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.
The area around Eskdale boasts some of the best hiking areas including Cartmel Fell, Coniston Coppermines Valley, Borrowdale, Styhead Tarn, Troutbeck, Orrest Head, and Wild Boar Fell.
There are a several good villages in the Eskdale area like Eskdale, Coniston, Seatoller, Troutbeck, High Borrans, Kentmere, and Brigsteer.
Eskdale's best nearby ancient sites can be found at Hardknott Roman Fort, The Hawk, Sunkenkirk Stone Circle, Castlerigg Stone Circle, High Borrans Romano-British Settlement, Mayburgh Henge, and Gunnerkeld Stone Circle.
There are a number of ruins near Eskdale including 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.
The area around Eskdale boasts some of the best old mines including 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 boasts some of the best waterfalls including Tilberthwaite Gill, Rydal Falls, Hebblethwaite Hall Gill, Styhead Gill Waterfalls, Taylorgill Force, Aira Force, and Hell Gill Force.
There are a number of rivers and streams near Eskdale including River Lickle, Appletree Worth Beck, Styhead Gill, Crowdundle Beck, Aira Beck, Hell Gill, and River Kent at Kentmere.
The area around Eskdale boasts some of the best lakes including Tarn Hows, Thirlmere Reservoir, Derwentwater, Styhead Tarn, Windermere, Wastwater, and Ullswater.
Eskdale has some unmissable woodlands nearby like Broughton Moor, Brigsteer Park, Cow Close Wood, Jeffy Knotts Wood, and Grubbins Wood.
There are a number of towns near Eskdale including Sedbergh, Bowness On Windermere, Ulverston, Penrith, Kendal, Ambleside, and Kirkby Stephen.
Mountains to visit near Eskdale include Scafell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike [Caudale Moor], Place Fell, and Wild Boar Fell.
Brough Castle, Lowther Castle, Pendragon Castle, Lammerside Castle, Kendal Castle, Sizergh Castle, and Castlesteads (Lowther) are some of Eskdale best castles to visit near Eskdale.
Historic Buildings to visit near Eskdale include Acorn Bank, Acorn Bank Watermill, Church of St Peter Askham, St Michael’s Church at Lowther, Lowther Mausoleum, Askham Hall, and Smardale Gill Viaduct.
Eskdale is near some unmissable historic monuments like Fairy Steps,
Eskdale's best nearby caves can be found at Cathedral Quarry, Fairies Cave, Holy Well Cave, and Buttermere Tunnel.
Bluebell Woods to visit near Eskdale include Cow Close Wood, and Jeffy Knotts Wood.
There are a several good nature reserves in the area around Eskdale like 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 number of airports near Eskdale including Barrow/Walney Island Airport, and Carlisle Lake District Airport.
The area close to Eskdale boasts some of the best islands including Piel Island.
Eskdale History
There are some historic monuments around Eskdale:
- Sike Moss prehistoric cairnfield and two ring cairns 215m north east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 630m east of the confluence of Hall Beck and Devoke Water
- Prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement, field system, funerary cairn, and a medieval shieling on Birkby Fell west of Devoke Water
- Prehistoric enclosure north of Little Pie, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric enclosure containing three hut circles and eight clearance cairns and an adjacent hut circle and cairnfield north east of Boat How, Burnmoor
- Prehisitoric cairnfield 850m north west of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield, associated field system and hut circle east of Water Crag
- Prehistoric cairnfield 570m south west of Barnscar settlement
- Prehistoric enclosure south of The Intake, 920m south east of Stainton
- Green How West unenclosed prehistoric hut circle settlement 540m NNE of Birkerthwaite
- Prehistoric enclosure, hut circle and adjacent cairnfield east of Whillan Beck, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement and associated field system 290m south east of Low Birker Tarn
- Roman road from Wrynose Bottom to Hardknott Ford
- Prehistoric hut circle settlement and cairnfield, three medieval settlements and associated field systems, and two shielings north of Crosbythwaite
- Brown Rigg prehistoric cairnfield and a funerary cairn 400m south east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Waberthwaite Fell, 740m south west of Rowantree Force
- Prehistoric cairnfield and enclosure 750m west of Barnscar settlement
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Stainton Fell, 760m NNE of Stainton
- Stainton Ling prehistoric hut circle settlement, associated field systems, cairnfields, funerary cairns, and a medieval field system and two shielings
- Prehistoric cairnfield, field system, two funerary cairns, a Romano-British farmstead, field system and a post-medieval haematite mine at Brantrake Moss
- Prehistoric cairnfield 420m south east of the triangulation pillar on Rough Crag
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Waberthwaite Fell, on the north bank of Charlesground Gill, 880m south east of High Corney
- Rough Crag prehistoric cairnfield, funerary cairn and a linear boundary 1000m ENE of Woodend Bridge
- Cairnfield including a funerary cairn, standing stone and three stone banks south of Eller How, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system on Stainton Fell, 330m south of The Knott
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 800m north west and 800m north of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Corney Fell, 680m north east of Charlesground
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 350m west of The Knott
- 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
- Prehistoric cairnfield 420m north east of Winds Gate
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Waberthwaite Fell, 840m north west of Redgill Head
- Hardknott Roman fort, bath-house, parade ground and tribunal, 4 Roman roads, Roman quarries and 3 cairns
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 540m south west of The Knott
- Rough Crag prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 600m ENE of Woodend Bridge
- Great Crag prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 710m south east of Birkerthwaite
- Settlement on The Hawk
- Roman kilns
- Smallstone Beck prehistoric cairnfield 410m east of Birkerthwaite
- Medieval shielings at Great Cove, 2.68km south of Low Gillerthwaite
- Prehistoric cairnfield 840m east of Birkerthwaite
- Mecklin Park cairnfield, 500m north of Ain House
- Brown Rigg prehistoric cairnfield 375m east of Woodend Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system south west of Birkby Fell, 750m north east of The Knott
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 660m north of Rowantree Force
- Prehistoric long cairn on Stainton Fell, 940m north east of Rowantree Force
- Prehistoric cairnfield and linear boundary on Hesk Fell 800m north of Holehouse Bridge
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Birkby Fell, 360m south east of Raven Crag
- Barnscar prehistoric cairnfield, two hut circle settlements, field systems, funerary cairns, and a Romano-British farmstead, trackway and field system
- Prehistoric cairnfield and a Romano-British farmstead and its associated field system 1.24 km ESE of Low Gillerthwaite
- Maiden Castle round cairn, Burnmoor
- Crosby Gill prehistoric cairnfield and field system and a dispersed medieval settlement and associated lynchets 450m west of Crosbythwaite
- Black Beck North prehistoric cairnfield on Birkby Fell, 950m SSW of the confluence of Linbeck Gill and Black Beck
- Hare Gill prehistoric cairnfield, hut circle settlement and associated field system 715m SSE of Fisher Gate
- Prehistoric cairnfield on Stainton Fell, 950m north of Rowantree Force
- Prehistoric cairnfield, associated field system and a funerary cairn 520m south of Barnscar settlement
- Three prehistoric cairnfields and an associated field system on Corney Fell, 1.2km south east of High Corney
- Hesk Fell prehistoric cairnfield and funerary cairn, a linear boundary, and a dispersed medieval settlement and field system 840m west of Horseman Gate
- Cairnfield south of Straighthead Gill, Burnmoor
- Prehistoric round cairn on Whitfell
- Prehistoric cairnfield 660m north east of Barnscar settlement
- Prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 730m ENE of Birkerthwaite
- Prehistoric stone circle, trackway, cairnfields, funerary cairns, hut circles, Romano-British farmstead and a medieval field system, 1.1km SE of Stainton
- Prehistoric cairnfield immediately south of Birkerthwaite
- Pike How prehistoric cairnfield and associated field system 320m south west of High Ground
- Prehistoric enclosure containing ten clearance cairns south west of Boat 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
- Cairnfield including a prehistoric enclosure, 5 stone circles, 10 funerary cairns, 6 stone banks, 2 stone walls, a lynchet and a trackway on Burnmoor