Eskdale is a Village in the county of Cumbria.
Eskdale is a valley of mountains, rivers and forests in the west of the Lake District in Cumbria. Eskdale starts in the wilds of the Scafell Massif which includes England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike and runs south west to the wide open, tidal estuary at Ravenglass.
Eskdale’s human presence can be traced back to the Mesolithic Age when hunters settled by the sea. Prehistoric sites of Neolithic and Bronze Age stone circles and settlements remains, can be seen on Boot Bank and around Devoke Water. There are also many other burial sites to be seen in the Eskdale valley. A fort was built in Roman times, high up on the mountain at Hardknott Pass. Up to five hundred cavalry would have been stationed here. There was also a fort at Ravenglass and some of the Roman remains from here now form part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site at Hadrian’s Wall.
A narrow-gauge railway stretching from Boot to Ravenglass was built in 1875, to take iron ore away to the coast at Ravenglass and then later on was used to transport granite from Eskdale’s quarries. Today the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, known as La’al Ratty, is a popular tourist attraction boasting the oldest working 15” gauge locomotive in the world.
Alfred Wainwright in his guide ‘Walks from Ratty’ describes Eskdale as ‘One of the loveliest of Lakeland’s valleys. Descending from the highest and wildest mountains in the district to the Sands of Ravenglass, in a swift transition from bleak and craggy ridges to verdant woodlands and pastures, watered by a charming river’.
Eskdale postcode: CA19 1
Retail in Eskdale
There are great places to visit near Eskdale including some great hills, hiking areas, villages, ancient sites, ruins, old mines, waterfalls, rivers and streams, lakes, woodlands, towns, mountains, castles, historic buildings, historic monuments, caves, bluebell woods, nature reserves, disused railway lines, airports and islands.
Cartmel Fell, White Pike (Seathwaite), The Knott, Broughton Moor, Catbells, Orrest Head, and Haystacks are some of Eskdale best hills to visit near Eskdale.
Eskdale's best nearby hiking areas can be found at Cartmel Fell, Coniston Coppermines Valley, Borrowdale, Styhead Tarn, Troutbeck, Orrest Head, and Wild Boar Fell.
Eskdale, Coniston, Seatoller, Troutbeck, High Borrans, Kentmere, and Brigsteer are some of Eskdale best villages to visit near Eskdale.
There are a several good ancient sites in the Eskdale area like Hardknott Roman Fort, The Hawk, Sunkenkirk Stone Circle, Castlerigg Stone Circle, High Borrans Romano-British Settlement, Mayburgh Henge, and Gunnerkeld Stone Circle.
Bonsor East Mine Workings, Bonsor Dressing Floors, Penny Rigg Copper Mill, Appletree Worth, Stephenson Ground Limekiln (ruin), Water Yeat Limekiln (ruin), and Hebblethwaite Hall Gill are great places to visit near Eskdale if you like ruins.
Eskdale has some unmissable old mines nearby like Penny Rigg Quarry Adit, Three Kings Mine, Tilberthwaite Gill Head Waterfall Level, Horse Crag Quarry, Tilberthwaite Deep Level Adit, Cathedral Quarry, and Parrock Quarry.
The area around Eskdale features a number of interesting waterfalls including Tilberthwaite Gill, Rydal Falls, Hebblethwaite Hall Gill, Styhead Gill Waterfalls, Taylorgill Force, Aira Force, and Hell Gill Force.
There are a several good rivers and streams in the Eskdale area like River Lickle, Appletree Worth Beck, Styhead Gill, Crowdundle Beck, Aira Beck, Hell Gill, and River Kent at Kentmere.
There are a several good lakes in the Eskdale area like Tarn Hows, Thirlmere Reservoir, Derwentwater, Styhead Tarn, Windermere, Wastwater, and Ullswater.
There are a several good woodlands in the Eskdale area like Broughton Moor, Brigsteer Park, Cow Close Wood, Jeffy Knotts Wood, and Grubbins Wood.
The area around Eskdale features a number of interesting towns including Sedbergh, Bowness On Windermere, Ulverston, Penrith, Kendal, Ambleside, and Kirkby Stephen.
There are a number of mountains near Eskdale including Scafell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike [Caudale Moor], Place Fell, and Wild Boar Fell.
Don't miss Brough Castle, Lowther Castle, Pendragon Castle, Lammerside Castle, Kendal Castle, Sizergh Castle, and Castlesteads (Lowther)'s castles if visiting the area around Eskdale.
Acorn Bank, Acorn Bank Watermill, Church of St Peter Askham, St Michael’s Church at Lowther, Lowther Mausoleum, Askham Hall, and Smardale Gill Viaduct are some of Eskdale best historic buildings to visit near Eskdale.
Don't miss Fairy Steps's historic monuments if visiting the area around Eskdale.
The area around Eskdale boasts some of the best caves including Cathedral Quarry, Fairies Cave, Holy Well Cave, and Buttermere Tunnel.
There are a number of bluebell woods near Eskdale including Cow Close Wood, and Jeffy Knotts Wood.
Places near Eskdale feature a number of interesting nature reserves including Smardale Gill Nature Reserve.
Smardale Gill Nature Reserve is one of Eskdale's best, nearby disused railway lines to visit in Eskdale.
There are a several good airports in the Eskdale area like Barrow/Walney Island Airport, and Carlisle Lake District Airport.
The area around Eskdale's best islands can be found at Piel Island.
Eskdale History
There are some historic monuments around Eskdale:
- Prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement and associated field system 290m south east of Low Birker Tarn
- Prehistoric cairnfield, associated field system and a funerary cairn 520m south of Barnscar settlement
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Waberthwaite Fell, 740m south west of Rowantree Force
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 630m east of the confluence of Hall Beck and Devoke Water
- Cairnfield south of Straighthead Gill, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric round cairn on Whitfell
- Sike Moss prehistoric cairnfield and two ring cairns 215m north east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 540m south west of The Knott
- Pike How prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 320m south west of High Ground
- Smallstone Beck prehistoric cairnfield 410m east of Birkerthwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Corney Fell, 680m north east of Charlesground
- Prehistoric cairnfield 840m east of Birkerthwaite
- Prehistoric enclosure south of The Intake, 920m south east of Stainton
- Prehistoric cairnfield immediately south of Birkerthwaite
- Settlement on The Hawk
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Birkby Fell, 360m south east of Raven Crag
- Prehistoric enclosure containing ten clearance cairns south west of Boat How, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric cairnfield 420m south east of the triangulation pillar on Rough Crag
- Prehistoric cairnfield, associated field system and hut circle east of Water Crag
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Waberthwaite Fell, 840m north west of Redgill Head
- Barnscar prehistoric cairnfield, two hut circle settlements, field systems, funerary cairns, and a Romano-British farmstead, trackway and field system
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 730m ENE of Birkerthwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield 660m north east of Barnscar settlement
- Prehistoric stone circle, trackway, cairnfields, funerary cairns, hut circles, Romano-British farmstead and a medieval field system, 1.1km SE of Stainton
- Prehistoric cairnfield, field system, two funerary cairns, a Romano-British farmstead, field system and a post-medieval haematite mine at Brantrake Moss
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Waberthwaite Fell, on the north bank of Charlesground Gill, 880m south east of High Corney
- Prehistoric cairnfield and linear boundary on Hesk Fell 800m north of Holehouse Bridge
- Brown Rigg prehistoric cairnfield 375m east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield and enclosure 750m west of Barnscar settlement
- Great Crag prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 710m south east of Birkerthwaite
- Roman kilns
- Prehistoric enclosure, hut circle and adjacent cairnfield east of Whillan Beck, Burnmoor
- Brown Rigg prehistoric cairnfield and a funerary cairn 400m south east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Stainton Fell, 330m south of The Knott
- Prehistoric enclosure containing three hut circles and eight clearance cairns and an adjacent hut circle and cairnfield north east of Boat How, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 950m north of Rowantree Force
- Maiden Castle round cairn, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric long cairn on Stainton Fell, 940m north east of Rowantree Force
- Stainton Ling prehistoric hut circle settlement, associated field systems, cairnfields, funerary cairns, and a medieval field system and two shielings
- Rough Crag prehistoric cairnfield, funerary cairn and a linear boundary 1000m ENE of Woodend Bridge
- Rough Crag prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 600m ENE of Woodend Bridge
- Hardknott Roman fort, bath-house, parade ground and tribunal, 4 Roman roads, Roman quarries and 3 cairns
- Prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement, field system, funerary cairn, and a medieval shieling on Birkby Fell west of Devoke Water
- Black Beck North prehistoric cairnfield on Birkby Fell, 950m SSW of the confluence of Linbeck Gill and Black Beck
- Prehistoric enclosure north of Little Pie, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system south west of Birkby Fell, 750m north east of The Knott
- Prehistoric cairnfield 570m south west of Barnscar settlement
- Green How West unenclosed prehistoric hut circle settlement 540m NNE of Birkerthwaite
- Hesk Fell prehistoric cairnfield and funerary cairn, a linear boundary, and a dispersed medieval settlement and field system 840m west of Horseman Gate
- Prehistoric cairnfield 420m north east of Winds Gate
- Crosby Gill prehistoric cairnfield and field system and a dispersed medieval settlement and associated lynchets 450m west of Crosbythwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 660m north of Rowantree Force
- Three prehistoric cairnfields and an associated field system on Corney Fell, 1.2km south east of High Corney
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system north of Pike How, 650m west of High Ground
- Cairns on Kiln Bank 1/6 to 1/2 mile (270m-800m) SSE of Far Kiln Bank Farmhouse
- Hare Gill prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement and associated field system 715m SSE of Fisher Gate
- Prehistoric hut circle settlement and cairnfield, three medieval settlements and associated field systems, and two shielings north of Crosbythwaite
- Prehisitoric cairnfield 850m north west of Woodend Bridge
- Cairnfield including a funerary cairn, standing stone and three stone banks south of Eller How, Burnmoor
- Borrowdale graphite mines and associated grinding mill, 660m north west of Seathwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield south west of Water Crag, 290m north west of the confluence of Linbeck Gill and Devoke Water
- Medieval shielings at Great Cove, 2.68km south of Low Gillerthwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 350m west of The Knott
- Prehistoric cairnfield and a Romano-British farmstead and its associated field system 1.24 km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Stainton Fell, 760m NNE of Stainton
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 800m north west and 800m north of Woodend Bridge
- Roman road from Wrynose Bottom to Hardknott Ford
- Cairnfield including a prehistoric enclosure, 5 stone circles, 10 funerary cairns, 6 stone banks, 2 stone walls, a lynchet and a trackway on Burnmoor
- Mecklin Park cairnfield, 500m north of Ain House