'Armathwaite'

Map - Google
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 506462

Armathwaite village, with Armathwaite Castle upper right, and Armathwaite Station lower left. Christ and St Mary's church left of centre.

Armathwaite is a pleasant Cumbrian village with the River Eden flowing through it, and renowned for its salmon fishing and superb walks along the river. It contains Armathwaite Castle (below), a four story pele tower in a glorious position by the River Eden, adapted into a country house in 1752 by William Sanderson. There used to be a working woollen mill in the village until recently.

The Eden Gorge, between Lazonby and Armathwaite is one of Cumbria's best kept secrets, and is well worth exploring, on water, or on foot.

Just south of Armathwaite, right beside the river Eden, there are five carvings of these remarkable faces carved in the sandstone cliff.

The small chapel of Christ and St Mary, originally built in 1402, has some lovely stained glass windows in the east end by the William Morris Company, one designed by JH Dearle, and the other by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

Nearby is the famous 'Nunnery Walks', leading from the Armathwaite Nunnery to the River Eden, but these are no longer open to the public.

Armathwaite is home to several producers and bottlers of Eden Valley natural mineral water, including ' Aqua Pura'.

The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line have restored the signalbox, as the line leaves Armathwaite station towards Carlisle.

Aerial photos by Simon Ledingham.