Eden Valley, England

Last week I wrote about a hidden gem in London. But the UK capital isn’t the only place in Britain with great new places to discover. On Wednesday I traveled by train up to Cumbria to a place called the Eden Valley in England.

Situated in a narrow stretch of land that runs between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, the Eden Valley is just as beautiful as its famous, on-the-beaten-path neighbors, but seemingly nobody knows about it.

As its name suggests, the area is light on people and heavy on nature.

How to Get to the Eden Valley, Cumbria

I got my first glimpse of the Eden Valley’s natural beauty while still on the way there. I traveled on the Settle-Carlisle Railway, one of the most beautiful British rail journeys I’ve ever been on.

The whole way from Leeds up to Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria was rich in green hills and valleys, crumbling stone barns, and lots of sheep. Everywhere there were sheep. Did I mention sheep?

Where to Stay in the Eden Valley

When I arrived in Kirkby Stephen, I was met by Debbie, my host for my three days in the Eden Valley, England.

She and her other half, Richard, run A Corner of Eden, a luxury B&B in Cumbria I was reviewing for a travel publication in London. She drove me to the accommodation, which was located a 10-minute drive from the station.

On the way, Debbie told me about her two pet sheep, Lulu and Matilda. As she did so, I tried to contain my excitement so I wouldn’t expose myself as the sheep fanatic I am.

When we arrived, I was shown to my accommodation for my first night in the Eden Valley: Angel Barn.

It had been converted from a home for animals into a home for guests. The two-story building could sleep up to six, but I had the whole place to myself.

Out every window was a view of green grass dotted with woolly white fleece.

I opened one to take a photo of my cuddly companions, and the only sound I could hear was the ‘baaaa’ of so many sheep. I loved the Eden Valley already.

I enjoyed some tea and a couple of Debbie’s award-winning homemade scones before she and I took her two Border Terriers, Cassie and Max, for a walk.

The goal of the stroll was to feed Lulu and Matilda, who were grazing in a nearby pasture.

I was excited to see the sheep up close. Apparently Lulu was excited to see us, too. As we approached, she ran up to Debbie expecting a treat.

Eden Valley Walks

After we fed the sheep, I set off to explore the Eden Valley in England. The weather was beautiful, so I walked through several pastures and up a high hill with views across the whole local area in Cumbria.

It was hard to believe how quiet it was, and how few people there were. And how many sheep.

Eden Valley Pubs

That evening I walked across three fields to the local pub, the Fat Lamb. It was just outside Ravenstonedale in the upper Eden Valley. The place reminded me of my local in Hampstead, the Duke of Hamilton, with its traditional feel.

I ordered a mince-and-potato pie, which came with an enormous basket of fries and a huge salad. I felt like a glutton with so much food all to myself, but I did my best to finish it.

That evening I spent some time relaxing in the living room of Angel Barn and reading a coffee table book about sheep (surprise!).

Breakfast at Angel Barn

The next morning I was in the kitchen to cook breakfast for myself. Debbie had left me a fresh loaf of her award-winning bread, four eggs from her chickens, a pitcher of cold milk, and some bacon from a local butcher.

As I prepared breakfast, I realized I’d never actually cooked bacon before. I stumbled through it as best I could, my crippling fear of trichinosis causing me no shortage of anxiety as I overcooked it until it was brown.

Still, it tasted great. As did everything else on the plate. Even a bad chef can’t ruin amazingly fresh food.

B&B in the Eden Valley, England

After breakfast I moved to my accommodation for my second night in the Eden Valley: the A Corner of Eden B&B.

Located just a few steps away from Angel Barn, it was housed in a 17th-century Georgian building attached to a 15th-century home.

My inner Californian was awed by how much history there was.

Country Walks in the Eden Valley

After checking in, I set off to explore more of the Eden Valley. And to see more sheep. To that end, I took a two-and-half mile walk to the nearest village, Ravenstonedale.

The narrow lane passed through sheep-filled farms, cow pastures, tiny streams, flowers, and stone barns. It was impossibly bucolic; I didn’t see a single other person along the way.

When I reached Ravenstonedale I stopped to watch a pony grazing in a field, then saw my very first red squirrel in England. As it ran past, I stood in awe of it leaping along the road.

After it disappeared, I made my way to a pub in the village. The 16th-century King’s Head in Ravenstonedale had a long, spacious dining room buzzing with locals.

I had pea soup for lunch, then walked over to The Black Swan Hotel to have a drink in its riverside beer garden. It was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous sunny afternoon in the Eden Valley in England.

Back at my accommodation, I spent the afternoon reading and relaxing by the fire in the living room before heading back to the Fat Lamb for a quick dinner.

The next day I walked back into Ravenstonedale in hopes of having lunch at The Black Swan Hotel. Unfortunately, it was closed due to a power outage, as was pretty much everything else in the village.

I didn’t mind though, given the weather was beautiful. I walked back to my B&B in the Eden Valley, taking the long way along a lane so narrow I couldn’t believe a car could fit down it.

When I arrived at the farmhouse, Richard gave me a ride to the town of Kirkby Stephen. We dropped my bag off at the train station, where the proprietress of the cafe was kind enough to hold it for me until my train departed.

Then we drove into the town, where I had a quick lunch at a tearoom before setting off on the Kirkby Stephen Poetry Path in the Eden Valley.

The route was a small trail through knee-deep flowers, across narrow bridges, over stony streams, and along an old railroad track that lay under a leafy canopy. It was gorgeous. There were sheep, too.

Along the way sat 12 stones with poems carved into them. Each one was for a month of the year. Some were easier to find and read than others, but overall I liked the concept.

At the end of the Kirkby Stephen Poetry Path I came to a bridge over a stunning stretch of stream where the water had carved curving lines into the rocks.

It was something totally unexpected, and I felt like I’d discovered another hidden gem in England.

I walked along the stream for a while, then cut through some pastures to get to a trail leading up to the train station.

Along the way I passed little lambs and running rabbits until I reached the pretty platform with its red-and-white wrought-iron footbridge.

After a quick tea at the cafe, I hopped on the train and traveled south on the Settle-Carlisle Railway.

As I made my way past rolling hills and valleys, I was sad to say good-bye to the Eden Valley, the sheep, and the gorgeous weather I’d been lucky enough to have in Cumbria.