Ravenglass to Eskdale Walk

7 miles (11 km)

This walk from Ravenglass takes you to the beautiful Eskdale in the Lake District National Park. It's about a 7 mile walk with the option of returning on the splendid Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. On the way you'll climb the splendid Muncaster Fell so a good level of fitness is required.
The walk starts on the front in Ravenglass with views over the Drigg Dunes and Irt Estuary Nature Reserve, where there's good bird watching opportunities. You head south to the Ravenglass Roman Bath House (or�Walls Castle). The ruined�ancient Roman bath house belonged to to a 2nd-century�Roman�fort�and�naval base.
The route then turns north east to pass the Grade I listed Muncaster Castle. The castle is surrounded by lovely grounds with 77 acres of beautiful gardens and bluebell woods.
After passing the castle you follow Fell Lane up to Muncaster Fell where you'll pass the pretty Muncaster Tarn. You'll pass along a wonderful elevated ridge with fine views towards the coast and over Eskdale to the Scafell range.
The walk then descends to Muncaster Head where you pick up a path along the River Esk to take you into Eskdale. Here you can head to Dalegarth Station or Beckfoot Station and catch the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway back to Ravenglass.
To extend the walk head to the lovely Stanley Ghyll Force Waterfall. The waterfall trail runs for about half a mile along the River Esk through a narrow gorge with attractive woodland and rhododendrons. The 60 foot high falls are an impressive sight and one of the hidden gems of the Lake District.

Ravenglass to Eskdale Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Ravenglass to Eskdale Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Ravenglass to Eskdale OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Ravenglass to Eskdale Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The route passes the worthy village of Eskdale Green. The pretty settlement includes a tarn, woods, a Japanese Garden, riverside trails and two fine historic pubs for refreshments. There's also Eskdale Green station�or Irton Road Station on the heritage Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway here.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

To continue your walking in the area try the Ravenglass Circular Beach Walk which visits the Drigg Beach Nature Reserve from the village. Here you'll find sand dunes, an abundance of plantlife and lots of wildlife with several species of wading birds to look out for.