion in our curated collection of walks on this page.

While we work on updating them, we still want you to enjoy these routes. 

So, we’ve made the original walks available for download — just bear in mind that some details may have changed.

Please note, once a walk has been updated, the old leaflet will be taken off the website.

Download a walk
Download a walk