Penrith Walks

A gentle, atmospheric riverside walk of about two miles along the River Eden at Edenhall, long favoured by the Musgrave family — the same family tied to the "Luck of Edenhall" legend, a medieval glass beaker whose safekeeping was said to protect the family's fortunes. Mature trees, quiet riverbank and Eden Valley calm; it's the kind of walk nobody covers properly, which is exactly its charm. Easy and dog-friendly, and a lovely short outing when you want river and history without a climb.

Penrith's own hill — a wooded climb from the town up to the Beacon Pike monument (built 1719) on Beacon Hill, with sweeping views over the Eden Valley and across to the Lakeland fells. It's a 2–3 mile circular straight from the town centre with no car needed, easy-to-moderate in effort and a brilliant evening or half-day leg-stretch. The beacon itself is a survivor of the old warning-fire network. Dog-friendly throughout. For Penrith Castle and the town's other heritage sites, see the Penrith hub. There's also a second, quieter way onto the Beacon: the Salkeld Road evening circular below joins the Beacon woods from the cemetery side.

The walk Penrith locals actually do on a summer evening — no car, no parking, no fell kit, straight out of the town centre and home within the hour. The short loop (1.6 miles, about 45 minutes): from the bottom of Salkeld Road follow it round to Green Lane, left at the T-junction to stay on Green Lane, left onto Inglewood Road and back round to the start. It climbs steadily — roughly 200 ft of ascent on the Inglewood Road leg alone, so it's honest exercise rather than a flat stroll — and the payoff is the Inglewood Road stretch, where the views open out over Penrith with the Lakeland fells beyond.

The longer loop (about 2.2 miles, an hour): up Inglewood Road, right onto Green Lane, out at Penrith Golf Club on Salkeld Road, across the golf course, through the gate, then through the Beacon woods and the cemetery to come out on Beacon Edge — and any route back into town from there. A local's note: Beacon Edge sits above the east side of Penrith, so you don't have to close the loop — it's a natural place to peel off and drop down to wherever you're staying.

Underfoot: Inglewood Road and Beacon Edge are pavement, Green Lane is a country lane, and the golf course is well kept — but the wooded section can get muddy in winter, and there's a clear concrete path between the cemetery and the Beacon. Mostly firm going: sensible shoes rather than boots, with the woods the one soft spot after rain.

The Beacon extension: where the path meets the cemetery you can join the Penrith Beacon route above and walk up to the Beacon Pike monument itself, then down to the main gate — a second way onto the Beacon that most write-ups miss.

In winter it's a different walk and still a good one — Salkeld Road with the town lights below, the course under snow, and locals sledging on the slopes when it settles.

The wooded, conical Iron Age hillfort just across the bridge from Pooley Bridge — a short, easy woodland loop with glimpses of Ullswater through the trees. It's the perfect little add-on to a Pooley Bridge visit or the end of the Eamont Way, and ideal for families and dogs who want a quiet leg-stretch with a touch of ancient history. Easy throughout and quickly done, so you can pair it with a lakeside lunch or a Steamer trip.