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Whether
you choose to remain in the Eden Valley, go up into the Pennine
hills, travel across to the Lake District or visit Hadrian's
Wall, Raven House is right in the middle of some of the best
walking country in the UK. You don't need to travel far to find
some excellent walks, like the ones listed below. You'll find
some information on local walks in the cottage.
Along
Raven Beck
 This
walk of about 4 miles starts literally from the front door of
Raven House. Turn left, cross the road then turn immediately
right down Ravenghyll. Walk a short distance down the road until
it becomes a track. Raven Beck soon appears on your right.
Keep
an eye on the stream and you may see a dipper,
a small, mainly black and white bird with the remarkable habit
of walking into and under water in search of food. Other birds
also seen frequently on this walk include buzzards
and a sparrowhawk.
You may also see red squirrels.
The
walk follows the bank of Raven Beck for a couple of miles before
turning sharply left and returning in a loop. Alternatively,
you can turn right on to the local country lanes and pass Kirkoswald
Castle on the way back. The walk is marked on this map
and appears as walk no 3 in Paul Hannon's excellent book of
local walks, Eden
Valley.
Lazonby open-air pool and along the Eden
Turn
right out of Raven House, follow the road down to and across
the River Eden and it's a short walk (or drive if you're feeling
lazy) to Lazonby open-air swimming pool - location.
In 2005, The Times commended this as one of the best open-air
pools in England. It's only small but it's the perfect place
to spend a hot summer's day.
There
is a short but pleasant walk from the pool by the river past
a small caravan site. In summer, you will see dozens of sand
martins, which nest in the riverbank. Otters have been spotted
on this quiet stretch of the river and, if you're very lucky,
you might glimpse them at twilight. You can walk as far as Eden
Lacy and view Lacy's Caves (see below) on the other side of
the river. The walk is shown on this map.
Long
Meg and Lacy's Caves
 This
walk of about 5 miles passes the second largest Neolithic stone
circle in England, Long
Meg and her Daughters, which dates from 1750 BC. It also
enables you to visit the curious Lacy's
Caves by the River Eden.
You
don't need to use your car for this walk but that would add
another couple of miles to the route. Whether you walk or drive
from Raven House, you need to turn right out of the door and
then left and immediately right just past Laces Garage, following
the road to Glassonby.
You
can then start the circular walk from just by Daleraven Bridge
(about a mile from Raven House), where there is space on the
right of the road for a couple of cars to park, Glassonby or
Little Salkeld.
Most
of the walk is shown on this map.
It is walk no 5 in the Pathfinder Guide, More
Lake District Walks (starting from Little Salkeld).
Coombs
Wood by the Eden
This
walk starts from Armathwaite, about 5 miles north of Kirkoswald.
Park your car here,
by the bridge over the River Eden at Armathwaite, about half
way between the Fox & Pheasant and Dukes Arms pubs (both
serve excellent food but booking is advisable at busy times).
There are steps down to the river by the signpost on the east
bank. Go down the steps and turn left under the bridge, over
two stiles, to start the walk through Coombs Wood, which is
home to red squirrels, deer, buzzards and other birdlife.
Follow
the path with the river on your right. After less than a mile,
the path splits with the left fork rising up and the right fork
going down to the river. There are some tricky rapids here which
salmon negotiate in the middle of winter on their journey upstream
to spawn. We have seen the salmon leaping here on New Year's
Day - a spectacular sight!
 Just
along the river bank here, carved into the red sandstone, are
some mysterious faces (see photo left) and a parody of Izaac
Walton's Compleat Angler. The poem is the work of Victorian
eccentric William Mounsey and is dated 1855 but the faces are
reputed to be much older.
Few
people have seen these carvings and they can only be reached,
with some difficulty, when the River Eden's level is low - if
the conditions are right, we can tell you how to find them (at
your own risk).
If
you take the left fork and walk up the hill, there is a fantastic
view over the River Eden from a sandstone sculpture called "Vista".
There are several paths through Coombs Wood above and by the
river to explore.
There
is an extended version of one walk through Coombs Wood which
carries on to Ainstable in Paul Hannon's book of local walks,
Eden
Valley (no 1).
More
walks : recommended reading
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